Confessions of a Closet Catholic: Summary of Questioning the Text Paper

I really enjoyed reading this book and I feel that it is presented in a way that makes the reader understand how a child or young adult may view religion. It was interesting that Jussy wanted to convert to Catholicism because she associated that religion with the McAllister's and her want for the ideal family. It was not really the religion itself that sparked her attention. It was more seeing how the McAllister's interacted with one another, which was very different from her own family. In my opinion, this story is more about Jussy's confusion with her identity than her religion. She is hoping that converting to Catholicism will help her fit in more and help her overcome her insecurities. She has a misconstrued concept of religion in this sense. For example, religion does not make the McAllister's act the way they do. It is what they are taking from the religion that helps shape who their family is. We hold certain stereotypes of what religion should be like and how it should be practiced. For example, when Jussy goes to visit Rabbi Freeman she states, “That’s exactly it! I’m hoping that he’s finally going to solve the mystery of how I’m supposed to be Jewish but not too Jewish and yet still be true to the things that Bubbe’s family, all those great aunts, uncles, and cousins that I never knew, died for” (p. 179). The Rabbi tells her that there is no cut and dry way to be Jewish. You have to figure out how religion is important to you as an individual. People are taught the how’s but not the why’s when learning about religion and I think that this is why people can often become confused.