The book is out!

Posted on by universalis

“The Creed in Slow Motion”, by Martin Kochanski (Hodder & Stoughton 2022), ISBN 9781399801546. 

Get it! And if you’ve already got it, get your friends to get it. It’s that good!!

How to get itCreed_in_Slow_Motion_hb_blue_S

UK and Europe

USA

Australia and New Zealand

Worldwide

About the book

“You shall love the Lord your God with… all your mind.” That is the commandment as stated in the Gospels. It is new: the Old Testament does not mention the mind. It is new and it is revolutionary.

We can all make sense of God: If we couldn’t, he wouldn’t be so cruel as to command us to do something that can’t be done.

We should each of us try doing it: this is not something to be left to the experts. It isn’t a question of “getting the right answer”. It is a question of getting close to God in every way we can. Including using the mind as an organ of love.

The Creed is the key. It tells the deep truths that make Christians Christians. It says what being a Christian is. If you disagree with everyone you meet in church and think the people who try to teach you things are all idiots, but believe what the Creed says, you are a Christian (though a turbulent one!). And if you call yourself a Christian but don’t believe in something the Creed says, then it is your duty to investigate. Don’t just sit there grumbling. Dig deep. Think what the Creed really means. Think what you really mean. You may be surprised!

Slow motion is the key. For people who recite the Creed in church, it is like a cavalry charge. One hesitation and you get out of step, and get trampled. There is no time to pause and think what any of it really means. What you really need to do is go go slowly, phrase by phrase, even word by word, alone or with someone you can argue with. The Creed in Slow Motion is the book for that encounter. It is not a textbook or a holy manual – it does not tell you what to believe, but in 40 short but deep chapters, phrase by phrase, it reflects, expounds and explores.

The Creed in Slow Motion assumes no knowledge of theology: being human is all you need. Full of wit and clarity, it draws examples from real-life stories, history and even science. It will help believers to understand what they are committing themselves to; and unbelievers to know what exactly they disbelieve, and why.

Read the introduction and a sample chapter.

Listen to a 1-minute taster of every chapter.

About the author

Martin Kochanski holds an MA in Mathematics and Philosophy from the University of Oxford. For the last twenty-five years he has been creating, editing and expanding Universalis, a web site and set of apps which bring the prayers, psalms and readings of the Liturgy of the Hours of the Catholic Church into everyone’s reach. Across the world tens of thousands of people, from all denominations, use it daily.

Listen to him telling you about the book (2 minutes).

Read the enlightening interview at Melbourne Catholic.

Some videos worth watching

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Father Sean Doggett, of the diocese of St George’s-in-Grenada, has narrated a series of short videos based on the chapters of “The Creed in Slow Motion”. These are produced by the diocesan Communications ministry (GNCC) and the parish group and are intended as a catechetical aid.

These videos are well produced, with great charm and simplicity. Each video is 3-5 minutes long and they are well worth watching both for themselves and as a way of encouraging you to read “The Creed in Slow Motion” for yourself.

Here they all are.

  1. I Believe.
  2. What are you committing yourself to by saying the Creed?
  3. I believe in God.
  4. I believe in one God.
  5. I believe in God the Father.
  6. Who is God?
  7. What is your relationship with God?
  8. God the Almighty Father.
  9. The limits of omnipotence.
  10. Science and Religion.
  11. What are the invisible things we believe in?
  12. Can a good God create evil?
  13. I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
  14. I believe in One Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God.
  15. The Father-Son relationship.
  16. Things either exist or do not exist.
  17. God the Holy Spirit, the giver of life.
  18. He came down from Heaven.
  19. For us men and our salvation.
  20. Our salvation?
  21. Self-love is a duty.
  22. Fake love vs. real love.
  23. God is all-powerful and he is the cause of the existence of everything.
  24. God came down from heaven.
  25. He was incarnate of the Virgin Mary.
  26. Mary and Joseph’s Yes is the rock on which salvation history stands.
  27. What if Mary had said No?
  28. Virginity is an embarrassment?
  29. We Christians believe in miracles.
  30. Jesus was both Man and God.
  31. Jesus is like us in all things except sin.
  32. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate.
  33. An atonement for sin.
  34. Why crucifixion?
  35. “What is truth?”
  36. He suffered death and was buried.
  37. He rose again on the third day.
  38. Did God raise Jesus or did Jesus raise himself?
  39. It happened on the third day.
  40. He ascended into heaven.
  41. He is seated at the right hand of the Father.
  42. He will come again in glory.
  43. To judge the living and the dead.
  44. Judgement.
  45. His kingdom will have no end.
  46. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord.
  47. The Holy Spirit.
  48. The Lord, the giver of life.
  49. Who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
  50. One holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
  51. The sin against the Spirit.
  52. One baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
  53. The resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.

Some reactions to the book

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Here are some responses to the The Creed in Slow Motion from across the world, and (just as important) from across the whole spectrum of Christianity.

Australia: A fascinating interview with Christian Bergmann at Melbourne Catholic, a publication of the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

Australia, a Catholic religious educator: “I am really impressed. I will certainly be reading it more than once. I would like permission to use The Creed in Slow Motion as a teaching aid. I will also be encouraging those I to whom I speak to get the book.”

India: “The book I was waiting for. No exaggeration, such a soothing experience. The language is so simple… as if it is speaking to me directly. My prayer is that it should reach millions of people. Considering that I am teaching Systematic Theology in Seminary, this is very enlightening for me.”

USA, a Catholic religious educator: “Like a good meal, filling and delicious, to be savored as slowly consumed, and calling for second servings. Both inspiring and thought provoking. I am reading new chapters daily, but also re-reading others. It’s become part of my morning prayer routine. It would be very helpful for young people, say age 15 and up… I foresee it being a perennial rather than momentary book… any book worth reading is worth reading again, and again, and – The Creed in Slow Motion is such.”

USA, a Catholic priest: “I got the book today and made it part of my daily priestly prayer.”

USA, a lay Catholic: “I immediately sat down and read the introduction and the first chapter. I can tell I will not leave very long intervals between picking it up to continue reading. It is so chatty you could be sitting  beside me, and you are speaking the way I think, so I am not getting lost and having to go back all the time to understand you.  THANK YOU SO MUCH.”

USA, a Catholic musician: “What a gift The Creed is to our Catholic faith, and because of your book, I have a better understanding of it. I love the stories in-between the various sections…”

Estonia, a Lutheran pastor: “I heartily recommend the book to all intellectually-inclined seekers of truth everywhere. (Indeed, I have already ordered a few copies of it as presents to some friends that I think would benefit from them.) As someone who began to see some sense in the Christian faith while reading C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity as a teenager, I can appreciate the value such books can have in helping one along the road towards the Truth.”

UK, an Anglican priest: “A first-rate defence of the Christian faith which shows why the arguments about God and Christ really matter to all of us.”

UK, a Catholic school chaplain: “I have been listening with interest to the excerpts of your book… I am enjoying reading your reflections on the Creed. I used one of your thoughts in my homily on Trinity Sunday.”

UK, a learned Benedictine monk: “This is just the sort of thing that tired old monks need to rejuvenate their thinking.”

UK, a Catholic bookseller: “Delightfully written, highly insightful and inspiring. I love it!!”

Sierra Leone, a Pentecostal church member: “Honestly, buy it instantly. For a Christian it resonates very well. I don’t know how to describe this but you’ve captured the emotion and feelings into words.”

How to get it (USA)

Posted on by universalis

“The Creed in Slow Motion”, by Martin Kochanski (Hodder & Stoughton 2022), ISBN 9781399801546. 

Real bookshops

Always support your local bookshop if you can. If they don’t have the book in stock they’ll be happy to order it for you and it’ll probably only take a day or two. It is no trouble for them – and it may encourage them to stock the book as well!

  • If there isn’t a bookshop near you, Bookshop.org is a web site which donates a proportion of each purchase to local bookshops.
  • Barnes & Noble are in many locations across the USA.

Online

Amazon.com has the book in stock. 

Many other bookshops are offering the book as well. This Google search will help you find them.

The e-book

Amazon Kindle. 

This is the US link for Apple Books. It may or may not work in other countries. If not, searching Apple Books for Kochanski Creed will find the book.

The ISBN of the e-book is 9781399801553, and this Google search will find it.

See also: How to get it (UK & Europe) · How to get it (Australia & New Zealand) · How to get it (worldwide)

How to get it (Australia & New Zealand)

Posted on by universalis

“The Creed in Slow Motion”, by Martin Kochanski (Hodder & Stoughton 2022), ISBN 9781399801546. 

Real bookshops

Always support your local bookshop if you can. If they don’t have the book in stock they’ll be happy to order it for you and it’ll probably only take a day or two. It is no trouble for them – and it may encourage them to stock the book as well!

  • If there isn’t a bookshop near you, Bookshop.org is a web site which donates a proportion of each purchase to local bookshops.

Online

The publisher’s page has links to many Australian online bookshops. Click on the “Buy Now” button to get a list. Use one of these bookshops if you can. As a last resort, Amazon.com.au has the book in stock. 

This Google search will also help you find booksellers.

If you are somewhere remote, The Book Depository will ship to all countries worldwide, free of charge.

The e-book

Amazon Kindle. 

Apple Books: Apple have no link which will find the book worldwide, but searching Apple Books for Kochanski Creed will find the book.

The ISBN of the e-book is 9781399801553, and this Google search will find it.

See also: How to get it (UK & Europe) · How to get it (USA) · How to get it (worldwide)

How to get it (worldwide)

Posted on by universalis

“The Creed in Slow Motion”, by Martin Kochanski (Hodder & Stoughton 2022), ISBN 9781399801546. 

Online

This Google search will help you find a bookshop in your area.

The Book Depository will ship to all countries worldwide, free of charge.

The e-book

If you are within reach of an Amazon site, you can get the book for your Kindle (or Kindle app). Searching for their code B09MK56GPT is a good way of finding the book.

Apple Books: Apple have no link which will find the book worldwide, but searching Apple Books for Kochanski Creed will find the book for you.

The ISBN of the e-book is 9781399801553, and this Google search will find it.

See also: How to get it (UK & Europe) · How to get it (USA) · How to get it (Australia & New Zealand)

How to get it (UK & Europe)

Posted on by universalis

“The Creed in Slow Motion”, by Martin Kochanski (Hodder & Stoughton 2022), ISBN 9781399801546. 

Real bookshops

Always support your local bookshop if you can. If they don’t have the book in stock they’ll be happy to order it for you and it’ll probably only take a day or two. It is no trouble for them – and it may encourage them to stock the book as well!

  • If there isn’t a bookshop near you, Bookshop.org is a web site which donates a proportion of each purchase to local bookshops.

Online

Amazon.co.uk has the book in stock. The other Amazon sites across Europe also list it in their catalogues.

Many bookshops in other countries are offering the book as well. This Google search will help you find them.

If you are somewhere remote, The Book Depository will ship to all countries worldwide, free of charge.

The e-book

This is the UK link for the Amazon Kindle. In the other Amazon sites, searching for their code B09MK56GPT is a good way of finding the book.

This is the UK link for Apple Books. It may work in other countries. If not, searching Apple Books for Kochanski Creed will find the book.

The ISBN of the e-book is 9781399801553, and this Google search will find it.

See also: How to get it (USA) · How to get it (Australia & New Zealand) · How to get it (worldwide)