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Summary: Open to the Truth?
Review: "Surprised by Truth" is a fantastic book telling the story of recent converts to the Catholic Church. This book describes the pain and anguish that one goes through to find the truth and have the courage to follow it. The historical, Scriptural, and logical reasons for joining the Catholic Church are solid throughout the book. Those who are unconvinced by the arguements used in this book are probably not really interested in the truth. If a person would just open his heart and mind to Jesus and read this book openly, they would find the joy of discovering the fullness of Christian Truth. Don't let this book pass you by. Don't read it with your mind already made up. If you are not Catholic, I pray that you will reach out to Jesus and accept his full Gospel. Who knows, if you do this you may be the next person who was "Surprised by the Truth." Reviewed by Gospel Truth Ministries.
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Summary: Surprised by What?
Review: The Churches are filling up with former Roman Catholics as the sheep leave for green pastures - the Bible-oriented "Protestant" churches. How are we to stop this rupture in membership asks the Roman Church? Realizing that personal testimony has been the vehicle through which many became Christians in the first place, we have in this book the carefully written testimonies of eleven converts to Roman Catholicism - all supposedly from evangelical denominations.In the endeavor to convince the reader to either convert or to stay in "the Church Christ founded", Catholic apologists must convince people that the Bible is not sufficient but must be supplemented by other teachings and the interpretation by the Magisterium must be superimposed upon it. Thus, you have a litany of Roman Church apologetics defenses dispersed in with these testimonies in defense of the "one true faith". A common denominator to these testimonies is the constant repetition of the same tired out arguments for Roman supremacy with the main focus being a denial of the sufficiency of Scripture, the "fractured" nature of Protestantism in light of the alleged unity of Rome, and the alleged unanimous consent of the early church fathers regarding the teachings of Roman Church's tradition. Much of the Scriptural support from these eleven converts is either out of context or based upon very bad exegetics of key passages of Scriptures. For instance, all believed that the Church as established by Christ, was build upon apostolic succession from St. Peter. However, any good church historian would reveal that none of the early church fathers subscribed to apostolic succession based upon St. Peter. Available at Amazon.com is the book "The Matthew 16 Controversy - Peter and the Rock" by Webster that should convince anyone who really wants to know the historical facts regarding apostolic succession. I would recommend this book before buying into that religious-political theory as provided by the Roman Church. At the center of focus for these converts is the participation in the Eucharist deemed necessary for salvation. All of them believing that the bread and wine becomes the actual body and blood of Christ and all of them believing that the Roman Mass has the support of all the early church fathers in that doctrinal viewpoint. The fact is that the early fathers did not support much that is modern Roman Catholicism. St Augustine, for instance, did not buy into transubstantiation at all; neither did many of the other church fathers. Roman Catholic apologists tend to use history in very selective ways to support their distinctive doctrinal views, attempting to take advantage of the fact that many non-Catholics simply do not know history well enough provide counter evidence. Former Roman Catholic William Webster has written several highly documented books on Church history that clearly brings into doubt many of the historical claims for Roman Church doctrines. I recommend strongly that one purchase a copy of "The Church of Rome at the Bar of History" (also available through Amazon.com) to be able to really see that much in modern Protestantism was not invented in the 16th century as these converts content. We can easily see that early church history presents not just the Roman Church view, but most of the views we find today; "There is the literal view of transubstantiation which could be that expressed by Chrysostom; the Lutheran view of consubstantiation, which could be taught by Irenaeus or Justin Martyr; the spiritual view of Calvin, which is closely aligned with St. Augustine; and the strictly symbolic view of Zwingli, which is similar to that expressed by Eusebius" (see Webster, page 122). To the symbolic view, Webster adds Theodoret, Serapion, Jerome, Athanasius, Ambrosiaster, Macarius of Egypt, and Eustathius of Antioch. According to some apologists, "Church history is fascinating and has value, but it is a house of cards for anyone trying to construct infallible dogmas or biblical doctrines." Webster goes on to state that "even Pope Gelasius I (c. 496 A.D.) denied transubstantiation." And Pope Adrian IV rejected papal infallibility. All of the converts to Roman Catholicism make an issue of the alleged disunity of Protestantism with the claim that God has promised to keep His church together. But the truth of the gospel is the real cornerstone and foundation to the whole issue of unity. A close look at Roman Catholicism will reveal much disunity in their ranks as most Roman Catholics are really "Cafeteria Catholics" - carefully selecting what they will accept or reject from the Roman Church hierarchy. Unity, I believe, will be achievable eventually as we see in the book of Revelation, a church headed by the anti-Christ with all opposition brutally crushed. These eleven converts try hard to point out that the Roman Church is a church united and has always been united in its doctrinal beliefs but hopefully someday they will truly be "surprised by the Truth".
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Summary: Most powerful stories of Catholic conversion ever assembled
Review: If you are a Protestant or a Catholic, this book is a must read. The stories contained herein will help those blinded by ignorance or mistrust, see the truth of the Church that Christ founded. It will challenge fundamentalists to defend such unbiblical concepts as "sola scriptura" while weaving a beautiful tapestry of the faith which the Apostles taught. You cannot help but be moved. Thank you Patrick Madrid for a classic!
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Summary: Great Book!
Review: This book is great! The testimonies included are very moving, and the reasons they give are convincing. I suggest that everyone read it. (As for the reviewer on May 17, I suggest that next time he should actually stick with the facts, as opposed to the slander and prejudice towards Catholicism he showed in his review.) This book is definitely worth reading!
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Summary: does this book attempt to search for the truth.
Review: the books title assumes the idea that one becomes catholic because of biblical and hitorical reasons the context in which this is looked at is seriously in error. when talking about roman catholicism the said prefix should be used. it cannot solely claim to be the church of christ on earth otherwise it would have done away with all its superstition and idolatry. there are no biblical reasons for becoming roman catholic and i am sure this is what the author intends although he hides it behind the world Catholic. I am a Bible believing Protestant and God has given me my life that i can worship and praise him only.He has given us the Bible as the handbook to life and expects us to committ our lives to him not to a denomination, afterall the Roman Catholic organisation cannot get one into heaven. Jesus said in JOHN 15 I AM THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE NO ONE COMES ONTO THE FATHER BUT BY ME. we cannot get to god through a priest or by vain ritual. we must be saved. this book only attempts to hide the fact of saving faith in christ and alludes that only through the roman catholic system can one get to glory. I pray that someone might read this and realise that the Roman Catholic system has nothing to offer but misery and eternal suffering. remember one thing when the priest is at the death bed he will tell any Roman Catholic that they must be saved so dont wait untill then TOMMORROW MIGHT BE TOO LATE. " BEHOLD NOW IS THE DAY OF SALVATION"
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Summary: The focus on the Charismatic Movement hurt this book
Review: I was quite disappointed to find the "Charismatic Movement" holding such prominence. I think that having this shows poor judgment on the part of the editor. Conversion has nothing to do with sentimentalism and all to do with objectivity in truth. In order to put forth a good argument for the truths of the Catholic Church, first one must begin objectively. The balance of the book was done well but difficult to bite into when fighting through a sentimental beginning.
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Summary: Excellent text for students of Catholic Apologetics
Review: This is a fantastic book which tells the stories of converts from various protestant faiths as well as one athestic Jew to the Catholic Church. Most of the converts experience a time in their lives where they strayed from God. It is wonderful for the cradle Catholic to read and understand the one true Church.
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Summary: This book started it all for me. I'm Catholic now!
Review: I saw the reviews on this book and knew I needed to read it. I only saw one negative review; someone who said that the converts presented in the book were not "fully" immersed in true protestantism. As a former Protestant who was raised in the faith, studies apologetics, studies scripture, and studied the reformers, I had (and still have) a dynamic and lasting relationship with our Lord. I also know that the questions that are asked in this book helped propell me to a fuller understanding of Christianity. These converts (and now me) asked the hard questions, and answered them honestly. They ended up "in Rome" because they have the honesty to look into our comon history and recognize that the Lord did not wait 1500 years to provide us with the truth. He provided it in a Church, a Rock, an apostolic tradition, that continues today. This book brought me to true Christianity....Catholic Christianity!
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Summary: A well written testimonial.
Review: I really enjoyed Suprised by Truth. It was a releif to know that I wasn't the only one in the world who had those feelings and could find the same answers! As the late Fulton Sheen put it: "There are hundreds of people who hate what THEY think the Catholic Church teaches but less than 10 people hate the Catholic Church for what it REALLY teaches." This book only proves Sheen's observations.
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Summary: This book answered many questions and was an eye opener!
Review: I could not put this book down once I picked it up! It was very enlightning! It answered so many of my questions that I felt that it was wrote just for me!I have reccommended it to all of my friends!
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