WHICH IS THE BEST BOOK TO GIVE TO A FUNDAMENTALIST????

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I would so love to give a good book to some Fundamentalists in my family to read, attempting to show how true and accurate the RCC is as far as the True Church, there really being an authority, etc. but I’m very confused on which one?

Have thought for the rather un-intellectual person: “Born Fundamentalist–Born Again Catholic” by Currie, and for the more trained, seminarian, a pastor perhaps, Catholicism and Fundamentalism by Keating, which has been by far my favorite one! It explains everything!!!

Any advice? I have a few relatives who are searching for answers just as I was, and I so desperately want to plant the seed, and recommend some further reading to them.

Thanks and God Bless~~~~
 
I think your choices are good ones. If you got them to read those, I would introduce them to more good conversion stories like Rome Sweet Home, by Scott and Kimberly Hahn,* Crossing The Tiber*, by Steve Ray, and any or all of the Surprised By Truth series.
 
A big problem I’ve run into with some Fundas is that they won’t bother reading anything that isn’t the Bible so it’s in your best interest to get them to read the Bible and then read passages that support Catholocism and then while you’re at it make sure it’s a King James Version and/or a New International Version. In fact, due to several encounters I only really study the NIV and KJV, and from time to time read the NAB to compare translations and for the DC books in the OT. They seem to assume that since the OT contains “added” books (which know isn’t the truth) that Catholic Bibles probably have various other errors.
 
I would recommend getting the *Beginning Apologetics series of study guides, *authored by Jim Burnham and Fr. Frank Chacon. They come with a laminated chart that contains copious scriptural references arranged according to topic, such as infant baptism, Mary, drinking wine, bible alone, etc. You can then key the scriptural refences to a KJV and discuss the passages with your Fundamentalist friends. You can obtain the series of 7 booklets from Catholic Answers.
 
then see to it that you meet those interests or concerns with all of the recent (or older) publications that are out there.

Really, the last 15 years have seen a huge revival of sorts, in the area of Catholic lay apologetics. Keating has a number of good books, and they tend to be rather general. Kreeft does too. I would recommend any of their lay-level texts. I also think that Kreeft’s Catechism, Catholic Christianity, is particularly good for an inquirer. I gave one to my Protestant brother for Christmas because since Kreeft is a convert, he frequently lays out the doctrines in a way that is sympathetic with Protestant concerns.

I would say that with Catholic Answers, Patrick Madrid et al., and Scott Hahn, and all those lay apologists that are associated with them, you would not be hard-pressed to find something general or specific. See the writings of Sungenis, Madrid, Hahn, Keating, Kreeft, Sheed, Shea, Ray, etc.

If you have any specific areas you’d like to ask about in terms of a good text, ask away.
 
My son is a “F” and I would like to send him “Catholicism for Dummies” (because he was brought up a Catholic and should know better), but he never reads anything I send him. You might want to try this book.
 
Born Fundamentalist Born Again Catholic by David Currie, Ignatius Press, available from Amazon.

Really an excellent book, easy to read.
 
Your two choices are the best. I would also add “By What Authority” by Mark Shea.
 
I recommend The Theology of Paul the Apostle by James Dunn. It’s a little different than the previous books posted, though they are all good for your interests. This book would challenge the very psuedo-Paulian beliefs of fundamentalists or Protestants in general.

I will warn that it is an intense read. I have trouble both picking it up and putting it down because I know how much work it will take for me to fallow along, but I also know that I will learn a lot if I can keep up with the author. Just as an example, on any given page (of around 850 pages) you will find a half a page of the authors POV and a half a page of citations. And come to think of it, I don’t know if the Dunn is Catholic, but he paints a very Catholic portrait of St. Paul.

I find this book to be a good teaching tool to Protestant friends who are willing to take this challenge because it reaches them on a reasonable and factual level. It’s not the warm and fuzzy good-feeling type book, but it will make an impression.

As an example, from this book I learned the reasons why Paul made his statements concerning faith and works or sin and salvation. Knowing this I was able to better understand Paul’s letters and can now form a more intellectual argument with my very Bible literate Protestant friends.
 
Ummm, that is an easy one. **Catholicism and Fundamentalism ** by the founder of this website is THE definitive book to answer questions that fundamentalists pose. You should get no questions after they read it, unless they are obstinately fundamentalist, which many are.
 
I always keep a few copies of “Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth” around. A lot of times, a fundamentalist will not understand the theology in a book & toss it. The pamphlet is just the right size to get started, and it has all the Scriptural references in it that the Fundamentalists depend on.
 
“Unabridged Christianity” by Fr. Romero tackles ~25 questions commonly raised by Fundies or Envagies. He answers the questions using the CCC, the Bible, and, possibly most effectively, quotes from Early Church Fathers. If the protestant won’t read it, read it yourself. You will be light years ahead in your knowledge of the Faith.
 
I found Scott Hahn’s Rome Sweet Home compelling. He went through many of the church scenarios we had also struggled with, and ended up Catholic. Since his book, I have read many, many ‘crossing the Tiber’ books. We are now in RCIA. There is one book on Amazon – There We Stood, Here We Stand — written by Lutherans, many pastors, who have become Catholic. And many other books along these lines. These books are personal, they compare and contrast, and they spoke deeply to me. We were Prots for about 16 years before finding the Deposit of Faith in the CC.
 
“Why Catholics Genuflect” by Al Kresta

This book is a very easy read! All of the others mentioned here are great too!!!
 
“Rapture” by David Currie.

Yes, it doesn’t argue for or against Catholicism. Rather, it takes a topic that is near and sacred to the hearts of many Fundies, Evangelicals, Pentecostals, and Non-denoms, The Rapture, and in excruciating detail, FROM THE SCRIPTURES, shows how the Rapture theory is just a theory, and why the Catholics have the correct spin on End Times theology.

In the process, the book shows how Catholics have the right spin on lots of things.

It is a HEAVY book, but not that heavy. I read it and understood it. I especially loved the appendix on “Zechariah.” The whole book had me saying, “Wow! Wow, these Catholics have it right after all! Wow, I never realized that this Bible verse meant that! Wow!”

Like I said, the book is all from the Scriptures, with none of that “Catholic Apocrypha stuff”! So the above mentioned Protestant groups will at least take it seriously. They will be mad, but they will be forced to make a choice for or against the Truth.
 
I have “pillar of fire, Pillar Of Truth” on hand, in my purse. I even left on in the center of the Giddeon Bible in my son’s hospital room once.
For “non-practicing” or lukewarm Catholics I would recommend “Supper of the Lamb” by Scott Hahn, if you think they are the reading type… If not, give them some of the Scott Hahn tapes available at Catholic Answers.
 
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flo:
My son is a “F” and I would like to send him “Catholicism for Dummies” (because he was brought up a Catholic and should know better), but he never reads anything I send him. You might want to try this book.
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Flo,
Invite your son on a short trip someplace he would like and listen to Scott Hahn’s tapes round trip. Don’t say anything, but if he does ask you to turn it off… Just give him the “let your mom do this one last thing from my heart, :crying: I respect your decision but want you to understand why I love the Catholic Church.” speel. :crying: Cry if you have to, son’s almost always give into their mom’s crying. I know my husband does… but my mother-- in- law is unhappy that he converted to Catholocism. She is a fundamentalist. She gives him protestant books all the time… he never reads them either… but he lets her listen to whatever she wants on the radio just to make her happy! I recommend doing this tape bit with the two of you alone. I know mom’s shouldn’t manipulate their kid’s love, but in this case, it’s warranted. :rotfl: Ask St. Monica for help!

I couldn’t get my husband to read the books, he has enough technical stuff to read for his career, and just wants to “chill” away from reading… but he was really fascinated by the tapes!:clapping:
 
I’ve found more converts to Catholicism who say the Surprised by Truth books made the difference for them.

The approach which is used is equally important; because, some times the greatest books aren’t even read if someone feels defensive, uninterested, attacked, etc. Maybe we can start a new thread on that topic - approach.
 
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