Rating: 
Summary: We Process Faith Through Our Intellect
Review: As a convert to Catholic Christianity from evangelical Protestantism, I could relate to the Hahn's experience on a strictly sympathetic level alone. However, there are a multitude of issues involved with a conversion, all of them springing from the fundamental('scuse the pun!) issue of faith. Like the Hahns, my basic desire to know God more personally and deeply, and to be forgiven more personally and deeply, led me to question the doctrines taught by various churches, doctrines which--like it or not--express where we are coming from on the deepest level of faith, as long as we make full intellectual assent to these doctrines. To dismiss the Hahn's conversion as nothing more than legalistic wrangling is naieve at best. To divorce faith completely from intellect is an outright denial of the human condition. The struggle of the Hahn family toward what they believed was God's best plan is touching and I, for one, was pleased to know that others can make conversions based on choices that reflect the whole, marvelous range of human experience--including but not limited to the intellect! Great book!
Rating: 
Summary: Intellectual conversion, not a spiritual one
Review: Stories of religious conversions almost always involve subjects undergoing intense personal struggles, pain, and suffering. This one does not disappoint, as the authors convey their tumultuous journey into the Catholic Faith. What is striking, however, is that their struggles in the end were mere theological, intellectual, and family-relational ones. And their intense suffering resulted from what they perceived as losing their "dreams" and the security of their Protestant tradition. What I do not see is evidence of guilty souls engrossed in a moral and spiritual struggle, asking the one question that Christianity attempts to answer: How can I a hopeless sinner have peace with a holy God? Instead, we have the Hahns (dare I say) trifling with justification as academics and theologians, not as guilt-tormented and wretched sinners--their rejection of sola fide precipitating from years of struggling with books rather than with God Himself. The Hahns never did accept the Reformed understanding of sola fide, i.e. that this is the article upon which a man stands or falls before God. This is clear since when doubts about the doctrine surfaced in their minds, their response was not one of despair regarding a shaken foundation of peace with God. Rather, they despaired over losing the security of their past and the hopes of their future, in particular concerning their marriage. Kimberly writes of the "tremendously painful realization--that [she] could be the lone Protestant in [her] family" and the like. Not once do they mention how their newfound doubts against their dearly held Reformed doctrine shook up their peace with God. In the end, I'm not convinced that justification was much more than a theological issue to them; and indeed they refer to their conversion process was a "theological turmoil." This is a striking contrast to another conversion autobiography I've read, by John Bunyan and entitled "Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners." In that account, the crisis encountered by the author isn't over theology itself, but rather the very thing to which theology points--that is, the reality of one's standing before a holy God. Here we have the issue of justification being becoming a practical reality in the soul of a guilt-ridden sinner in search of peace with God (as the title suggests). In the Hahns' story, I do not see this evidence of souls at a crisis before God over the issue of justification. It's a dramatic and well-written story (hence the two stars), but it doesn't gain my credence for having any spiritual value or any usefulness against doctrines such as sola fide. Scott Hahn's supposedly compelling observations against Protestantism were things that any non-Christian biblical scholar could just as likely have made. This is a good story of a person's struggle with ideas, theology, books, friends, family members...etc. But those looking for a story of a Christian struggle with God Himself should look elsewhere.One final comment: In the book, Kimberly asks God in her confusion, "Are you the God of the Catholics or the Protestants?" Though I understand her reason for the inquiry, I felt this to be an inappropriate question for it implies that men draw the lines and God chooses His side. In reality, however, God is God, apart from what Romanism or Protestantism or whatever-ism might (correctly or incorrectly) teach about Him. In other words, it is arrogant for us to ask God in this context, "God, are you for me or against me? For this theology or that theology?" Rather, the question should be addressed by God to us, "Creature, are YOU for Me or against Me, your Maker?" I am reminded of the incidence when Joshua asks the "commander of the army of the Lord" (some say a Christophany) this question: "Are you for us or for our adversaries?" The answer? "No." NO?? Hmm... Then we're told that Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence and asked a different question: "What message does my Lord have for his servant?" Just something to ponder as we read stories such as this one that digs into the issue of Romanism versus Protestantism.
Rating:
Summary: An honest opinion on a controversial book...
Review: I don't claim to be a scholar. But I have read the book and have just read all the reveiws. In my opinion the book was excellent. I have listened to the Hahns during conventions, on tapes and videos. They are very good. I wasn't going to read the book but I am glad I did. It has showed me that they are real people, not pretenders. They have questions, highs and lows, goods and bads just like eveyone else. And they are honest about it. Where most people give up, the Hahns bravely continue. It is hard to go against the grain. But all of us are called to follow the truth. For those who discredit the book I can only say they are angry that they lost such a powerful witness to the Lord. Why can't Christians act like Christians? Judge the tree by it's fruits.
Rating:
Summary: Great book(in spite of a bold deception by anti-Catholic)
Review: Rome Sweet Home is a great story about how Scott Hahn struggled with leaving his pastorate of a Presbyterian Church to join the fullness of truth in the Catholic Church. It is very moving that describes this painful decesion. One reader wrote that Hahn was a liar because he checked with the Presbyterian Church of America, and it said he was never a pastor in that denomination. However, where did he ever claim to be a member of the PCA? You know, there are more Presbyterian denominations than the PCA! Besides, Hahn already said his church was a splinter group (at least in other places. Unfortunately, that reader was blinded by prejudice and refused to be bothered with the facts (sorry about having to include this, however, it is important to note because that reader tried to use this information to discredit Hahn's honesty. Actually, even if Hahn was a liar, which he isn't, that still doesn't change the facts he states in the book, a fact ignored by that reader. But it might affect the reader's decesion to buy this book). Anyway, it would be well worth the money to buy this book. It's a conversion story you will never forget.
Rating:
Summary: Inspirational and hard to put down
Review: I read this book in one day. It is so interesting I just couldn't stop. People of all religions should read this book. Searching for the truth is not always easy but this book gives all the reasons why the Catholic Church is the one true Church. Anyone who has questions about Catholics beliefs or practices, can find answers here in this easy to read book written by the Hahn's.
Rating:
Summary: One of the finest Conversion stories ever written.
Review: As a convert from the "imploding" Anglican church (Episcopalian), I found this conversion story by Dr. Scott Hahn one of the finest I've ever read. All of my earlier anti-Catholic bias paralleled Dr. Hahn's. His search for the One, True Church founded by Jesus Christ is a fascinating journey. Dr. Hahn, a former Protestant minister, has become one of the greatest Catholic apologists of the 20th Century. For those sitting on the fence as to "Coming Home," read this book. The truth he found in the Roman Catholic Church is the same Truth that has existed for Two Thousand years.
Rating:
Summary: A gripping read! Full of integrity in a difficult arena.
Review: Scott and Kimberly Hahn's book was a turning point in my own conversion to Catholicism after 22 years in the Reformed Protestant tradition. Readers should remember that this book is first and foremost an account of a journey. It is not primarily an apologetical treatise. Don't be misled by those 'anti-Catholic' readers who denounce Scott's knowledge of Reformation theology. I have since listened to many of Scott's tapes and let me assure you, his knowledge of Reformation theology usually surpasses that of such critics. One of the banes of Reformation theology is its inherent hubris, grounded in the false assumptions of 'Sola Scriptura' and 'private interpretation', that fosters fundamentalistic paradigms such as those that dominated Scott's thinking before his journey to Catholicism. This book encouraged me to pursue the latent questions that had developed in my own studies over the years. Due to the fundamenatlistic provincialism of Protestantism, I was afraid to ask them. All praise to our glorious Lord that I did. It is my prayer that this book will allow future readers to pursue the same questions with integrity and intellectual honesty.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent and Heartwarming
Review: As a former Babtist who converted to Catholicism, I understood a lot of the Hahn's pain of separation from long-held beliefs, family, co-workers and friends. "Rome Sweet Home" made me also relive the joys I experienced by coming home to the Caholic Church. This simple yet heart-sharing book challenged me to study Catholicism even further, and the more I learn, the more I love it. Scott Hahn is so learned and can get his points across very well, especially the covenant.This book is a MUST READ for all Catholics, and especially for anti-Catholics so that they come to understand that their pastors have misrepresented Catholicism to them.I gave a copy to my brother,a Baptist minister with a Th.D,but he returned it unread. Read this excellent book soon!!
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Summary: Scott Hahn offer concrete explanations of Virgin Mary, etc.
Review: Scott Hahn offers a perspective that only someone coming in from outside of Catholicism can offer. He takes on each of the greatest myths held about Catholics (ie. "they worship Mary", "they are working their way to heaven", etc.) providing sound scriptural evidence backing the actual pratices taught by the Catholic Church. This is a great book to develop a solid understanding and scriptural basis for anyone who has wrestled with these important and very serious topics in their own life or had to deal with these subjects in the life of a loved one.
Rating: 
Summary: Beware Bogus "Reviews"
Review: Substantively, this is an excellent conversion tale well-told, which explains why some people are willing to go to such great lengths to discredit it. My only beef with it is the Hahns' unqualified endorsement of the teachings of Dr. Mark Miravalle. Miravalle's Marian theology shows both "maximalist" tendencies and a determination to sidestep the cautionary language of the Second Vatican Council
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