Scott Hahn has the rare ability to explain the essential teachings of
Catholicism in a totally accessible manner. Rather than burdening the
reader with difficult or arcane references and arguments, he writes of
familiar feelings and situations and allows the theology to unfold
naturally. In First Comes Love, Hahn turns his attention to the search
for a sense of belonging, revealing the intimate connection between the
families men and women create on earth and the divine family, the Holy
Trinity.
Delving into the Gospels, Hahn shows that family terminology--words like
brother, sister, mother, father, and home--dominates Jesus'
speech and the writings of His first followers, and that these very
words illuminate Christianity's central ideas. As he explores the
fatherhood of God, the marriage of the Church to Christ, and the
all-enveloping role of the Holy Spirit, Hahn deepens readers'
understanding of the sacraments, teaches them how to create a family
life in the image of the Trinity, and demonstrates the ways in which the
analogy of the family applies to every aspect of Catholicism and its
practices--from the role of "father" embodied by the ancient patriarchs
and contemporary parish priests, to the comfort and guidance offered by
the brothers and sisters who comprise the Communion of Saints, to the
nurturing embrace of Mary, the mother of all Christians.
Through real-life examples (both humorous and compassionate) and
quotations drawn from the Scriptures, Hahn makes it clear that no matter
what sort of family readers come from--no matter what sort of
"dysfunction" they have experienced--they can find a family in the
Church. Reaching out to newcomers and to lifelong Christians alike,
First Comes Love is an invitation to discover a true home in the
divine.
