What We Believe: In Conversation with Marcellino D'Ambrosio, PhD

Lisa Hendey interviews Marcellino D'Ambrosio, PhD, about his new book and video series from Ascension Press.

Today, I continue my ongoing series of conversations with published authors as I’m joined by "Dr. Italy," Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D. Marcellino and his partners at Ascension Press have created What We Believe: The Beauty of the Catholic Faith, a compelling new book and video study aimed at conveying the truth, beauty, and goodness of the Faith. I hope you'll visit the Ascension website to learn more and consider sharing this in your community.

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Marcellino D’Ambrosio is a speaker, pilgrimage director and theology professor who brings to his writing a down-to-earth perspective making it easy to understand and apply to everyday life. His latest project, filmed on location in Rome, is What We Believe: The Beauty of the Catholic Faith.

Marcellino, congratulations on publishing your latest book and the wonderful What We Believe: The Beauty of the Catholic Faith program. Please briefly bring our readers up to date on your work and family.

Lisa, thanks so much for joining us as we celebrate the release of our new study! As you and many of your readers know, I've worn many hats for a while now. Besides my primary vocation as a husband, father of five, and now grandfather, I've been globe-trotting leading pilgrimages to the Holy Land and Europe, speaking at parishes and conferences, appearing on Catholic Radio and television as well as directing the online apostolate of CrossroadsInitiative.com.

A few years ago, Ascension Press and I did some brainstorming on how to combine my teaching style and media experience with Ascension's desire to make its small-group studies more visual and engaging and ultimately, more able to reach a wider audience in a way that would lead not only to learning but to life-transformation. The result was a series on Jesus filmed in the Holy Land that employed a new approach—rather than lectures, a conversation between friends that would draw in the audience. These videos were combined with a more life-application study guide and a book that would be an easy read, even a page-turner. The great success of that project, Jesus: The Way, the Truth, and Life, set the stage for our newly released project, What We Believe.

What prompted the creation of What We Believe, both the book and the video series? How do the two parts complement each other?

The Jesus study helped us to renew our relationship with Jesus, the center of our faith. The new study is intended to help us appreciate more deeply and live more dynamically the fullness of our faith. That is, in fact, what the term Catholic really means. Catholic comes from the Greek word for whole, complete, or full. Yes, it means the faith that is intended for the "whole world" and therefore "universal." But it also means the fullness of truth and life. And that's what we try to unpack through a series of ten videos, a life-application study guide, and a fast-reading book.

The videos are visual and conversational: I and the dynamic couple, Andrew and Sarah Swafford, walk through the streets, piazzas, and basilicas of Rome, discussing our passion for what we believe and the ways we've discovered to live it out. The book complements the videos beautifully ... it is a coherent presentation that follows the persons of the Trinity and the three spiritual exercises that help us live a life of intimate unity with those three divine persons. The two parts work best together. But either of the two can stand alone should someone want to simply watch or just read. And the book was designed to be an evangelistic tool—it is a great giveaway to anyone who wants to know more about what the Catholic Church is and what it believes.

The book has three parts. Can you give a very brief overview of each?

We begin with who we are. We are primarily the family or household of God, a holy nation, and the Body of Christ. We are followers of Jesus, but we follow him together, not as a collection of isolated individuals, but as the Church, a family, a holy nation, one Body in Christ. We are called the Catholic Church because we are Christians who accept the whole heritage, the full counsel of God, all of what God has revealed and entrusted to us. And that fullness of faith comes down to us not only through the sacred Scriptures, but through the dynamic river of sacred tradition that carries the living water from Christ, its source, and flows down through the ages to us. If you've ever wanted to know what the Church is, why it is called Catholic, and why Tradition is important, the first part of the book will answer lots of questions.

The second part of the book is about what it is we believe, which is not an ideology or an "ism." Actually, we don't so much believe in a "what" as in a "who"—our faith is really a dynamic plunge into God who is one in three. After reading and watching the second part of the study, people will never say the Creed the same way again.

Part two will deepen people's relationship with each of the three divine persons. Many of us have never developed our relationship with the Father. And for many, the Holy Spirit remains rather elusive. The study will change that for those who do it. The love of the Father, the power of the Spirit—this will become much more palpable for those who participate in this adventure. Finally, part two will help everyone to get more excited about the sacraments, seven privileged and powerful ways that the Lord wants to embrace us and transform our lives.

Part Three examines the three classic spiritual exercises that are the disciplines of the disciple—prayer, fasting and mercy. This is the most practical section of the study since it will give participants many tips on how to grow in spiritual strength, ways of praying, fasting and loving that Andrew, Sarah and I have found helpful and doable, even in the midst of the busy-ness of work and family life.

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Who is the target audience for the book and the video series? How can lifelong Catholics benefit from a study like this?

The target audience really is the life-long Catholic. It is just so easy to plateau in our spiritual life! This study is intended to catapult Catholics forward in knowledge and understanding of who we are and what we believe regardless of where they are in their spiritual journey. But also it is intended to revitalize and rejuvenate everyone who participates. I guarantee that anyone who reads the book and/or watches the videos will have many "aha!" moments of discovery and will get some new practical suggestions that will empower you to live your faith more dynamically. Everyone from priests and religious to the inquirer in RCIA will benefit.

What We Believe

It seems to me a program such as yours works well as a tool for reinvigorating our parishes after the losses—personal and collective—that we experienced during the pandemic. Why is this more important now than ever before?

The pandemic isolated us. This study will bring people together again and impart a new exuberance and new insight that is desperately needed to help bring back those who have not yet returned from the days of the pandemic ... and to attract those who were wandering even before the pandemic such as many of our youth.

Are there any additional thoughts you would like to share with our readers?

Most of us have experienced being caught by surprise by a question or objection to Catholic teaching and have found ourselves coming up short. This study will prepare participants to have a better answer in these situations and "be ready to give a reason for their hope" (1 Peter 3:15).

Learn more about What We Believe at Ascension Press and sign up to receive a FREE course preview.

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