The secular should not be seen as the enemy of Christianity but as a challenge to the Church to focus more on spirituality than dogma, says a priest and author in a new book.

In Begin with the Heart, Father Daniel O'Leary, a priest of the Leeds diocese and well-known speaker, argues that many people find little meaning in the Church because it often presents the world as divided between sacred and secular.

'This false notion springs from a dualism, the idea that there is a part of life where God is not present.Ê Vatican II tried to move beyond this unhelpful way of looking at the world by reminding us that grace builds on nature, that God is present in all things.'

With its preoccupation hierarchy and the institutional, the Church no longer feeds the souls of many people today, he claims. 'Just because many people no longer go to Church doesn't mean they are not seeking a spirituality or relationship with God.

'And many Christians exist in two parallel worlds, one they encounter in church and one they encounter in what they see as their real lives. But it shouldn't be this way.'

'A lot of the tensions today in the life of the Church are caused by misunderstandings about the nature of revelation.Ê And one of the reasons for our difficulties with dogma and doctrines is their loss of relevance in our lives.'

A priest of 45 years, he thinks the Church has lost much of its imagination and courage and that it needs to rediscover music, paintings, dance, literature and movies as doorways into spirituality.

He says it is only this recovery of this 'sacramental vision' - finding God in the ordinary -Êthe theme of the Bishops' Conference 2005 document On the Way to Life, that can transform Catholic education, liturgy and catechesis.

Father O'Leary's previous books include the award-winning Already Within, Travelling Light and Passion for the Possible.

Begin with the Heart, which is accompanied by a DVD, is aimed primarily at teachers and catechists.

Published by The Columba Press, it's in all good bookshops now, priced at EUR 19.99, £13.99.

For more information or to interview Father O'Leary contact: Teresa Daly on 01 294 2556 ext 222 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it