I really enjoyed reading this book. The various authors of the different chapters all have their own writing style and it comes together in this beautiful book about Catholic culture today. I found myself getting pulled into the short pieces on various Catholic things (such as scapulars, Popes, even Catholic Twitter!). I really think this is a wonderful book about the way Catholic culture is currently being seen in the United States. Great book!

The Catholic Hipster Handbook
By Tommy Tighe
Published by Ave Maria Press, September 2017

Christianity as a whole is not often regarded as cool or trendy by modern young people, but this book aims to make a dent in Catholicism's un-cool image by looking at alternative but still very traditionally Catholic attitudes, prayers and practices which have gradually fallen into disuse and attempting to popularise them again amongst youngsters and young adults. Topic chapters come from a variety of contributors ranging from clergy and religious to bloggers, parents, musicians and more.

Many topics work extremely well - looking at beards biblically and historically, cultivating an appropriate sense of humour, looking at both ancient and modern saints in a new light and including prayers many people may not have heard of (including me!) What shoes would a Catholic Hipster wear? The ensuing discussion about Vans or sandals leads to mention of a religious community then quite naturally to the life of St Teresa of Avila and the Discalced Carmelites. Neat and clever.

Beer, music, beards, clothing, music, people to follow on Twitter and the value of modern media give way to chapters discussing discovering the Rosary and the Scapular, valuable prayer apps for your mobile phone and ascetic practices. Coming from an Orthodox Christian background, I cannot get to grips with or enjoy Ignatian meditation. so the chapter in which Melissa Keating described imagining herself at the Last Supper struck a discordant chord for me, but that is always a potential problem reading books from differing religious traditions to one's own and does not detract from the undoubted value of the book as a whole.

Some of the activities relating to each topic covered are not quite so effective, such as making up Catholic slang and decorating the outline of a crown, which seemed to be aimed at a very much younger age group than those who would be sporting beards, but these are minor grouses and don't detract from what it is a clever and enjoyable book for anyone looking at learning more about Catholicism and how relevant it still can be in the modern world while still using its ancient traditions.

“From an outside perspective, the Catholic faith often gets complaints about all the ‘stuff’ our faith contains. From holy water, to liturgical dress, to rosaries, to scapulars, we have to admit that there’s definitely apparent evidence to back up this complaint….God set up the world in a way that allows the things of this world to draw our attention to something bigger: holy water to remind us that Jesus offers us cleansing from our sins, liturgical dress to connect us to the fact that we are a part of something bigger than our local parishes, scapulars to help us feel a reminder of our calling to holiness as we go about our regular day. It’s all about drawing our attention to God and his plan for us as we continue to make our way through this busy and messy life.”

-Tommy Tighe

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Living in the Pacific Northwest, I can honestly say that hipsters are about as abundant as rain. Flannel, scarves, thick glasses, and beanies are par for the course, so it is no surprise that a book like The Catholic Hipster Handbook by Tommy Tighe would surface. This book is hard to review because it is amazing in so many ways, but also comes across as trying too hard.

So, let’s start with the good. There is a lighthearted section on the history of craft brewing and its roots in Catholic history. There is an awesome chapter on Catholic bands that are a bit more indie than the music you would ordinarily hear at mass. For example, artists like Josh Garells, Run River North, The Oh Hellos, Luke Spehar, Needtobreathe, Future of Forestry, Rivers and Robots, Jenny and Tyler, and The Crossword Pursuit are all highlighted (although the author of this chapter, Melissa Keating, admits that some of them are more successful than others which are truly hipster because of their obscurity). I also genuinely appreciated the prayers at the end of each chapter – prayers which come from favorite saints – and the voice of many of these authors. I felt like I was having conversations with a very cool, but theologically versed priest.

Now, let’s look at the parts that bugged me a bit. The book felt like it was trying too hard. Do we really need a whole chapter trying to convince us that having a beard is a real tool for evangelism? The sheer number of times the word hipster was used became a bit overwhelming – it seemed redundant only a few chapters in and lost its effectiveness. Finally, there are somethings about the Catholic church that are just downright amazing – do we really need to classify them as hipster or trendy in order to make them appealing?

Overall, I appreciated this book, but didn’t love it. It was a quick read and I was able to skip around as I desired. There are definitely parts that I will return to, but there are other parts that I could do without. In general, The Catholic Hipster Handbook is a fun book if you are looking for a lighthearted and inspiring book, but be warned – you may find the overwhelming focus on being trendy and hip a bit too much.

I have friends that talk about having found their 'tribe' or 'people.' Reading this title has me realizing I AM a Catholic Hipster. And, several of my friends are too.

While the cover and title seems a bit carefree, what you will find inside is not. Everything is presented in a manner that has you wanting to dig deeper, especially when it comes to the 'cool' saints.

I enjoyed this so much that I was sharing on my FB wall to friends after just the first few chapters.

This was a fun playful book about all things Catholic from confession to the blessed Mother to obscure saints and Catholic baby names. It was a fun read and I loved the format of the chapters - a short reflection on the topic, a relevant obscure saint, a related prayer, and a fun activity. I found this book clever and engaging for both Catholics and those who'd like to learn more about the Catholic faith.

Do you know about all the coolest Catholic Twitterers, the best Catholic music, the loveliest prayers and the most interesting Catholic blogs? This handbook by Tommy Tighe will help you find all of these! It’s not just a frivolous guide, however. It also contains articles about important Catholic doctrines and history, and it’s worth keeping whether you are a cradle Catholic, a convert or even undecided! I greatly enjoyed it. I am not sure about going to a Tridentine Mass, however. Although it sounds interesting, it’s a hard idea to get used to. This section did remind me that my parents were shocked that the Mass was in Latin until recently, and I liked the thought of going to a service in Latin when I was a child!





I especially liked the fact that one of the authors reminded readers that the first duty of a Catholic (and, arguably all Christians) is to give.



I received this free ebook from Net Galley in return for an honest review.

Paperback

ISBN9781594717079

Let's face it...there's no good way to give a completely unbiased opinion about religion or hipsters. I went into this book with a disgruntled opinion based on childhood experiences regarding those I saw within places of power in the Catholic church abusing their power, and when I think "hipster"...I just cringe.

So how did I walk away giving it a four out of five star review? Well, honestly, because it jolted a lot of things into place for me:

1) It reminded me that what drove me from Catholicism was the actions of a few select people, not the religion as a whole. As the only Christian religion to recognize saints, there's a lot of great people in the religion, too. I loved the stories of the different saints as a child, and this book helped remind me of some of those.

2) Each section of the book includes a "forgotten prayer". Some of them were absolutely beautiful to me and touched things I should be saying to God on a regular basis, even as a Christian who isn't Catholic.

3) Each section also included an activity to further a reader's understanding of the chapter. Some of them were easier to accomplish than others, but it was engaging to follow those along.

4) The book made it incredibly easy to see links between Christianity, and Catholicism, and many of the "hipster traits". From sandaled feet to scraggly beards, the reasons behind them are actually in the BIBLE, and it's a conversation starter right there before you.

What if you decided to explore the many facets of Catholicism from the point of view of a hipster? The result would be something like this book. Tighe has gathered together several different authors who wrote short essays on many aspects of life, religion, and pop culture and how it relates to Catholicism.

The essays all have the same format. First there is the essay itself. Following this there is a short section on a saint, some very obscure, others less so as well as a "forgotten" prayer. Each essay ends with an activity. The essays are grouped into four sections: attitude, stuff, life, and attraction, each with a short introduction by Tighe.

As would be expected the essays vary greatly in quality, length, and content. This is definitely a book you should sample before buying. Either it speaks to you or it doesn't. Most of it did not speak to me.

This book is wonderfully bright and lively, giving an introduction to the ways of cool young Roman Catholics, pointing out hipster catholic musicians (including the ever cool Hildegarde of Bingen), and must have apps.
It is presented as daily readings, with an essay, a bit about a relevant cool saint, a forgotten prayer and a faith-deepening activity. Coming from a different Christian tradition I was unsure about the book, but have found it positive and encouraging to see what Hipster Catholics get up to.
I particularly enjoyed the forgotten saints- St Philip Neri who used to shave off half his beard for a laugh, and Don Bosco, whose guardian angel manifested as a large grey dog when he was threatened.
Thought provoking and challenging, I would recommend the book not just to young catholics, but to those from other Christian traditions who want to be stretched.

Although I am biased because I contributed four chapters to this book. I have to say that the cover alone should draw readers in. When have we ever had such a hipster pope such as St. John Paul II? Turn open the first pages and enter a world where readers can see the Catholic faith in a new light, from the perspective of a hipster, someone who embraces being part of a sub-culture. As we enter an increasingly more post-Christian world, being authentically Christian and well versed in the faith will become more of a novelty. The "Catholic Hipster Handbook" provides a crash course in everything that makes Catholicism not only really cool, but also timeless.