While an undergraduate student, I was fortunate to study under the renowned Catholic apologist Peter Kreeft. At the time, I — like many of my fellow classmates — was a Protestant, and we would frequently ask Dr. Kreeft questions about the differences between Protestants and Catholics. He would always begin with the same provocative statement that I imagine he has used for decades to frustrate earnest Protestants: “The Catholic Church makes claims much greater than any Protestant church. So if they are wrong, the Catholic Church is very arrogant, idolatrous, bad, and the old-fashioned anti-Catholicism is right. But if the claims are true, then everybody should be a Catholic.”
In his new book, If Protestantism Is True: The Reformation Meets Rome, Devin Rose examines the claims of the Church and proves that they are both great and true.
If Protestantism Is True begins as an examination of history. For Rose, the former atheist-turned-evangelical, now a Catholic, the first and most logical starting point is to examine the claim that Christ established “one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.” If this is true, then everything else taught by the Church must also be so. Rose provides a compelling analysis of both sacred Scripture and writings from the early Church Fathers to settle various matters of history and doctrine.
After concluding that Christ did indeed establish the Church as one, unified Church on earth, with apostolic succession, he moves on to other doctrinal matters often considered suspect by Protestants. He examines the authenticity of the canon of Scripture, the sacraments, devotion to Mary, papal infallibility, the communion of saints, purgatory and the Church’s moral teachings on matters of marriage, contraception, divorce and others. In essence, he is weaving together a multilayered, full tapestry that gives evidence to the consistency and unity of Church teaching.
For those suspicious of the authority of Rome, If Protestantism Is True serves as a mirror that demands an examination of the claims and history of other traditions. Why, after 1,500 years, at the time of the Reformation, did one man have the authority to question centuries of settled teaching?
Rose reminds his readers that Luther, Calvin, Zwingli and others could not come to an agreement on many matters of faith and simply had to engage in a game of picking and choosing to string together their own set of beliefs. This is a dangerous business that has regrettably yielded 500 years of disagreement and disunity among Protestants. Even with such criticism, Rose maintains an attitude of charity that is necessary to win over any skeptic.
If Protestantism Is True is an equally accessible read for both the well catechized and the young faithful. Rose has produced an invaluable book full of Church history and teaching that will prove resourceful to cradle Catholics in reaffirming their faith, as well as sincere and earnest Protestants or nonbelievers who simply want to better understand the teachings of the Church.
They should be forewarned, however, that truth is compelling — and they will likely be won over.
Christopher White writes from New York.
IF PROTESTANTISM IS TRUE
The Reformation Meets Rome
By Devin Rose
Unitatis Books, 2011
162pages, $12.99
To order: unitatisbooks.com
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Great book. Rose has inspired me to study so much more and helped to cement my love and devotion to Rome and Christ’s Church. Definitely a good read for all Catholics and others with questions about the Catholic faith.
Interesting article. The claim ““The Catholic Church makes claims much greater than any Protestant church…” is a claim that has been shown to be problematic for the RCC. Just look at its history and doctrines and you will see the claim is not substantiated.
This review should motivate many to buy this book. It looks to be very good.
When one observes the history of Protestant martydom in the face of the anti-Christian movements of the 20th century, one can readily see the working of the Holy Spirit in these men and women of faith. Protestants are also very good at evangelization and apologetics, in some ways showing these gifts of the Spirit better that we Catholics show them. These churches may contain some error but they are also contain much of the same truths we hold and proclaim. Pray that we may all be one someday as Jesus prayed.
One quibble: the article and presumably the book show the bias of Anerican and Western European history on this subject. If there is a compelling alternate view of ‘catholic’ that is not Catholic, then it is to be found not among Protestants but rather among the Orthodox. But then one healing at at time is enough.
I to was led home, back to the one true Holy Catholic and Apostolic church! If a person is still not convinced, read books on the the Early Church Fathers.
The article makes far too many assumptions, which is why is not likely to impress a Protestant who has a theologically articulate belief, such as a Calvinist. An obvious one: it is not clear, and far from unquestionable or self-evident, that the Church on earth cannot be a fellowship of communities with theological differences but joined in a common faith. Nor is it clear to that the current Papacy can claim anything more than a genealogical continuity with the Apostolic Church (itself a far from homogeneous thing) - there is no point in having institutional continuity (assuming - what many Protestants will not grant anyway - that there is continuity between the earlest Church & the Papacy) without having the Spirit and attitudes of Christ. A string of Popes, no matter how long, is of no significance at all, if the Papacy is not clearly very Christ-like. And its history makes any claim that it is, extremely problematic. Catholics have to explain how we get from the poor Apostles to very wealthy & very powerful bishops, & many more such facts. US Catholics are very spoiled - they live in a country in which religion occupies a high place, and in which even non-Catholic politicians need to take the concerns of Catholic bishops seriously. Such a state of affairs vanished from Europe 50 years ago. So the unending alarmism of US Christians is, to those of us not from the US, both laughable and weird.
To manticore… your statement, “there is no point in having institutional continuity (assuming…)... without having the Spirit and attitudes of Christ.” Is something of a non-sequitur. It assumes the former, denies as mere assertion the latter, and the Church’s long-standing position is that the two do not necessarily even follow. Its institutional heritage is a source of institutional authority, not the personal holiness of its individual leaders. The Church acknowledges leadership, even at the papal level, has often been far from holy on an individual basis. You are mixing up much. Try to be more careful in your thinking, it will pay off.
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