Rating: 
Summary: The Best Book Available on the Eucharist and Baptism
Review: I can't recommend this book enough. The information that is contained in CROSSING THE TIBER is unbelievable. No skimming through any of Steve Ray's books. His knowledge of Scripture and writings of the early Church Fathers is amazing. Wait until you see all of his footnotes. I'll tell you of how God used this book for someone that I don't even know the name of . I was on a flight that I wasn't even supposed to be on (flight change), in a seat that I wasn't supposed to be sitting in (someone took my assigned seat, thank God), and I sat next to a real chatterbox. He just kept talking. I tried to read the paper, eat lunch, anything, but nothing quieted him. Then he got up to use the restroom, so I pulled out CROSSING THE TIBER to finish it. I only had a few pages to go. And I thought the man would not interrupt me if he saw I was reading. I was wrong. He asked me what book I was reading so I flashed it at him. "What's it about," he asked. I told him it was a religious book since that usually ends the conversation. Not this one. He asked me specifically what it was about. So I told him. A former Baptist who converted to Catholicsm started it as an explanation to his family about his decision to convert. The last two sections deal with the Eucharist and Baptism from a Scriptural and early Church writings standpoint. Then I turned to look at him. He had gone completely white. He told me he had just converted to Catholicsm from Baptist and his family's two main problems with it were the Eucharist and Baptism. When I tried to give him the book, he refused. I told him I wasn't even supposed to be on that flight or in that seat and it was obvious God wanted him to have that book. I pray it helped him and his family. I never learned his name, but I think of him often.
Rating:
Summary: From Anarchy To Sanity
Review: I cannot imagine anyone being more careful, more cautious in one's conversion process as is this author. To him, it is clearly a matter of (spiritual) life & death. To him, it is a frightful journey. For that reason, he has covered all the bases, leaving nothing to chance. You can feel deeply for him from the start, as he assesses his spiritual roots. His honesty is quite surprising. His captivating footnotes pack a powerful punch. They are filled with riveting information, vital to his journey. If you are hesitating in your faith, or simply want to know why we believe what we believe than this book is for you. I think you'll like it.
Rating:
Summary: Profound, exceptional
Review: I loved every page in this book. I agree with readers who have said that it is three books in one: a personal conversion odissey, history, and a solid explanation of two of the sacraments, baptism and the Eucharist, based on the teachings of the early Church. It is impeccably researched, very well written, and does not require a degree in theology to understand. The arguments are forcefully made, and the personal angle of his story (mostly in the footnotes) are most touching. There has been a lot of soul searching here.The book testifies to an incredible desire to search for the *truth that sets you free* and to the courage to accept it by doing as Christ enjoined us to do: to love him more than father and mother and to follow him. This is a wonderful book for anyone striving to understand authentic Christianity - be they Protestant or Catholic.
Rating:
Summary: Steve pounds the Truth into his readers through this book!!!
Review: I will simply paste an email here which I sent to a friend regarding this Crossing the Tiber:
Juan,
Have you read this book?
(....)
It is absolutely fabulous and I recommend it highly. If you are interested I can loan it to you. Based on my observing your desire to share the faith, I think you would get much out of this book. Steve Ray bombards the reader with loads of both ancient and biblical evidence until his victim is left crying "okay okay I believe already..."
Rating: 
Summary: Great apologetics reading
Review: If you are looking for a book that explains Baptism and the Eucharist from an aplogetic view, this is the book for you. He takes you on detail journey through the Old Testament, New Testament and early Church Fathers to explain his points. Excellent reading, the only reason I gave it a four star reading,is the footnotes, the print was too small for me, it cause me to buy reading glasses, but it was worth it.
Rating: 
Summary: Roman Catholic Theology vs. The Bible
Review: It saddens me to see a former Bible-believing Christian succumb to the seducing spirit that is Roman Catholicism. You will not find apostolic succession, papal infallability, purgatory, indulgences, Marian dogmas, or salvation through works in the Bible. In John 17:11, Jesus Christ refers to our Father in Heaven as Holy Father. Now Mr. Ray refers to the Catholic pope as Holy Father. How sad. How very, very sad.
Rating:
Summary: An opinion from a Non-Denominational point of view
Review: Kay's book is excellent and for a deep, researched read. That is why I am probably the only person who actually liked the footnotes as opposed to flipping back to the end of the book to read them.
First, the positives which all acted to help me, as a Protestant, undertand Catholocism better. I liked how he described the act of praying to Mary as "praying with Mary". I also liked how he focused on the tradition of the Church (Catholic) and contrasted that with interpretation of the Bible (Protestant). Not to say those are overall truths inherent in the division, just that they are the more closely guarded theology in each.
I agree with some of the other reviews that he was sensitive to a Protestant reading it, although I got tired of hearing the "one, holy, apostolic Catholic church" over and over again, even if that is his thesis. Another problem I had was his reference to the Westminster Confession of Faith, which he failed to mention that the article of the Pope being the antichrist has since been deleted. He also failed to clear my mind as to the idea of salvation within the Catholic church. I interpreted Sola Fide was viable according to the Catholic Catechism, in that fath alone is necessary from the point of view of our human responsibility. Protestants agree that "faith alone" does not save, but that grace is, obviously, a key element to salvation. Perhaps Luther felt the need during the reformation to clear the air of that idea due to the events at the time.
However, I am currently searching for a similar work to Kay's since most of our Catholic friends here on Amazon seem to have felt most of the works here on Amazon that further the debate are less sensitive than Kay's. That is why I gave this book four stars and why I believe that Protestants and Catholics are Christians and we can build on that brotherhood to fight the real battle.
Rating:
Summary: An opinion from a Non-Denominational point of view
Review: Kay's book is excellent and for a deep, researched read. That is why I am probably the only person who actually liked the footnotes as opposed to flipping back to the end of the book to read them.
First, the positives which all acted to help me, as a Protestant, undertand Catholocism better. I liked how he described the act of praying to Mary as "praying with Mary". I also liked how he focused on the tradition of the Church (Catholic) and contrasted that with interpretation of the Bible (Protestant). Not to say those are overall truths inherent in the division, just that they are the more closely guarded theology in each.
I agree with some of the other reviews that he was sensitive to a Protestant reading it, although I got tired of hearing the "one, holy, apostolic Catholic church" over and over again, even if that is his thesis. Another problem I had was his reference to the Westminster Confession of Faith, which he failed to mention that the article of the Pope being the antichrist has since been deleted. He also failed to clear my mind as to the idea of salvation within the Catholic church. I interpreted Sola Fide was viable according to the Catholic Catechism, in that fath alone is necessary from the point of view of our human responsibility. Protestants agree that "faith alone" does not save, but that grace is, obviously, a key element to salvation. Perhaps Luther felt the need during the reformation to clear the air of that idea due to the events at the time.
However, I am currently searching for a similar work to Kay's since most of our Catholic friends here on Amazon seem to have felt most of the works here on Amazon that further the debate are less sensitive than Kay's. That is why I gave this book four stars and why I believe that Protestants and Catholics are Christians and we can build on that brotherhood to fight the real battle.
Rating:
Summary: Intellectual integrity can be hazardous to your lifestyle...
Review: Mr. Ray's story of his conversion is told with great thoroughness and clarity. Like so many of the Church's influential converts of the past 20 years, Mr. Ray never suspected he would end up a Catholic. And he wouldn't have -- if only he'd been able to soothe his fastidious conscience with comfortable half-truths, and blunt his reading of the scriptures with untouchable assumptions. But he could not. His commitment to the fullness of truth was absolutely unwavering -- and so fearless that he was able to follow it wherever it led, even into the dread confines of the Catholic Church itself. Ray describes how frightening it was for him to begin to perceive the truth of the Church's teachings. And we cradle Catholics can only admire his great courage, as he risked family and position for a thing many people don't even believe exists: the truth. This is a marvelous, erudite book that covers in depth many of the issues that are points of contention between Catholicism and Protestantism. And Ray doesn't pull any punches. Indeed, when he started his journey, he was hoping he could prove the Church wrong. He tried his hardest to do just that, and his efforts are recounted here. He traces his thinking on many issues, and shows how the Bible and the writings of the first Christians led him eventually -- all his arguments exhausted -- to convert. This is a superb book, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to explore the reasons so many good and thoughtful Protestant leaders have converted to Catholicism in recent years.
Rating:
Summary: Very good book.
Review: Of all the books I've read on the subject of the history of the catholic/protestant scism, this is probably the best. If you have trouble reading small print, better get a good pair of magnifying glasses, cause Ray has alot of footnotes throughout, and they're as interesting as the body of the book itself. There is so much I never knew about the Church as an evan gelical christian. This book is informative, and he does not ever come across negative towards protestantism. He just pretty much relates his and his family's personal journey, and then goes into great delay on the teachings of Baptism and The Eucharist. I think alot of Catholics who've never left the church could be inspired by this writer. I'm reading it for the 2nd time, and gleaning more this time than the first!
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