Adrian J. Reimers is a philosopher who has taught at the University of Notre Dame, Holy Cross College, and the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Kraków. He holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the Internationale Akademie für Philosophie and degrees from Notre Dame. Author of eight books including The Ethos of the Christian Heart and Hell and the Mercy of God, Reimers has written extensively on Catholic philosophy and the thought of John Paul II. A founding member of the People of Praise, he brings both rigor and twelve years of insider experience to this study. He lives in South Bend, Indiana.
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"This is an important book and well-worth your time."
– Colleen Pressprich, Best-selling author of Real Moms of Real Saints, Lenten Prayer for Families, and other books for Catholic children, parents, and families
"The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) ushered in changes that left many American Catholics feeling adrift. Some Catholics, seeking stability in an age of chaos, created new 'covenant communities' ostensibly devoted to authentic renewal within the Church. By the 1990s, many of these groups had come under scrutiny for heretical teachings and authoritarian abuse of members. Adrian J. Reimers, a former member of one of these communities, draws on his personal experiences and understanding of Catholic theology to provide a cautionary tale for how movements for renewal within the Church can so easily become schismatic movements against the Church. The high-water mark of covenant communities has passed, but this story remains relevant as many young Catholics today turn to various forms of radical traditionalism in search of a pure Catholicism free from the confusion they attribute to Vatican II.”
– Christopher Shannon, associate professor of history at Christendom College and author of American Pilgrimage: A Historical Journey Through Catholic Life in the New World
"During the time period covered by this book (1960-2025) there have been hundreds of studies of intentional communities, both secular and religious. Almost all, however, have been written from a sociological or psychological perspective, and few, if any, have analyzed Roman Catholic intentional communities. Professor Reimers has therefore done an invaluable service in applying theology and philosophy to his analysis of charismatic covenant communities in the Catholic Church. It provides an important alternative perspective that complements those of the secular sciences."
– Sister Patricia Wittberg, SC, Emerita Professor of Sociology, Indiana University
"The growth of the new Catholic communities is one of the most distinctive of the post-Vatican II period and raises issues that are primarily not political, but theological and ecclesiological: their relationship with the Church and its authorities. This book by Adrian Reimers is one of those books that cannot be dismissed easily by any of the different camps into which the intra-Catholic theological and ecclesial debate is divided today."
– Massimo Faggioli, Trinity College Dublin
"In Not Reliable Guides, Adrian Reimers provides a perceptive description of parallel Catholic Church structures, such as The People of God, explaining with copious examples how they are not truly parallel, but accepting of Church doctrine and hierarchical structures in some cases and deviating from them in others. Over-all, this is an excellent and well-researched description of para-Church structures."
– Nicholas P. Cafardi, JD, JCD, Dean Emeritus, Duquesne University School of Law
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