I just finished John L. Allen, Jr.'s Opus Dei. I bought it because I have enjoyed Allen's reporting on Catholic affairs, finding it both knowledgeable and unbiased. I looking forward to hearing what someone who is neither an apologist or a critic of Opus Dei would have to say.
I found St. Josemaria Escriva's ideas of finding holiness in lay life interesting and admirable. While not new, he was able to found an organization that would allow people to seek holiness in their current lives.
I found Opus Dei itself to be not for me but within the range of what one finds practiced in religious orders. Some of the things it does that seem weird are also practiced or were practiced by many other religious orders. I also came to the conclusion that many of the disturbing aspects reported by ex-members are true but usually an isolated incident or something that they don't practice anymore.
I found St. Josemaria Escriva's ideas of finding holiness in lay life interesting and admirable. While not new, he was able to found an organization that would allow people to seek holiness in their current lives.
I found Opus Dei itself to be not for me but within the range of what one finds practiced in religious orders. Some of the things it does that seem weird are also practiced or were practiced by many other religious orders. I also came to the conclusion that many of the disturbing aspects reported by ex-members are true but usually an isolated incident or something that they don't practice anymore.
