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Faith1960
Guest
Is it okay for Catholics to read religious books/devotionals written by Protestant authors such as a daily devotional I like to read called Hope For Each Day, written by Billy Graham?
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waxwing
Guest
Of course, I have A.W. Tozer books next to Henri Nouwen, next to J I Packer next to Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini on my shelf. You may get other answers from absolutely not to why would you want to read Protestant books, but I try to be a ecumenical fellow so I say read on
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SteveVH
Guest
Catholics do not have an exclusive on truth. I have heard great words of wisdom from non-Catholic Christians. As long as one is aware of subtle errors that can creep in (once saved always saved, etc.) I think it is fine. Devotionals are usually pretty harmless and I think Billy Graham can be quite inspiring. I would be more cautious in reading non-Catholic books containing doctrinal principals. This would especially apply to those Catholics who are not well catechized and may be influenced in the wrong direction. Just my opinion so take it for what its worth.
God bless.
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Faith1960
Guest
Thanks Waxwing and SteveVH. I really like Billy Graham. I have other devotionals but the things B.G. covers in this one hits home for me.
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SteveVH
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Yeah, I consider him to be a great man of God who was very much in love with our Lord. Not to mentioned he held our Pope in high esteem.
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Faith1960
Guest
He’s still alive.Yeah, I consider him to be a great man of God who was very much in love with our Lord. Not to mentioned he held our Pope in high esteem.
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SteveVH
Guest
Yes. I don’t know why I referred to him in the past tense. Been a long time since he has been in the public I guess.He’s still alive.
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Faith1960
Guest
Yes. I don’t know why I referred to him in the past tense. Been a long time since he has been in the public I guess.
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Roman_Catholic_1
Guest
Outside of the Bible, the Catechism and Chesterton the person who has most impacted my faith has been an Anglican; C.S. Lewis.
God bless
God bless
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7_Sorrows
Guest
this is an excellent thread. i have been catholic for about 2 1/2 years so i try to stick to books pertaining to the Catholic faith because i am still wanting to learn more about my faith and to improve on it. i was raised in the episcopal church, but was in limbo for about 20 years and didn’t belong to any faith. friends invited me to their protestant churches and i went, but i always missed the eucharist. i did read a few protestant books at that time, but now, i do try to stay away from them as much as possible, mainly because of doctrinal principles. i do have several of books by C.S. Lewis that i hope to get to someday because i have heard wonderful things about his books and i was anglican at one time.
so my advice, would be to be careful. if you are not strong in your knowledge of what the catholic church and the catholic religion is about, i would stick to learning more about your own faith. also, there is a lot of anti-catholic material out there.
so my advice, would be to be careful. if you are not strong in your knowledge of what the catholic church and the catholic religion is about, i would stick to learning more about your own faith. also, there is a lot of anti-catholic material out there.
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gurneyhalleck1
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I’m reading Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. I have a few books by Orthodox authors like John Meyendorff, a bunch of books on Anglicanism (toon many!), a ton of Luther’s stuff, and I love to read the Book of Common Prayer. It better be ok or I’m in trouble! LOL
I read an article in the Catholic Answers archives in which a Catholic apologist criticized C.S. Lewis’s book “Mere Christianity” because it didn’t ultimately encourage the reader to convert to Catholicism. As if that were the purpose of the book in the first place?
I have a wide library full of a little of anything. If a person is well-catechized and sold on Catholicism, it shouldn’t be a thread IMO.
I read an article in the Catholic Answers archives in which a Catholic apologist criticized C.S. Lewis’s book “Mere Christianity” because it didn’t ultimately encourage the reader to convert to Catholicism. As if that were the purpose of the book in the first place?
I have a wide library full of a little of anything. If a person is well-catechized and sold on Catholicism, it shouldn’t be a thread IMO.
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SteveVH
Guest
“Mere Christianity” is one of the most powerful books I have ever read. In fact, I have used it in teaching our Confirmation classes from the standpoint that if God does not exist, then what we are doing is pointless. I’ve yet to see a better argument for Christianity than is found in this book. The perfect read for an atheist or agnostic. As far as the Catholic critic you mentioned, evangelization must occur before conversion.
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Friar_David_O.Carm
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I would say yes as long as you know your faith and know when a Protestant writer has something wrong and it may be something very subtle so you need to be careful.
While Catholics do not have “an exclusive on the truth” we do have the Fullness of the Truth. Protestants (and other religions) may have pieces of the Truth but none of them have the Fullness as we do.
While Catholics do not have “an exclusive on the truth” we do have the Fullness of the Truth. Protestants (and other religions) may have pieces of the Truth but none of them have the Fullness as we do.
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Gabriel_of_12
Guest
Many protestant authors are professional motivational speakers and are very good at what they do. I have collected a few for myself, not for doctrinal or faith base research and understanding, but for personal and business (subjects) motivational purpose with a Christian touch.
It may take knowing your faith set on Rock first, so that you may not be tossed around by every wind of doctrine you come across. If you can distinguish what is fruit to eat which will satisfy the appetite and which fruit not to eat which can bring about an ailment to ones faith.
Although I do purchase x protestant books who converted back to Catholicism, to gain insight and different perspectives of their Christian walk of faith.
It may take knowing your faith set on Rock first, so that you may not be tossed around by every wind of doctrine you come across. If you can distinguish what is fruit to eat which will satisfy the appetite and which fruit not to eat which can bring about an ailment to ones faith.
Although I do purchase x protestant books who converted back to Catholicism, to gain insight and different perspectives of their Christian walk of faith.
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Contarini
Guest
True enough, though those are generally not the ones I’d hope Catholics are reading. (I wish Protestants wouldn’t read so many motivational speakers masquerading as catechists!)
A few Protestant devotional sources that I’d recommend to Catholics are:
Johann Arndt, True Christianity
Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress (yes, it’s anti-Catholic, but still worth reading)
Jeremy Taylor, Holy Living and Holy Dying
William Law, *A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life
*The hymns of Charles Wesley
Newman’s sermons preached as an Anglican (that one is probably an easier sell than some others!)
And as someone else said, the writings of A. W. Tozer, who was deeply inspired by the Fathers and the medieval mystics. In fact, one of his publications was A Christian Book of Mystical Verse, and many of the authors in it are Catholic (Leonard Ravenhill, a somewhat more fundamentalist disciple of Tozer’s, once told my grandmother that he didn’t like that book because it had too many Catholics in it!).
There are plenty more, but these are some of the classics of the evangelical Protestant spiritual tradition. If you haven’t read some of these books, you have no business making generalizations about shallow Protestant spirituality.
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Alix1912
Guest
I’m protestant and I’ve read Catholic books. I think that wisdom can come from many different sources. Also you cannot debate or discuss something you do not know about so learning about other denominations and faiths is never a bad thing.
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Roman_Catholic_1
Guest
Oh you’d be surprised with what people think they can do
With that being said I complelely agree with what you wrote. I don’t touch any discussions about the Orthodox/Catholic split, not so much because I don’t know anything about it but more so because I don’t know enough from the Orthodox side to speak intelligently about it.
God bless
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Alix1912
Guest
Exactly…nothing drives me more crazy than fundamentalists saying things like the Catholics worship idols, don’t read the bible, etc. Seriously if you are going to debate things at least debate actual true theological beliefs not made up non sense. On the flip side It also drives me crazy that many Catholics lump all non catholic christians together as one. There are huge differenced in the Lutheran interpretation of Sola Scriptura and the Fundamentalist interpretation.Oh you’d be surprised with what people think they can do
With that being said I complelely agree with what you wrote. I don’t touch any discussions about the Orthodox/Catholic split, not so much because I don’t know anything about it but more so because I don’t know enough from the Orthodox side to speak intelligently about it.
God bless
You have to have at least a working knowledge of the other side or you look silly.
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LiftHimUp
Guest
Am I the only person that sees something wrong with this thread? A few threads ago I read that catholics shouldn’t visit a Methodist church because their Sunday obligation will not be fulfilled. Yet in this thread catholics are saying it is okay to read books by authors of different denominations. Wow this is inconsistent.
I no problem visiting other churches but this is inconsistent.
I no problem visiting other churches but this is inconsistent.
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benidict
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I dont think that it is. I myself am pretty well read. I like sinners in the hands of an angry God by Jonathan Edwards. Ive also read the Buddhist bible, The Satanic bible, The writings of E.G. White, and I still study Kaballah, and the Zohar. What is wrong with increasing ones knowledge on various subjects, and Idealogies? Ive also read the Quaran, etc. My parents are protestant, and no, I dont attend their meetings, but I do know exactly what they believe, and why. I do not attend Jewish services, but I know somewhat of what they believe and why. I do not attend Mosque, but…well you get you get picture.
I also do not attend black masses for that matter…LOL! Peace- Status