Rating: 
Summary: Much ado and little substance
Review: I approach Mr. Keating's books with great hopes, but always come away disappointed. The book does address many of the standard attacks against the Catholic faith, but too many of the "opponents" are presented as straw-men. The book has too much of the spit and polish of professional debaters and too little of the humilty and understanding that should be present in books of religious discourse. Mr. Keating presents many of his arguments as if he were arguing which pizza topping was better, green peppers or mushrooms. The book is useful in providing good footnotes for original sources.
Rating:
Summary: Much ado and little substance
Review: I approach Mr. Keating's books with great hopes, but always come away disappointed. The book does address many of the standard attacks against the Catholic faith, but too many of the "opponents" are presented as straw-men. The book has too much of the spit and polish of professional debaters and too little of the humilty and understanding that should be present in books of religious discourse. Mr. Keating presents many of his arguments as if he were arguing which pizza topping was better, green peppers or mushrooms. The book is useful in providing good footnotes for original sources.
Rating: 
Summary: Read in one week
Review: I went through this book like a dimestore novel: non-stop and while eating chips. Most books on doctrine and apologetics I read a few pages at a time, stop, take asprin and continue. It was enjoyable to relax and walk with Karl Keating through some of his practical experiences. As a former Baptist I can relate to this Fundamentalists' "rouges gallery" especially John MacArthur of whom I still have a library. Hey! Maybe I can be a Fundamentalist defector for Karl Keating. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Read in one week
Review: I went through this book like a dimestore novel: non-stop and while eating chips. Most books on doctrine and apologetics I read a few pages at a time, stop, take asprin and continue. It was enjoyable to relax and walk with Karl Keating through some of his practical experiences. As a former Baptist I can relate to this Fundamentalists' "rouges gallery" especially John MacArthur of whom I still have a library. Hey! Maybe I can be a Fundamentalist defector for Karl Keating. Enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: You make it sound so easy!
Review: Maybe I'm naive, but I didn't realize that Fundamentalists and Evangelicals were that much anti-Catholic. The ones I know haven't tried to "save" me. One point the book makes well is that Catholics MUST take the initiative to learn their theology, Church history, and how the Bible was compiled. I'm currently reading Why Do Catholics Do That? and finding it a bit better, in that it focuses more on the issues and less on the opposition.
Rating:
Summary: Answering the Suspects
Review: The author helps Catholics answer arguments from Evangelicals, including answer the widely available, anti-Catholic video Catholicism: Crisis in Faith. Uncharitable statements make this book unsuitable to give non-Catholics. Can you answer charitably the following criticisms without looking at the answers? The book has the full answers.1. Catholics worship statues whereas Exodus 20:4 says: "Thou shalt not make graven images." The condemned graven images are those worshipped. God commands cherubs adorn the Ark (Exodus 25) and a bronze serpent be made to cure snake bites (Nm 21:9). 2. In general, how do you resolve apparent contradictions in Scripture? Biblical contradictions are due to our interpretation, not the text (St. Augustine, Fr. William Most). 3. Catholics pray to saints whereas 1 Timothy 2:5 says: "There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." We ask the saints for their prayers just as we ask friends. God knows our prayers and the saints see them in God's mind. In Rv 8:4, saints carry to God our prayers. Moses and Samuel were dead, but their intercessions were important (Jer 15;1) 4. Catholics say that Mary was ever virgin, yet Scripture speaks of the "brethren of the Lord." Aramaic had no word for cousins so used "brothers." James, Joses, Simon and Jude are Jesus' brothers (Mk 6:3) and James and Joses are called sons of Mary, wife of Clopas (Mk 16:40). 5. Catholics use non-Scriptural sources for doctrines whereas 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says "All Scripture is inspired of God and is useful for teaching - for reproof, correction, and training in holiness." The only "Scripture" at the time was the Old Testament. The New Testament is also inspired. Scripture is not the only source useful for these purposes. 6. Various Catholic practices have a pagan basis: genuflecting, sign of the cross, incense, bells, priestly vestments, holy water and the rosary (Mt 6:7 against repetitious prayers). Practices such as singing need not be avoided just because the pagans used them. The pagan superstitious incantations should be. The emphasis in Matthew is "like the pagans" rather than on "multiplication of words." 7. Catholics claim that Mary is the Mother of God whereas Mary is the mother only of Jesus. Jesus is one person; Mary is the mother of that one person. Speaking of His human person has no meaning. Mary is not the mother of God the Father. 8. Catholics insist on baptism whereas "For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel." (1 Cor 1:17) Jesus told Nicodemus he must be born again of water and the Spirit (Jn 3:5). In Corinthians, Paul was to preach first so those being baptized knew why. 9. Catholics call their priests "father" whereas Mt 23:9-10 says "Do not call anyone on earth your father." In I Cor 4:15 St. Paul says he is spiritual father of his listeners. Our only heavenly father is God the Father. No earthly father surpasses our heavenly Father. 10. Catholics say that the King James version of the Bible is erroneous; God would not allow Christians to be mislead by the Bible. The inspiration of the Bible does not pertain to a translation, only the original. 11. Catholics say that the Catholic Bible is an accurate translation whereas it was translated from the Vaticanus version rather than the Greek. Recent translations, such as the New American Bible, are from the Greek and Hebrew. The Douay version was from the Vulgate, not from Vaticanus. 12. Catholics worship on Sunday, the day of sun worship, rather than on the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for man; man was not made for the Sabbath. Christians chose the day of the Resurrection. 13. Catholics say that good works are necessary whereas John 5:24 says "the man who hears my word and has faith in him who sent me possesses eternal life." "Faith without works is as dead as a body without breath." (Ja 2:26) Although we do not earn heaven through our works, hearing the word means putting it into practice. 14. Catholics produce their own commandments and traditions, whereas Mk 7:7-8 says "Empty is the reverence they do me because they teach as dogmas mere human precepts. You disregard God's commandment and cling to what is human tradition." Although Jesus condemns "mere human precepts," the Bible nowhere implies that it is the only source of faith. "Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle" (2 Thess. 2:14). See also 2 Tim 1:13-14, 2 Tim 2:2 and 1 Cor 11:2. Jesus explained everything to his Apostles and sent the Holy Spirit to ensure everything was faithfully taught (Mt 28:18-20). 15. Catholics prolong the work of Christ in the Mass whereas Christ completed His work with His crucifixion. The Mass is a re-presentation of the sacrifice of the cross; it is the same sacrifice, albeit without Christ's suffering. 16. Catholics claim that Mary was conceived without sin whereas Rom 3:23 says "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." The "all" pertains to the audience, not all humans. It does not mean children below the age of reason, insane people, Mary or Jesus. 17. Catholics have invented the idea of Purgatory. It is not mentioned in Scripture. If Purgatory exists, members of non-believing churches gamble that nobody will pray for their release from Purgatory. Purgatory comes in part from Rev 21:27 ("nothing unclean" will enter heaven); 2 Mc 12:46, "he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin"; and 1 Peter 3:19, "he went to preach to the spirits in prison;" therefore, there is a place other than heaven and hell after death.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but needs more info
Review: This book gives you a good idea of what's out there, but I would have liked it better if it had photographs or copies of the original tracts. I had hoped to see what they looked like (so I could recognize them), but I guess there would have been copyright issues there.
Rating:
Summary: Great Catholic Review!
Review: This is a great book for "Cradle Catholics" and anyone who wants to know the Catholic response to attacks on their faith. Karl Keating has me more interested in my faith than ever!!!
Rating:
Summary: Great Catholic Review!
Review: This is a great book for "Cradle Catholics" and anyone who wants to know the Catholic response to attacks on their faith. Karl Keating has me more interested in my faith than ever!!!
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not superb
Review: This is one of those books you can read in one sitting. Karl Keating recounts stories about how our Faith is commonly attacked and what is best said in response. The book is divided into 26 chapters, and many of the stories are fun to read, even though every now and then they end rather abruptly and leave you hanging. The best two chapters, by far, are the last two -- in them, Keating exposes the biased video "Catholicism: Crisis of Faith" and James McCarthy, and "The John Ankerberg Show" from 1986 with Walter Martin debating Mitch Pacwa. All in all, the book is good and gives very practical advice and how-to's when it comes to answering common questions about the Faith. However, if you think this book can compare to Keating's "Catholicism and Fundamentalism," you will be disappointed. It is by no means on a par with its predecessor.
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