Catholicism and Fundamentalism: The Attack on "Romanism" by "Bible Christians"

Rating:
Summary: An excellent book for every Catholic to read.
Review: From the perspective of this non-Roman Catholic clergyman, historian, and theologian, Karl Keating has done an excellent job of identifying "anti-Catholicism" for what it is, while at the same time, providing clear answers to questions Protestants frequently ask of Catholics.

The book's only significant flaws lie in the tendency of the author to:

1) Not always clearly differentiate between "anti-Catholicism" (which is morally equivalent to anti-Semitism or racism) with legitimate theological disagreement.

2) Lump together many Protestant groups that frankly don't necessarily fall under the category of "fundamentalist", ie. Evangelicals and Pentecostals.

Other than this, however, Keating has done an excellent job. He has certainly raised the standard of debate for Protestant Christians by demonstrating the obvious silliness (and in some cases, deliberate dishonesty) of several of the major "anti-Catholic" organizations. A Protestant apologist who encounters a Catholic familiar with Keating's material will have to rely on a grasp of Protestant theology, instead of (all too typical) third-rate propaganda.

This book has really caused me to think. I thank Mr. Keating for writing it. May God bless us all as we continue to search for His Truth in all its fullness.

Rating:
Summary: I can't believe this guy
Review: I had been reading anti-Mormon hate books, and I thought, "You know, they treat the Catholics this way, too, so, I think I will look up some Catholic responses and apologetics." Unfortunately, this was the first book I clicked on to review. The first thing I read is "....quasi-Christians like the Mormons and Jehova's witnesses.." Oh, great, here this guy is defending his church from the viscious attacks on it by anti-Catholic hate books, then he does the same thing to other religions that he is defending Catholocism against. No wonder the rest of the world hates Christianity. They never learn.

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Summary: I Had Questions....This Book Had Answers
Review: I was raised in a Fundamentalist church and was very happy there until about four years ago when I strangely began to feel that something was....missing. I couldn't put my finger on what it was. I began praying about this odd notion of mine, asking the Holy Spirit to lead me to a place of spiritual fulfillment.

When those first few Catholics and their books on apologetics came across my path, I was aghast. Surely God wouldn't call me to become CATHOLIC! Why, everybody knows that Catholics aren't even saved! Catholics defy the Second Commandment and worship idols! Catholics wrongly believe that you have to confess your sins to a priest! Every true Christian knows that we don't even NEED priests! Whatever else Catholics believe, it is wrong. Period.

This book was one of the books I was given. Karl Keating explains the major misconceptions of Catholicism so clearly. I finished this book in one day and when I closed it, I felt that I had been set free to worship God in the most satisfying, most spiritually fulfilling, most Spirit-led way ever devised by, well, God. I am now in RCIA class along with my husband (who was raised in a church that is typically stridently anti-Catholic) and we are experiencing spiritual growth that neither of us have ever known before. I feel now that I am not walking with the Lord daily -- it's more like a minute-by-minute thing, this closeness I feel to our incredible Jesus.

Rating:
Summary: Most highly recommended!
Review: Karl Keating has become THE Catholic apologist of the last decade, maybe of the last quarter of this century, and if you read this book you'll know why. Keating's style is direct, accurate and highly readable. He knows his facts, and cites references to support them, including many from the Bible. His responses to the Fundamentalist positions are powerful, but always done in a charitable manner. Anyone who isn't convinced of the truth by this excellent resource has already made up his mind and doesn't want to be "confused by the facts". This should be required reading for every Catholic high school level religion program. It would also be excellent material for RCIA (the program for adults who are joining the Catholic Church). I highly recommend it for all Catholics and anyone who wishes to learn more about the Biblical and rational basis of the Catholic Faith.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent reply to the professional "anti-catholics"
Review: Karl Keating's 'Catholicism and Fundamentalism' is really three books in one: (1) It is a point-by-point reply to many of the most well-known professional "anti-catholics" (Boettner, Chick, Rivera, etc.); (2) It is a systematic presentation of and defense of those uniquely-Catholic ideas that fundamentalists most often attack (purgatory, Mary as the Mother of God, auricular confession, etc.); and (3) It is a "what-do-I-do-now?" book for amateur apologists.

In the first part of his book, Keating presents the arguments of the fundamentalists in their own words. Unlike his counterparts, he does not misquote them or take their arguments/statements out of context. He fairly and accurately presents the charges of the fundamentalists, and responds to them. He shows how, ultimately, all of the modern arguments against the Catholic Church find their roots in Boettner's 'Roman Catholicism', and how Boettner's arguments themselves are based on misinterpertations and misinformation. He provides extensive footnotes citing both the arguments he is responding to and the sources for his information (the Bible, Church dogma, the early Christian writers, etc.).

In the second part of his book, Keating deals with many of the uniquely Catholic doctrines that fundamentalists usually have issues with. He demonstrates how these doctrines are Scriptural, logical, and necessarily a part of the teachings of the Church of Christ. Where there is no Scriptural support for a doctrine (such as the Assumption of Mary), he flatly admits that, and then demonstrates why there does not have to be. (Admittedly, most if not all of Keating's arguments are based on the idea that Truth can be discerned logically from Truth. If one disagrees with that, then one will have many problems with some of his logical defenses.)

In the third part of his book, Keating gives practical advice to those who would seek to become an amateur apologist. He provides suggested readings, and he gives solid advice about how one should engage in friendly arguments about the faith. If one has no interest in becoming an apologist, then one could easily skp the final 40 pages of the book and not miss anything. (And for the fundamentalists out there who choose not to read Keating's book, it should be noted that he makes very clear that the first thing that ANY apologist should do is to read the Bible--he emphasizes this fact repeatedly.)

In short, whether you are a Catholic who seeks either to deepen your faith or to find answers to your fundamentalist friends' questions or you are a fundamentalist who seeks to learn the Catholic responses from a Catholic, this book cannot be recommended too highly.

Rating:
Summary: A good primer for budding apologists
Review: Mr. Keating does a fairly thorough job of outlining the more common attacks used by "anti-Catholic" fundamentalists (not to say all fundamentalists are anti-Catholic) to lure Catholics away from the Church. He bases his responses on Scripture, Tradition, and, most refreshingly of all, common sense. The main point of his argument is that the Bible is completely true but not truly complete--that is to say, what is in the Bible is true, but that does not mean that what is not explicitly stated in the Bible is not true. If you accept the Bible as truth, how can you reject the Catholic Church, which put the Bible together in the first place and declared that it was inspired?

In addition, he gives a brief guide to other literature an apologist might find useful and an overview of how best to defend the Catholic Faith. He recommends that we refrain from "ad-hominem" (personal) attacks on fundamentalists, though, curiously, he cannot seem to refrain from them himself (pp.70-71 is a good example).

Rating:
Summary: A standard reference work for Catholic apologetics
Review: This book has quickly become the standard reference work for Catholics who want to defend their faith from Fundamentalist attacks. Keating, director of the apologetics group "Catholic Answers" and a lawyer by training, starts by examining fundamentalism, its beliefs, and its origins, and then delves into the leading anti-Catholic groups. He follows that up by presenting their arguments against Catholic teachings, in their own words, and then gives scholarly, well-researched rebuttals that are easy enough for Joe Six-Pack in the pew to grasp and remember to be called forth when he is challenged on his faith.

While the examination of anti-Catholic groups is a bit dated (these groups understandably come and go under the shadow of night), their arguments are centuries-old and continue to challenge Catholics. Keating covers everything from distortions of history (the Inquisition, the Crusades) to purgatory to the Mass and Saints. Especially helpful are the appeals to the scriptural basis of the disputed doctrines. While not everything can be satisfactorily defended from Scripture alone, these rebuttals are important to defend against the charges of so-called Bible Christians. However, a few of the scriptural defenses are a bit of a stretch.

The index and appendixes are especially helpful for quickly finding a topic under question. One problem with the age of this book is that it is not cross-referenced with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Perhaps a future edition will include such helpful references that will make this book even more valuable. The main problem with a book of this type is that, in the interest of brevity and memorization, it can sometimes overly simplify some complex doctrines. Some of the Church's doctrines took centuries of theological wrangling to formulate, and their presentation in the book may leave the Catholic reader with an insufficient understanding of the doctrine. Then, when a Fundamentalist comes up with a tougher challenge to the doctrine, the eager Catholic apologist may be caught flat-footed. Keating acknowledges that his book is not a complete treatment of Catholic teaching, and encourages anyone interested in the area of apologetics to do more study.

Bottom Line: I heartily recommend Catholicism and Fundamentalism to all Catholics, as the first book to add to your Catholic library after the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Sometimes there's no better way to learn something than to learn how to defend it. That method seems to work for doctoral dissertations, and I think it works for learning the tenets of the Catholic faith.