"If Protestantism Is True" Book Review
If Protestantism Is True
The Reformation Meets Rome
2011, Unitatis Books
Devin Rose, a convert from evangelical Protestantism (Baptist) to Catholicism has a new book called "If Protestantism is True.” The purpose of the book is to explain Catholic belief comparing and contrasting it to Protestantism. Coming from a Protestant background, he understands the viewpoints from both sides of the Tiber River and articulates his points without rancor towards his former co-religionists.
He uses simple logic to help the reader see why Protestant doctrines are lacking and how and why Catholic belief and practice have stood the test of time. His chapter on Protestant Objections to the Catholic Church is alone, a very helpful apologetic to disarm the common accusations leveled at the Church.He makes ample use of both Protestant and Catholic resources in his arguments and often relies on the writings of the Church Fathers to bolster his points regarding the antiquity and consistency of Catholic doctrine.
Mr. Rose concludes the book by stating that every difference between Protestantism and Catholicism ultimately comes down to the issue of authority . He shows the reader, through many examples, the consequences of following the Protestant vs. Catholic model of authority. Using his simple but powerful statements beginning with: “If Protestantism is true, then….,” the reader is able to “connect the dots” with basic logic to understand why the reformation was not the answer, but rather the source of further division in the body of Christ.
If you are a new Catholic or convert who wants to learn more about the Catholic faith and how to defend it to non-Catholics this is an excellent resource.
You can get your copy here
Thank God for this "second wave" of new young intellectual converts who are going to effectively carry out Blessed John Paul 2's call for The New Evangelization with passion.
posted by Russ Rentler, M.D. | 9:34 PM
2 Comments:
I have said for years that it all comes down to the issue of authority. Who has it? If there are two reasonable, yet contradictory interpretations of a point of faith, to whom or what do you turn? And the authority issue is the one that makes all the other dominoes fall. If the Catholic Church is indeed the one, God-ordained body of Christ, then you have to accept its teaching on baptism, the Eucharist, Mary, etc. There can be no picking and choosing.
I have read most of the recent Catholic apologetics books, but it appears that I need to add this one to the list.
I also just read through the "Marjorie" comments. Great stuff there, actually. It shows that this is a very real, live issue and not one easily solved. I make the comparison with St. Augustine just before he entered the garden and heard "Tolle, lege." He was at the point of faith intellectually, but could not make the act of will necessary. I am practically where he was. More than forty years of living with one idea of the Christian faith, however, leaves a very deep mark, and it is not so easy to abandon that, no matter how much the evidence and reason point to something else.
Thanks Russ!
Magister, you are dead-on about authority being _the_ issue, and that's what the book focuses on exclusively.
The second chapter of the book is dedicated to relating how difficult conversion is, especially for Christians who have been in a particular Christian tradition or church for many years.
God bless!
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