I heard Dr. Allen Hunt speak in person at a conference two summers ago at Franciscan University of Steubenville. It was my first interaction with him and he’s an excellent speaker. It’s apparent how he was able to be so effective as a pastor in a church community that lives or dies by the quality of a sermon.

At that talk, he gave away copies of this book. It’s part memoir, part theological, and part biblical. An expert in New Testament Scripture, Allen goes to great lengths to take the personal stories in his life, connect them to the traditions of the Catholic Church, and tie them all together with a brief exegesis.

Even as a practicing Catholic, I found the book to be enjoyable. It read very fast and had plenty of little reminders about the great aspects of Catholicism. I’d probably even argue that as a cradle-Catholic, regularly reading about my faith and continuing to learn is critical to living the life that I say I want to live.

Looking at my reading list this year, I’ve noticed almost a majority of the books are about my faith. On the one hand, I want to be balanced, and on the other, I have a huge backlog of Catholic literature that I’ve been wanting to read for years.

This book fit nicely into my reading. I got to better know my faith through the story of another.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

ISBN: 9780984131839