Opus Dei: An Objective Look Behind the Myths and Reality of the Most Controversial Force in the Catholic Church

By Andrew Smith

Book Overview

The first serious journalistic investigation of the highly secretive, controversial organization Opus Dei provides unique insight about the wild rumors surrounding it and discloses its significant influence in the Vatican and on the politics of the Catholic Church. Opus Dei (literally "the work of God") is an international association of Catholics often labeled as conservative who seek personal Christian perfection and strive to implement Christian ideals in their jobs and in society as a whole. Founded in Spain in 1928, it now has 84,000 members (1,600 of whom are priests) in eighty countries. But far from running bingo nights at local parishes, Opus Dei has become a center of controversy and suspicion both within and outside the Church. It has been accused of promoting a right-wing political agenda and of cultlike practices, aggressive recruiting, brainwashing new recruits, and isolating members from their families. Its notoriety escalated with the publication of the runaway bestseller The Da Vinci Code (Opus Dei plays an important and sinister role in the novel) and with the previous pope's much-debated canonization of its founder (often linked with Francisco Franco's facist regime) and the discovery that convicted FBI spy Robert Hanson was a member of Opus Dei. With the expert eye of a longtime trusted observer of the Vatican and the skill of an investigative reporter intent on uncovering closely guarded secrets, John Allen finally separates the myths from the facts in Opus Dei . Granted unlimited access to the prelate who heads the organization and to Opus Dei centers throughout the world, Allen draws on a wealth of interviews with current members, as well as with highly critical ex-members, to create an unprecedented portrait of the activities, practices, and intentions behind its veil of secrecy. Allen reveals the remarkable power that Opus Dei commands in shaping Vatican policy and presents a detailed look at the full extent of its network, which includes people in key positions in politics, banking, academia, and other influential arenas. He even describes the arcane rituals--including self-flagellation--performed to preserve and promote a spiritual tradition strange and unsettling to modern sensibilities. For years, Opus Dei has been the subject of conspiracy theories and dark, uninformed speculation. Opus Dei sets the record straight. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385514492
• ISBN13: 9780385514491
• Release Date: November 2005
• Publisher: Doubleday Religion
• Length: 403 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.5" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Refreshingly Balanced

I found this book a refreshingly balanced study of Opus Dei. Allen did not shirk from any of the areas of controversy surrounding Opus Dei - its finances, recruiting tactics, its perceived secrecy - to name a few. For every accusation there is a well-researched corrective, with enough wiggle room, where appropirate, for the reader to make their own judgment. Sadly, a serious book like this is unlikely to dissuade the general...

Can "Rashomon" ever be reconciled? If so, Allen does.

It's a cliché by now to say that someone has "wrestled" with a difficult question, but to the extent it can ever be applied appropriately, I believe this book merits it. John L. Allen has tacked a large and complex topic -- one that is surrounded in myth and mystery, brings out strong feelings from critics and defenders alike, and involves questions of deep, even eternal, importance. He has done it remarkably well. I've read,...

"Dispelling the Myths, Illuminating the Reality"

Unlike other reviews, this is not a debate on the merits and flaws of Opus Dei, that unique, fascinating and often-mysterious Catholic institution. Rather it is a review of the book itself and its literary and journalistic attributes. The author, veteran "National Catholic Reporter" Vatican correspondent and noted CNN and NPR commentator, has fashioned a well-written and balanced journalistic exploration of the Church's...

Good book, but missed a few things.

John Allen's book on Opus Dei is an exquisitely articulate analysis of the organization and its standing in the world. His portrayal of Opus Dei as a "strong brew, an acquired taste which is clearly not for everyone" is the freshness that his independent view brings to the discussion about Opus Dei. It is something that Opus Dei has not been willing to admit -- they insist they are a lay vocation for everyone. And although...

But what about the albino monks??

The address for Opus Dei's headquarters in New York is given in Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code." Unfortunately, in yet another one the book's inaccuracies, Brown gives the location of the entrance to the women's quarters (which are separate because the members are celibate). The story is that many readers of Brown's book loiter outside this entrance, trying to get a "peek" into the mysterious world of Opus Dei. And what...