Reformissionary

John Corapi | The Black SheepDog

If you haven't heard, John Corapi, one of the most popular Catholic Priests out there and one of the compelling preachers influencing Catholics and Protestants, has not only been suspended as a Priest because of some accusations, but has now decided to leave the priesthood on his own. I make no judgment as to the truth of the accusations, but Protestants need to keep up with things like this as we have many Catholics around us who love Corapi.

There's lots of info out there, but in his own words it's "The Black SheepDog"...

Review: Why Be Catholic? DVD

I believe Tim Staples is one of the best known Catholic apologists in the English speaking world. As with many (most?) Catholic apologists, Staples is a former Protestant (Assemblies of God). I came across the Catholic Answers radio show/podcast recently where Staples is a regular guest. Of the RC apologists I've heard he has been a favorite, despite my many disagreements with his positions. For me, he certainly is the most interesting to listen to.

When I heard of his new 90 minute DVD called "Why Be Catholic?" I wanted to see it. I emailed the Catholic.com people (who put on the radio show) and asked for a review copy. They graciously sent one my way even after I told them I would likely disagree. I want to express my appreciation to them for this opportunity. 

 I'll give a brief overview of Staples' presentation, highlighting the stuff that stuck out to me, and then give my response.

At just under 90 minutes, Staples presentation is in two main parts (broken into seven on the DVD). Part 1 (about 65 minutes, first six parts on DVD): Staples gives his case for God and Christianity in general. Part 2 (about 25 minutes, seventh part on DVD): Staples makes a case for Catholicism in particular.

Part 1

Staples begins sharing his previous anti-Catholic bias and desire to convert Catholics. He would read books by Protestants on Catholicism, such as works by Dr. Walter Martin or Jimmy Swaggert. But he later realized by trying to refute Catholicism that it's the true Church and the instrument of God with the answers for what ails people. 

In Part 1 Staples goes on to demonstrate that God exists..."the first step toward Rome." He briefly mentions lots of scientific and theological people and ideas: entropy, thermodynamics, Carl Sagan, Einstein, singularity, relativity, energy, unmoved mover, Thomas Aquinas' 5 proofs for the existence of God, mortal soul, using reason, natural religion, etc. 

Staples sounds rather evangelical in first half. You can see his Protestant background at work. His explanation would be mostly acceptable to a widely Christian audience. I'm not thrilled with his presentation of these things and would do it very differently. But there isn't a ton of stuff to disagree with here. And to be honest, this section isn't why I wanted to watch this DVD.

Part 2 

Staples focuses down on the authority of Jesus given to the church. He calls it "the elephant in the room." This is what Protestants are missing. One text he mentions is Matthew 18:15-18, which he says every Catholic should memorize. His emphasis is that it says you "tell it to the church" not "tell it to the Bible" when it comes to discipline. 

He mentions the selection of Hebrews for the canon, with its authorship problem. Since there is no divinely inspired table of contents, Jesus left us the Church. Otherwise, why would Hebrews be in the canon?

Peter, as expected, was a central theme. Jesus said to Peter, you are the rock...not you are the pebble. There's a word for pebble and Jesus doesn't use it for Peter. The apostles in union with Peter are the voice of God on the earth.

Acts 15 and The Jerusalem Council is also discussed by Staples, emphasizing the silence of the assembly after Peter speaks as evidence for the authority he holds. 

My Take

I was disappointed with this DVD and honestly expected it to be much better. I figured it to be a new, helpful resource for someone like me who is studying to understand what Catholics believe. I eagerly watched to deal with Staples' best arguments presented in a compelling way. It didn't happen.

I'm not trying to represent this as inferior as if all Catholic arguments are always inferior and I'm just smugly looking down upon them. I know people do that, and I assume Staples is used to some Protestant apologists dealing with him that way. I think Staples is very enjoyable and compelling on the Catholic Answers Live radio show/podcast. That's why I wanted to see this. He has helped me understand the teachings and practices of Catholicism better than almost anyone. Yet, this just isn't worth recommending.

In Part 2 I was eager to engage his arguments, but they were passed over too quickly or stated too simplistically. I've heard Staples be much more clear on some of these passages. As a thoughtful Protestant who is learning about Catholicism, he did nothing compelling to me in this section. And I wanted that!

The silence after Peter speaks in Acts 15 is anything but a slam dunk. In my reading it seems the silence comes while listening to Paul and Barnabas. Protestants don't argue that Peter wasn't a central leader, or THE central leader. Protestants don't diminish the role of Peter in Scripture, Catholics elevate it out of Scripture. To make "rock" into "Pope" is a leap that Staples runs over rather than convinces adequately. Staples doesn't dig deep in what "take it to the church" means in Matthew 18. I think his biblical arguments here Staples deals with too little and with too many gaping holes. 

Let me make a few points to close.

1. Why Be Catholic? was an insider talking to insiders. It was filled with insider jargon and jokes. Though the DVD seems to be marketed toward non-Christians & non-Catholics, I don't think it will work well. I assume it will work best for the almost-convinced who desire to be convinced and hear from a very confident sounding Staples who has a lot of basic knowledge of apologetics to speak from. They get those sorts of callers on the show a lot, so maybe that's what they want.

2. Why Be Catholic? was mostly superficial. I know you can only do so much in 90 minutes. But I'm surprised by how little Staples did in 90 minutes. Specifically I'm surprised by how little he deals with issues of Catholicism on a DVD titled Why Be Catholic? Almost no mention of any common objections & concerns with Catholic teaching (Mary, Saints, church abuses, rosary, apocrypha, etc). I'm sure Staples has reasons for that, but it would have been nice to explain these most recognizable, central barriers to people coming to Catholicism.

As I said before, Why Be Catholic? has plenty that I would agree with. Mostly evidential arguments for basic Christian apologetics. But only scratched the surface of Catholic issues.

3. Why Be Catholic? was annoying. No joke. Not trying to rub it in to those "crazy Catholics." It was Staples' delivery. You know how a preacher will ask for the "Amen?" as they speak in order to keep the attention of the listeners at a point on which they already agree? I counted Staples asking for the "Amen?" 113 times, and I probably missed some. 113 times in less than 90 minutes is annoying. This doesn't diminish his message, but I guarantee it won't help. If he was a young guy with little experience, I would just let it go. Staples is a premiere Catholic apologist, and as an educated Protestant pastor I had to keep rewinding because his overuse of "Amen?" distracted me from the points he was making. 

One other annoying thing is Staples' default mode for humor or speaking in the place of others is a twangy, southerner, poor-grasp-of-English guy. Lots of "ain't" and double-negatives. I know we all do annoying things in public speaking, but Staples was surprisingly annoying.

If you want to know more about Catholicism, read Scott Hahn, listen to guys like Staples on Catholic Answers Live where he is far more appealing, or read the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Better yet, visit your local Catholic church and get their literature or sit through Mass. Talk to Catholics. Unfortunately, as much as I want to respond to Catholic.com positively after their generosity in giving me this DVD, I don't recommend it at all. 

Buy It - Visit Catholic.com - My post: Learning About Catholicism

Learning About Catholicism

I have to admit that as a Protestant I have far more positive reasons for being a Protestant than actual protests. I guess that's a good thing. And, well, I do have a lot of protests for any number of Christian things. But to actually Protest well I've been learning about Catholicism in order to know what I'm actually protesting. It's been tremendous for my faith by causing me to challenge my own assumptions, to know what I believe and why I believe it. 

Here are some resources I've been using learn about Catholicism, and my encouragement to other Protestant church leaders.

1. Attend Catholic Mass

It's too easy to talk about things we experienced long ago or have only heard about. Go experience it. See the devoted kneeling, note the art on the walls and ceiling, the candles lit around statues and paintings. Watch the Eucharist take prominence and ask yourself what the devoted are kneeling to. Let the story of the past 500 years of the Reformation meet you in a Catholic Mass and then see what you see. It was eye-opening for me. It was spirit-provoking. I brought my entire family once so we all could talk about it.

You can probably find a Saturday night Mass so as not to miss what your church is doing. Don't take the Eucharist (they don't want you to anyway). I stay seated as others take, and observe.

2. Join discussions or studies

I have joined two discussion groups at our Catholic church. They are 6-8 weeks in length so it's short term and very informative. At our local church they have an Understanding the Catholic Faith class that goes over basics and a Catholics Returning Home class for those who have left and are returning. I've gotten to know several folks at these classes, which is a great way to learn about Catholicism (as I say in #3 below). And the content of these classes have a been very informative for me. Why get what Catholics teach from a book when you can hear it from a Catholic?

3. Talk to Catholics & get to know a priest

When a Baptist pastor joins Catholic studies, you tend to raise eyebrows and get questions. It's a great thing. I'm on a first name basis with the local priest, a deacon, & other teachers including a CCD teacher who is now receiving me with a hug. I love these folks and love getting to know them. And they are probably my best resource for getting to know Catholicism. I'm learning what makes them tick, gives them hope, is the heart of their life of devotion and worship. I'm answering their questions, but asking more than answering. I let them know my religious background and ask about our differences. What do they see as real differences? Ask about their understanding of the Eucharist, Pope, Rosary, etc. Important stuff. 

The local priest, Aaron, is a very friendly and knowledgeable guy. We are near the same age, which is a cool thing. We've already been talking about getting coffee and talking more one-on-one. He's also given me a CD about a Protestant pastor who became a Catholic, opening another door for discussion. 

As with any faith you have those who are very devoted and those who are somewhat devoted or nominal. Getting to know all these folks helps you to get their faith as a whole. 

4. Study stuff by Catholics  

• Catholic Answers Live podcast - A call-in show with Catholic apologists & authors like Tim Staples & Jimmy Akin. I've found myself arguing aloud with these dudes, and after a while able to answer the callers' questions before the apologists do. Sharpens me through "battle" with ideas and explanations and Scirptures.
• Catechism of the Catholic Church - Vatican website (or buy the book). Where it's at, whatever it is, on Catholic teaching.
• CatholicsComeHome.org - Evangelization emphasis website. Tons of resources and pretty well organized.
• Catholic.com - Home of Catholic Answers podcast with other resources. Where I got Why Be Catholic, below.
• EWTN - TV. You've seen it. The entire Rosary with Mother Angelica. Listen to Fr. Corapi preach/teach. Kids shows. Find discussion shows with Scott Hahn or other thinkers. Helpful resource.
• WordOnFire.org & The Catholicism Project from Fr. Robert Barron (@FrRobertBarron) - One of the sharper Catholic thinkers I've found.
• Handbook for Today's Catholic - Got a copy free at local Catholic church.
• Why Be Catholic by Tim Staples - A 90 minute DVD of preaching/teaching to a Catholic (it seems) crowd. "Amen?" Sorry, inside joke. My review coming soon.
• The Lamb's Supper by Scott Hahn - Book by (maybe) the most respected former evangelical. Many other books by Hahn are sure to be excellent resources for Protestants learning about Catholicism.
• Why a Protestant Pastor Became Catholic by Scott Hahn - Audio testimony/teaching. Got a copy free from our local priest. 

5. Study stuff by Protestants on Catholicism

• Holy Ground by Chris Castaldo (my review)
• The Roman Catholic Controversy by James White - A key resource for me.
• The Dividing Line podcast from James White - At times very argumentative, but always very helpful.
• Christianity's Dangerous Idea by Alister McGrath - I've read parts where applicable to what I'm studying. I like it.

Hope you find all this helpful. What resources or points am I missing from your experience?

Book Review: Holy Ground

I recently heard a discussion with Chris Castaldo on the Stand to Reason podcast about his book, Holy Ground: Walking with Jesus as a Former Catholic. The nice folks at Zondervan sent me a copy to review. Castaldo is the Pastor of Outreach and Church Planting at College Church in Wheaton. Cover endorsements include DA Carson, JI Packer and Francis Beckwith.

I have almost no background with Catholicism. I remember going into Catholic churches for basketball games at the schools and for a few weddings. I had many Catholic friends growing up, but none who said much about their faith.

After becoming a Christian at university and going to seminary I learned a bit about Catholicism, but mostly by way of studying the reformation, like a lot of Protestant pastors have. Indulgences and "Here I stand" and the rest. 

The last few months I decided to try to understand the Catholic Church better. I've been reading, listening to podcasts, attended a couple of Mass services as well as some classes at the local Catholic church. So Castaldo's book fits in perfectly with what I'm already learning. I'll have more to talk about with my study of Catholicism in future posts, but let me focus here on my review of Holy Ground.

One aspect of the book I like is that it's unlike anything I've seen. It's really trying to get into the mind of the Catholic who becomes evangelical. Why do Catholic become evangelicals? What reasons do they give? Castaldo tells us why. That makes this one of the most practical and accessible volumes we can give to Christians trying to love their Catholic and neighbor friends to Christ. The tone is thoughtful and kind. This book won't create Christian apologetics flame-throwers.

Castaldo lists 5 reasons why people leave the Catholic faith as found in his survey and then goes on to explain them in some detail. The 5 are...

1. Every believer is called to full-time ministry
2. Relationship with Christ must take precedence over rules-keeping
3. We enjoy direct access to God in Christ
4. There is only one proper object of devotion--Jesus the Savior
5. God's children should be motivated by grace instead of guilt

During his explanation of these 5 in the first half of the book, the author takes an "excursus" from time to time to explain an important idea (Sola Scriptura, for example). It's just a page or two to help fill in a gap. He also threw in a couple portraits, or bio chapters. One is on Luther and another is on Loyola and Cantarini. These give a bit more depth and background.

The second half of the book gets much more practical concerning Catholic evangelism. There are both positives of what to do (like keeping the main thing the main thing, engage in gospel dialog, etc) and warnings as to approaches that will be less helpful (like the pit bull approach, need to not take the Mass, etc). His advice is helpful and careful. Castaldo is thinking long term relationships much more than quick answers to questions.

The appendix, "How the Catholic Church Became What It Is: Trent to Vatican II" is a nice, tight explanation of a complex issue. I can't speak to the accuracy or where Catholics might contend with Castaldo's comments since I don't know enough about them. But it seems a very helpful history that would benefit all of us and help us "get" Catholicism better. 

Though most of the book is much appreciated and needed, I'm not entirely happy with it. 

I'm not sure how Catholic Castaldo was. He seemed to explain himself and his family as nominal Catholic, not active and practicing. I converted to Christianity from being a nominal Christian/United Methodist. But it's not much of a de-Methodist story. Scott Hahn and Tim Staples, for example, were not only devoted evangelicals, but working in ministry before becoming Catholics. I'm not saying Castaldo can't write this book without having been a priest, but somehow I anticipated something more like that. 

From my own recent attendance at our local Catholic Masses, classes, personal discussions with members and priests and personal study, I was always waiting for Castaldo to be more blunt and direct. It seems his desire to keep the tone kind kept him from some needed boldness. When I see certain Catholic practices I am provoked in spirit. I don't remember feeling like Castaldo was there very often as I moved through the book. 

Castaldo's "A Taxonomy of Evangelical Approaches" to Roman Catholics doesn't seem to have a tight category for me to fit in. Maybe I shouldn't consider that a big deal. After all, it's helpful to see how others approach RC's and he's thorough. But I think I'd be considered more aggressive in my evangelistic approach yet not "anti-catholic" in the way the book describes. At least that's the flavor I got from Chapter 11. Here's a quote to show what I mean...

Personally, I'm not going to insist that such people demonstrate their commitment to Christ by exiting the Catholic community. I'd much rather provide biblical resources and encouragement to help them grow in their faith, trusting that in God's timing they will look to the Bible to sort out questions of church membership and participation.

I can't go along with that, but the answers aren't always easy.  

Despite a few concerns, I like much from this book. It fills a gap and offers us with a readable resource for Protestants. I'm thankful for a thorough index at the end for future reference. My copy will be well worn in the next few years. It also includes discussion questions for each chapter. I encourage you to pick up a copy of Holy Ground. Buy it at Amazon.