Over the years, when I've been aware of something of Opus Dei, a glancing blow, I have been drawn to what I became aware of. This book was on the Used Book table at our local bookstore. Scott Hahn. Very good. Opus Dei. Very good again. What a combination! And so, after reading this book which explains Opus Dei with more clarity, I am very drawn to its spirituality because, among other things, it is so real, so natural. Live life as it is, but live it for the glory of God in everything we do.
I finished the book and am immediately beginning to reread it.

Is it by faith alone that one is saved??? Is it by works??? Does one need both. This book's answers makes sense to me.

I didn't get the clarity I had hoped for, but it gave me a few more glimmers to understand.

Whenever I have a question about the Catholic Faith, be it doctrine, dogma, or just Catholic culture I always find myself turning to Dr. Scott Hahn for answers. Whatever the subject, Dr. Hahn seems to have written about it and I feel that I can depend on him for honest answers written in a context that I or anyone else can easily understand. This book written from the perspective of an insider is no exception as the author explains the theology of the supposedly menacing and dark Opus Dei.

As one reads this book it is easy to see the influence of Opus Dei on Dr. Hahn and his previous writings. One of the central tenants of the order is Divine Filiation (God our Father, Christ our Brother, all of us as part of one Holy Family) and that same emphasis is a major part of Dr. Hahn's writings. Other important facets of the order are daily prayers, reading of scripture, and Mass attendance. In other words, Opus Dei is an organization that promotes the living of a Holy life in our daily living. This is indeed an important teaching since we all too often forget about God except on Sunday.

The most important and central point of the teachings of Opus Dei however seems to be that all that we do should be done for and in honor of God. According to Dr. Hahn our work should be done in the absolute best way that we can and then offered to God as a sacrifice such as the sacrifices offered up by the Israelites in the Old Testament. These sacrifices were required to be the best available and thus our work should also be as perfect as possible. This teaching makes sense but would also seem, like the Protestant work ethic, to be a teaching that could be used by employers as an excuse for taking advantage of their workers.

Whether you agree or disagree with the teachings of Opus Dei however this book will certainly enlighten you as to the basics of that personal Prelature. (To find out just what a personal Prelature is you will just have to read the book) Dr. Hahn not only explains the basic teachings of Opus Dei but he also gives us its basic history and explains its organization. This certainly isn't a long book but it seems as if everything of real importance is at least touched upon. As usual Dr. Hahn does this with a clear and easy to grasp writing style that makes what could well be a dull subject into a very interesting book. I would advise anyone who might be curious about Opus Dei to read this book. It's honest, clearly written, and very enlightening.

Didn't get to finish it but from the 2/3 I read it was good.

Bonita introducción de Scott Hahn al Opus Dei.

Easy read and provides interesting information about Opus Dei - I learned a lot.

This has filled my soul with so much delight and happiness. I will definitely read more books and learn more about the Opus Dei and St. Josemaria. I am so grateful for Dr. Hahn's intelligence. He writes so eloquently!

A beautiful prose on the Opus Dei that helped me understand and appreciate it even more. St. Josemaria, ora pro nobis.

Actually, 4.2.

This book is partly an introduction to the spirituality of Opus Dei and also how Opus Dei was a influence in Scott Hahn's conversion and daily spiritual life. This book is not meant as a in depth introduction to Opus Dei and it's founder St. Josemaría Escrivá, but it does cover the basics. I was a loosely familiar with the charism of Opus Dei and some of the writings of St. Escrivá via the excellent commentary in the Navarre Bible, and through Scott Hahn's book I found that my understanding of Opus Dei was loose indeed. After reading this I found myself wanting to read deeper into St. Josemaría Escrivá writings. The spiritually of Opus Dei was much richer than I had suspected and that divine filiation was a cornerstone of it.

Scott Hahn's books are always easy to read and he is able to explain complex theological ideas in an easy to grasp way. In this book he refrains from the massive punning that is characteristic of some of his other books. I generally love his puns, but I know some are turned off from his use of them and there feel they mar an otherwise serious work. I found it very interesting his description of the founding of Opus Dei and how its founding was many years in genesis. That St. Escrivá vision of this order had no expression until the Second Vatican Council and the creation of personal prelature of which Opus Dei is still the only one. We now mostly take for granted that ordinary life is a path to sanctity, something that was not much emphasized before Vatican II and that it was really St. Josemaría Escrivá who really lead the groundwork for the The Universal Call to Holiness in the Church in Lumen Gentium.

Scott Hahn also details parts of his personal journey and how Opus Dei helped him in both incorporating devotions into his life, but in the times when his wife Kimberly was still not Catholic. Considering that Opus Dei has become such a boogeyman for some and that there are so many media distortions about it, it is rather surprising that Scott Hahn did not mention any of this or answer any of the common misconceptions. I realize he didn't write this as an apologetically work defending Opus Dei, but with such outright confusion considering The Da Vinci Code it is a rather odd oversight.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and it gave me much to think on in how work is incorporated into your life and how it can really be a work of God.

A smooth read, best accompanied with St. Escriva's "The Way."

Fast & easy read. Solid intro to Opus Dei and it's spirituality. Worth reading if you have a spiritual interest, probably not worth it for reasons other than spiritual growth.