Ron Rhodes Book

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Recently I have been discussing the Christian Faith with an Evangelical coworker. Usually we discuss topics where we are both on the same side - Mormonism, Islam, etc. Sometimes we discuss topics of practice, lifestyle, and spirituality where we can disagree but not be confrontational - child rearing, benefits of religious vows, loving your neighbor, etc.

However, he’s mentioned to me that he wants to go over a book called “The Ten Most Important Things You Can Say to a Catholic” by Ron Rhodes. He describes the book as being very fair, balanced, and non-confrontational, and I said I’d be happy to go over it with him.

Although I have an idea of what is in this book, I don’t know any details. (The only on-line review I could find said it presented many misconceptions as fact and argued more against what people think Catholics believe rather than what they really do believe.)

Is anyone familiar with this book? An outline of topics covered or suggested resources would be great! (I have a copy of “Catholicism and Fundamentalism.”) We’re meeting on Wednesday, so any immediate suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 
forth << go over a book called “The Ten Most Important Things You Can Say to a Catholic” by Ron Rhodes. He describes the book as being very fair, balanced, and non-confrontational, and I said I’d be happy to go over it with him. >>

I don’t have that newer book, but I have read his larger book on the topic (read most in the store anyway) Reasoning from the Scriptures with Catholics

Basically this is a watered-down version of McCarthy’s The Gospel According to Rome with weaker arguments. He treats Catholics like he does Mormons and JWs, that they can be “reasoned with” by appealing to Scripture alone. I think he tries to give a brief defense of sola scriptura in the book, but it is short and weak. Plus his history is very weak, what little he discusses of that.

I also heard Ron Rhodes for a few years when he used to “co-host” with Hank Hanegraaff on the “Bible Answer Man” in the early 90s, before Hank took over himself. Rhodes is basically a dispensationalist (contra Hank who is a preterist and amillennial), and he admitted many times on the air that the Church Fathers are totally against him when it comes to Baptism (he admits they are unanimous on the topic).

In addition, a point of trivia, he has said on the air that he used to play guitar for Johnny Carson’s TV show band (i.e. Doc Severinsen?) in his earlier life, haven’t verified that one. He should have stuck with guitar! 👍 His stuff on Mormons and JWs is OK, his stuff on Catholics and evolution (another subject he writes about) is poor.

Reviews of his larger anti-Catholic book at Amazon.com, it gets 2.5 stars average.

EDIT: excerpts from this book online at Amazon.com

“Throughout history, under the leadership of various popes, many of the distinctive Roman Catholic doctrines emerged far after the first century. Here are a few notable dates: …” (Reasoning from the Scriptures with Catholics, page 12)

He then gives, straight from Boettner’s Roman Catholicism:

A.D. 593 – belief in purgatory
A.D. 600 – prayer to Mary and the saints
A.D. 709 – the practice of kissing the pope’s foot
A.D. 995 – the canonization of dead saints
A.D. 1079 – celibacy of the priesthood
A.D. 1090 – praying the rosary
A.D. 1215 – transubstantiation and confessing sins to a priest
A.D. 1439 – belief in the seven sacraments

So Rhodes is basically relying on the "Boettner List" and hasn’t looked any of this stuff up, historically. Easily answered. Bring up the Trinity, the canon of the New Testament, the development of these doctrines, all the early Fathers and Doctors before these dates, a book like Keating’s Catholicism and Fundamentalism or Dave Armstrong’s A Biblical Defense of Catholicism and you are set.

Phil P
 
I have not read any of Mr Rhodes books, and after hearing him many times on Janet Parshall’s America radio program, I think I don’t want to read anything he has to say on Catholicism. I get riled up when I hear him imply that Catholics are in a cult like JW’s and Mormons. I don’t believe many evangelicals get the point that not everything that is Truth was written down and put in the Bible.
 
rain << I have not read any of Mr Rhodes books, and after hearing him many times on Janet Parshall’s America radio program, I think I don’t want to read anything he has to say on Catholicism. >>

Yep, I have heard him on that program as well, and he definitely comes from the “old school” of anti-Catholicism, Boettner’s Roman Catholicism, Zachello’s Secrets of Romanism, Hislop’s The Two Babylons, etc.

He doesn’t even seem familiar with the more “sophisticated” anti-Catholicism of James White or Eric Svendsen, etc. Not that they are terribly sophisticated either. 😛 Rhodes anti-Catholic arguments wouldn’t last very long in a debate with any knowledgable Catholic or apologist.

Phil P
 
I was reading through old issues of “This Rock” and found this article. . . .
catholic.com/thisrock/2002/0209fea2.asp

Remembering this thread, I thought I’d post this link, even though the thread is dead. I don’t know why I didn’t see this article last year when searching for stuff on Ron Rhodes.
 
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