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armstrongwannab
Guest
Where should a protestant even begin to start studying about the Catholic faith?
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J
JerryZ
Guest
I would suggest the Cathecism there you will learn what we really believe and it’s referenced to the Bible where appropriate
Y
YoungTradCath
Guest
Go to a Catholic parish near you and ask to speak to a priest. This is an extremely important first step that you should not skip if you are considering conversion. You can always speak to a parish secretary or RCIA coordinator–the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults is the program most parishes use for conversion–but speaking to a priest is still very, very important. There will, of course, be no obligations made at such a meeting, and you can ask all your questions there. If you are more interested in a systematic doctrinal/dogmatic study, there are a wealth of options, but I recommend the Catechism of the Catholic Church, here:
vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM
The process for conversion, if you decide to do it, varies in length and style from parish to parish, but it is generally at least one year and no longer than two.
Again, I highly recommend speaking to a priest first, because if you dive right in to things, it can be very overwhelming and you can become malcontent. Conversion and learning about the Faith is a process, and academic exercises are only part of it. I also recommend learning a bit about Church history, especially since you are coming from a Protestant background.
vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM
The process for conversion, if you decide to do it, varies in length and style from parish to parish, but it is generally at least one year and no longer than two.
Again, I highly recommend speaking to a priest first, because if you dive right in to things, it can be very overwhelming and you can become malcontent. Conversion and learning about the Faith is a process, and academic exercises are only part of it. I also recommend learning a bit about Church history, especially since you are coming from a Protestant background.
G
grasscutter
Guest
A book called “Life in Christ” by Frs. Gerard Weber and James Killgallon published by HarperSanFrancisco, 1996 has an overview of the Catholic Catechism written in a question and answer form.
It’s described as “an excellent introduction or refresher for anyone - Catholic and non-Catholic alike - who is seeking to understand more about Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church and modern Christianity”. It carries both the Nihil Obstat and an Imprimatur which are official declarations meaning that book is free of doctrinal and moral error.
Also, if there is a Catholic bookstore in your area, I would suggests books that explain the Mass. There is too, on the internet, something called “The Micah Project” which is presented by a Protestant convert. Very informative and also entertaining.
I hope this helps and I wish you well on your journey. Peace be with you!
It’s described as “an excellent introduction or refresher for anyone - Catholic and non-Catholic alike - who is seeking to understand more about Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church and modern Christianity”. It carries both the Nihil Obstat and an Imprimatur which are official declarations meaning that book is free of doctrinal and moral error.
Also, if there is a Catholic bookstore in your area, I would suggests books that explain the Mass. There is too, on the internet, something called “The Micah Project” which is presented by a Protestant convert. Very informative and also entertaining.
I hope this helps and I wish you well on your journey. Peace be with you!
L
LEMAITRE
Guest
Read these two books by converts:
Crossing the Tiber by Steve Ray
Rome Sweet Rome by Scott Hahn
Crossing the Tiber by Steve Ray
Rome Sweet Rome by Scott Hahn
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yinekka
Guest
Tim Staples, director of Apologetics at Catholic Answers says to start where you itch. What is the top question about Catholicism you would like to have answered by Catholics? You could ask this question on the forums here or go to www.catholic.com and enter your question in the Search bar and off you go. You may start with matters on the periphery of the Faith but gradually you will home in on more important issues.
Depending on your entry level the Catechism of the Catholic Church is available online or you could go for the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, this is in Q and A format, also available online. Just as you wouldn’t read the bible from beginning to end ; read the chapters in which you are interested first e.g. I really like the section on Prayer. You could also buy YouCat - Youth Catechism which is also in Q and A format.
Catechism: vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM
Compendium: vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html
Hope this helps.
Depending on your entry level the Catechism of the Catholic Church is available online or you could go for the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, this is in Q and A format, also available online. Just as you wouldn’t read the bible from beginning to end ; read the chapters in which you are interested first e.g. I really like the section on Prayer. You could also buy YouCat - Youth Catechism which is also in Q and A format.
Catechism: vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM
Compendium: vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html
Hope this helps.
P
Polycarp1
Guest
Get the book Surprised by Truth by Ralph MacKenzie and / or Rome Sweet Home by Scott Hahn
See equip.org/PDF/DC185.pdf
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corsair
Guest
There are a lot of good suggestions here so I would like to add, watch EWTN’s Journey Home on Monday evenings 6:00pm PST. They have a lot of interesting Journey’s to the Catholic church.
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Usige
Guest
Okay, I know many will scoff, but Catholicism for Dummies is actually a pretty good high level Q&A format of Catholic beliefs. It gave me a jumping off point to ask questions I had never even thought about.
I also agree with the other books (e.g. Catechism, Rome Sweet Rome, etc.) people have suggested. Which one you pick up first is a matter of learning style.
I also agree with the other books (e.g. Catechism, Rome Sweet Rome, etc.) people have suggested. Which one you pick up first is a matter of learning style.
C
Crumpy
Guest
If you have cable TV and the EWTN channel, you might want to watch the Mass. This celebration is not 100% like you’d see in-person at a nearby Catholic Church (for various reasons).
I just watched an episiode of the Journey Home, and the guest convert noted that the Mass was much more a serious event than he could have imagined.
The Mass is very repetitioua and “boring” to even life-long Catholics, who are not very serious or well-educated in Catholicism. But, you get as much out of the Mass as you put into it mentally.
I attend Mass and belong to a parish which has historically had a deep tradition of beautiful music to accompany the Mass, to provide insight and an outlet for the emotional aspect of the worship of God.
Whatever you read or hear elsewhere, the Mass is the prefigurement of Heaven, the union of believers with the Body and Blood of Christ, which He has given to us. Wherever you “start” looking at the Catholic Church, it is a journey to Christ in the Mass, until we see Him in glory.
Christ’s ‘last supper’ was a liturgical event which continues today in the Mass. The first part of the Mass is the “liturgy of the word” where we meet Christ in scripture, the second part of the Mass is the “liturgy of the Eucharist” where we meet Christ in true union, in the participation in His Body and Blood.
Wherever you “start” looking into the Catholic Church, be aware that the Mass is your destination, to meet Christ.
Of course we believe that God is so close as to hear every whisper of our prayer, even in our thoughts. But, we meet God gloriously as He designed and willed, in the Eucharistic meal.
Even the early Church gave converts a deliberate period of instruction, into the mysteries of revelation and faith. Even the last words we utter before we partake in the eternal Eucharistic meal are “Lord…I am not worthy…” We approach with Biblical humility to this great sacrament of love, to be united with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI gives us his own personal understanding of the gospels in his two-volume work, Jesus of Nazareth. The first volume covers the subject of who Jesus is: the great prophet foretold by Moses, He IS the temple, He IS the Torah, He is the Lamb of God, etc. All of scripture converges on Jesus Christ.
I just watched an episiode of the Journey Home, and the guest convert noted that the Mass was much more a serious event than he could have imagined.
The Mass is very repetitioua and “boring” to even life-long Catholics, who are not very serious or well-educated in Catholicism. But, you get as much out of the Mass as you put into it mentally.
I attend Mass and belong to a parish which has historically had a deep tradition of beautiful music to accompany the Mass, to provide insight and an outlet for the emotional aspect of the worship of God.
Whatever you read or hear elsewhere, the Mass is the prefigurement of Heaven, the union of believers with the Body and Blood of Christ, which He has given to us. Wherever you “start” looking at the Catholic Church, it is a journey to Christ in the Mass, until we see Him in glory.
Christ’s ‘last supper’ was a liturgical event which continues today in the Mass. The first part of the Mass is the “liturgy of the word” where we meet Christ in scripture, the second part of the Mass is the “liturgy of the Eucharist” where we meet Christ in true union, in the participation in His Body and Blood.
Wherever you “start” looking into the Catholic Church, be aware that the Mass is your destination, to meet Christ.
Of course we believe that God is so close as to hear every whisper of our prayer, even in our thoughts. But, we meet God gloriously as He designed and willed, in the Eucharistic meal.
Even the early Church gave converts a deliberate period of instruction, into the mysteries of revelation and faith. Even the last words we utter before we partake in the eternal Eucharistic meal are “Lord…I am not worthy…” We approach with Biblical humility to this great sacrament of love, to be united with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI gives us his own personal understanding of the gospels in his two-volume work, Jesus of Nazareth. The first volume covers the subject of who Jesus is: the great prophet foretold by Moses, He IS the temple, He IS the Torah, He is the Lamb of God, etc. All of scripture converges on Jesus Christ.
F
Faithdancer
Guest
You could start with John 6, and how it explains His Real Presence in the Eucharist.
po18guy
Well-known member
No scoffing here! Catholicism for Dummies is an excellent introduction and brush-up for even seasoned Catholics. The authors have two PhDs and a ThD between them, and the book carries both the nihil obstat as well as the imprimatur. Highly recommended.
po18guy
Well-known member
First, welcome! The Lord will bless your seeking heart.
No scoffing here! Catholicism for Dummies is an excellent introduction and brush-up for even seasoned Catholics. The authors have two PhDs and a ThD between them, and the book carries both the nihil obstat as well as the imprimatur. Highly recommended.
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poche
Guest
Why not go to your local parish church and inquire about RCIA, that is the Rite of Christian Initiation.
C
Cat
Guest
My husband and I are converts to Catholicism from evangelical Protestantism.
We started with the Mass. We were unable to attend Sunday morning worship services at our Protestant church (due to our daughters’ skating with an elite synchronized skating team), so we started attending Saturday evening Mass at the Catholic Church down the street from our house in obedience to the Lord’s command to not forsake assembling with other Christians.
And then we got kicked out of our Protestant church, and the Mass was the way we “stayed in contact” with God and with other Christians.
I realize that this is the Traditional Section of CAF, and others will encourage you to attend the Latin Mass and that’s OK if it’s what helps you gain understanding of the Catholic faith. We would never have done well attending the TLM because it was imperative for us to have UNDERSTANDING of the Mass from the beginning, and that meant hearing it in our own heart language (English). So we attended the Ordinary Form (OF) of the Mass, which is done in the vernacular (language of the people).
If you come from a “Bible-believing” Protestant church, you will see so much of the Scriptures come to life in the Mass! That’s why I say to start with it–it’s like opening and reading the Bible! Wonderful!
My second suggestion is to get a Catholic Bible with notes and start reading! As a Protestant, you are no doubt used to reading the Bible, so this should feel comfortable to you. Read the Deuterocanonicals–depending on what Protestant denomination you’re used to, you may have been taught that these are “apocryphal.” Well, read them and see for yourself! I especially love the book of Sirach, which I learned was a “catechism” for new Christians for many centuries, even though the 19th Century.
My third suggestion is simliar to what others on the thread have said–get some of the books and CDs/DVDs by some of the modern apologists, most of whom are ex-Protestants who speak “Protestant language” and know how to best communicate with Protestants. Scott Hahn, Tim Staples, Jeff Cavins, Thomas Howard, Michael Cumbie (he’s funny!), David Currie, etc.–these guys are really good and really helped us. Back when we were considering converting, my husband was commuting an hour and a half a day to work, and so he had plenty of time to listen to the CDS, and he communicated to me. Very helpful.
Each of the apologists has a different Protestant background. (Hahn= Presbyterian/Calvinist, Staples = Assemblies of God/Pentecostal, Cavins = Baptist, Howard = Evangelical Protestant, Cumbie = Word of Faith=, Currie = Fundamentalist/Baptist/Separatist).
My personal favorite is Thomas Howard, who is Elisabeth Elliott’s brother (apparently it caused quite a tizzy in the evangelical Protestant world backwhen he converted to Catholicism!). His book Evangelical is Not Enough is so beautiful.
I agree about reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church, but I think it’s kind of hard to understand if you don’t have the “basics.” Start with the Mass, the Bible, and those apologists, unless you are fairly intellectual and enjoy reading more advanced material–in that case, you’ll enjoy the Catechism!
Enjoy!
We started with the Mass. We were unable to attend Sunday morning worship services at our Protestant church (due to our daughters’ skating with an elite synchronized skating team), so we started attending Saturday evening Mass at the Catholic Church down the street from our house in obedience to the Lord’s command to not forsake assembling with other Christians.
And then we got kicked out of our Protestant church, and the Mass was the way we “stayed in contact” with God and with other Christians.
I realize that this is the Traditional Section of CAF, and others will encourage you to attend the Latin Mass and that’s OK if it’s what helps you gain understanding of the Catholic faith. We would never have done well attending the TLM because it was imperative for us to have UNDERSTANDING of the Mass from the beginning, and that meant hearing it in our own heart language (English). So we attended the Ordinary Form (OF) of the Mass, which is done in the vernacular (language of the people).
If you come from a “Bible-believing” Protestant church, you will see so much of the Scriptures come to life in the Mass! That’s why I say to start with it–it’s like opening and reading the Bible! Wonderful!
My second suggestion is to get a Catholic Bible with notes and start reading! As a Protestant, you are no doubt used to reading the Bible, so this should feel comfortable to you. Read the Deuterocanonicals–depending on what Protestant denomination you’re used to, you may have been taught that these are “apocryphal.” Well, read them and see for yourself! I especially love the book of Sirach, which I learned was a “catechism” for new Christians for many centuries, even though the 19th Century.
My third suggestion is simliar to what others on the thread have said–get some of the books and CDs/DVDs by some of the modern apologists, most of whom are ex-Protestants who speak “Protestant language” and know how to best communicate with Protestants. Scott Hahn, Tim Staples, Jeff Cavins, Thomas Howard, Michael Cumbie (he’s funny!), David Currie, etc.–these guys are really good and really helped us. Back when we were considering converting, my husband was commuting an hour and a half a day to work, and so he had plenty of time to listen to the CDS, and he communicated to me. Very helpful.
Each of the apologists has a different Protestant background. (Hahn= Presbyterian/Calvinist, Staples = Assemblies of God/Pentecostal, Cavins = Baptist, Howard = Evangelical Protestant, Cumbie = Word of Faith=, Currie = Fundamentalist/Baptist/Separatist).
My personal favorite is Thomas Howard, who is Elisabeth Elliott’s brother (apparently it caused quite a tizzy in the evangelical Protestant world backwhen he converted to Catholicism!). His book Evangelical is Not Enough is so beautiful.
I agree about reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church, but I think it’s kind of hard to understand if you don’t have the “basics.” Start with the Mass, the Bible, and those apologists, unless you are fairly intellectual and enjoy reading more advanced material–in that case, you’ll enjoy the Catechism!
Enjoy!
A
armstrongwannab
Guest
Thanks everybody, now I have some options! I will be attending Mass with my mother this Saturday. I actually cannot wait!
po18guy
Well-known member
Great news! Only one thing, and this can be a sore spot for non-Catholic Christians: please refrain from receiving communion at mass. Reception of communion is predicated upon one’s firm belief that Christ is fully present in the Holy Eucharist in His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, as well as complete agreement (even if not understanding) the teachings of the Church.
When I was in RCIA, I did not (and could not) receive communion until I was in full communion with the Church. It can be frustrating, but it grows one’s desire for unity with Christ via the Holy Eucharist.
Christ’s peace be with you.
L
Like
Guest
God bless you, armstrongwannab!
God’s speed, Praying for you!
God’s speed, Praying for you!
A
armstrongwannab
Guest
Ok I mentioned that I am attending Mass this Saturday with my mother. Since I am a protestant, how should I conduct myself? Do I just do what everyone else is doing or just stand there?
C
choliks
Guest
Do what everyone does, except partake in Holy Communion. Stay in your seat and pray for a spiritual communion instead.
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