Opening your soul to faith (or re-opening your soul) can be a little scary. You might have objections, reservations, hesitations and misunderstandings. And not everyone is the type to tackle the Summa Theologica.

Chad Torgerson has been there, done that, and he’s written the book on how to handle just this situation. He skillfully interweaves his own journey into Catholicism with concise explanations of just what this all means. If you’re exploring the Church for the first time, rebuilding the faith of your childhood or just looking for an excellent review tool, Waking Up Catholic covers all the bases.

Topics covered in this 156-page book (MUCH less intimidating than the Summa) include:

• Tradition with a Capital T
• Guardians of the Faith
• Shepherds of the Flock
• The Trinity:  Central Mystery of Our Faith
• Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church
• The Communion of Saints
• More Than Bread and Wine
• Reconciled
• Becoming Catholic
• Heavenly Conversations
• Everyday Catholic
• The Next Step

I found this book to be easy to read without being an insult to the reader’s intelligence. It challenged the reader to reflect and pray and consider what the truths discussed in the book mean to them. Torgerson’s honest account of his struggles with certain aspects of the faith and how (and where) he sought for answers drives home his explanations of the “basics” of the faith so that both the reader’s mind and heart are engaged in learning and exploring.

Who should read this book? I’d recommend it to:

• people considering becoming Catholic
• people in the RCIA program who seek full Communion with the Church
• ALL teachers in faith-formation programs (for children, teens and adults)
• parents of children who are preparing to receive Sacraments
• anyone who wants to learn more about the Faith

Most of the people on my list above are already Catholic. But that doesn’t mean that any of us are experts. We can all benefit from the opportunity to refresh our knowledge and to have our faith refreshed. Chad Torgerson achieves both these goals in his simply-written yet deeply compelling book.

I read this in e-book format, but I’d recommend that you purchase the print version. You’ll want to mark this book with your questions and comments, and there are sections to which you’ll want to return.

The Fine Print:  The opinions expressed here are mine alone. I received an e-book version of this title, and no other compensation, for the purposes of this review.