What Book Would you Give a Protestant to Read about the Catholic Faith?

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If you had a Protestant friend who agreed to read one book about the Catholic faith, what book would you give him?
 
Depends on their attitude toward the Church. For example, if they were the type who have bought into anti-Catholic propaganda (Church is the Whore of Babylon/Catholics worship Mary/the Inquisition killed millions, etc, etc), I’d give them Karl Keating’s book Catholicism and Fundamentalism, that is, if they’d read it.

If it were your garden variety Protestant who were sincerly interested in learning about the Faith, I’d give them Rome Sweet Home, by Scott Hahn OR Crossing the Tiber, by Steve Ray.
 
Canon Francis Ripley’s book " This Is the Faith", covers everything and Is very readable and Is reprinted. Uses scripture and the early Church Fathers and Church documents to show clearly what the church teaches. :yup:
 
For a purely historical perspective on the Faith, I would give them “Why Do Catholics Do That?” By Kevin Orlin Johnson.

Also a great read for any Catholic interested in why we do (and where our traditions come from) what we do.
 
As a Protestant looking into Catholicism, the most helpful book to me so far has been Catholicism for Dummies by John Trigilio (sp?) - because of this book I know a lot more about Catholicism, unlike my Bob Jones University Press high school textbooks which made me think I knew about the Church. I also have a copy of the Catechism which I am glad to have as a reference to Catholicism, as well as the documents of Vatican II which are most interesting.

I started to read Why Do Catholics Do That but stopped after a few chapters because it became something of a polemic, and not a very good one. Despite his PhD he seemed not to know a whole lot about Protestantism, and he was condescending to the point of annoyance. Instead of “This is why we are correct and Protestants are not” he would distort Protestant views and say “These heretics are idiots and we’re always right.”
 
There We Stood, Here We Stand
By Timothy Drake

11 Lutherans Rediscover their Catholic Roots, totally awesome book!!
 
Evangelical Is Not Enough
by Thomas Howard
Ignatius Press

This is such a beautifully written book, great for someone who is a “deep” person.
 
At the risk of sounding like a toadie, “Catholicism and Fundamentalism” by Karl Keating was one of the first three that brought me to the Church. It was the most comprehensive book I read my three months of searching. A little lighter read is “Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic”. If the person is from a more traditional branch of Protestantism (e.g. Episcipalian), then disregard thiese suggestions. I only can comment on what I know.
 
I strongly agree with robin hood’s suggestion of This is the Faith by Canon Francis Ripley. I wish this book was used for RCIA. It would be perfect! (Will never happen. Too many liberal DRE’s out here.) Also a great choice for a Protestant. I can’t think of anything better.

The Catechism suggested by AmandaPC would also be excellent.

To complement the CCC, I would also suggest The Faith by Fr. John Hardon, S.J. It’s subtitle is A Popular Guide Based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It follows the basic outline of the CCC, with its four main sections, and is written in a question and answer style.

But, This is the Faith has to be the best. The CCC can be a bit overwhelming for someone who has never seen it and it not familiar with its layout. 🙂
 
These are good suggestions–I’ll have to look into them myself.
(I’m a big fan of Keating’s Catholicism and Fundamentalism–I was trying to decide if it would be offensive in any way to a Protestant).
I agree that the Catechism is a bit heavy though–a lot of thought to wade through.

Anybody have any thoughts on Surprised by Truth by Patrick Madrid?
 
And another vote for This Is the Faith. Completely solid, but very readable (and would be an outstanding text for confirmation classes & RCIA).
 
Patrick Madrid’s books “Surprised By the Truth” I,II and III all have great stories. They can give one a feeling that one is not alone in one’s struggles. I often lose sight that many people do not respond to the coldness of a logical presentation the way I do and a little fuzziness may be what some peolpe need.
 
I agree that Patrick Madrid’s Surprised by Truth series is great, but they are not nesessarily books that teach the Catholic Faith.

But, I think they would be great addition to give someone with a book like This is the Faith. 👍
 
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cklockner:
If you had a Protestant friend who agreed to read one book about the Catholic faith, what book would you give him?
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This is the Faith - Cannon Francis Ripley
Crossing the Tiber - Stephen K Ray
Rome Sweet Home - Scott Hahn
 
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Cat:
Evangelical Is Not Enough
by Thomas Howard
Ignatius Press

This is such a beautifully written book, great for someone who is a “deep” person.
Click to expand...
Yes, I should have mentioned this too. It really gets people thinking about Tradition and the Liturgy.
 
If your Protestant friend has a theological, philosophical bent, The Spirit of Catholicism by Karl Adam gets my vote. Originally printed in 1935, it keeps coming back. The depth and beauty of this book make it one of a kind. Simple words but not an easy read.

If he or she is a Fundamentalist/Evangelical, Bible Only, sort of guy or gal I vote for Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic by David Currie.

The Spirit and Forms of Protestantism by Father Louis Boyer is another goodie, by a convert from Lutheranism. It’s for thoughtful folks. This was important in Deal Hudson’s conversion (he was a Southern Baptist minister, now publisher of Crisis Magazine).

If it’s the history of the Church you want to share, you can’t beat Triumph, A 2,000 Year History of the Catholic Church by H W Crocker III.

The best all-around, easy to read book that deals with doctrine is Unabridged Christianity, Biblical Answers to Common Questions About the Roman Catholic Faith by Fr. Mario P. Romero. It’s cross-referenced to the Catechism. Organized by common objections to the faith, followed by the response. Excellent.
 
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cklockner:
Anybody have any thoughts on Surprised by Truth by Patrick Madrid?
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This is the one I would suggest to start with. I think people relate to other people’s personal stories, and this book addresses many of the issues and misunderstandings that many protestants seem to have with the Catholic faith. 👍
 
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pnewton:
At the risk of sounding like a toadie, “Catholicism and Fundamentalism” by Karl Keating was one of the first three that brought me to the Church. It was the most comprehensive book I read my three months of searching.
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It is okay to sound “like a toadie,” provided you choose your toadying well …

You chose well.
 
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