I’m not Catholic, but I’m fascinated by the Catholic Church. I don’t agree with it, and yet I am drawn to it as an idea.

I’m only a few chapters into this book and I’m liking it a lot. It manages to address the sex scandal gently, noting what happened and criticizing the moves that lead to it, but not recoiling in horror, either. The book is about what it says: a priest, a nun, and the events that lead to them having a son.

What I like about this book so far (and what I like about Manseau’s “Killing the Buddha” efforts as well): it treats religious practice with love, while simultaneously critiquing it. I don’t know if it’s a balanced approach, but it’s a complex one. And relatively painless to read, too.