Customer Reviews

Catholic and Christian: An Explanation of Commonly Misunderstood Catholic Beliefs

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

On almost any catholic belief, this book takes you to the major scriptural references. This book will not offend the non-catholic like others may. Best overall explanation of misunderstood beliefs about the church I have read. Both Catholics and non-Catholics will benefit from this read. When I explain to my family and friends my reasons for converting, I usually refer to this book.

I have been a traditional Roman Catholic for the past 35 years of my life and because of this book I have a deeper understanding of my religious beliefs and practices. The Catholic faith is being questioned and challenged by Catholics and non-Catholics and I find that this book gives me easy to read explanations to questions that I might have about being a Catholic. I feel confident that I can explain and clarify misconceptions that others may have about Catholicism. The book is imprinted with the "nihil obstat and imprimatur" of Catholic Scholars and Clergy and as a result are official declarations that this book is free from doctrinal or moral error.

This book helped me to understand and embrace my spouce's belief system. It helped me to understand that we have more incommon (ie the person of Jesus Christ) than I ever expected. It gave us great hope and strengthened both of our faiths. I have recommended this book to many contemplating marriage or who are frustrated and looking for answers in this area. It is clearly written in language that on catholics and catholics can both understand.

This is an excellent book for all Christians and non-Christians alike. It offers a brilliant and clear explanation of Catholic beliefs and how they are commonly misunderstood... if you're a Catholic questioning your faith or a Protestant who wants to know the truth about Catholic beliefs, READ THIS BOOK! Schreck is a godsend.

I am not a Catholic but enjoyed this book very much when I first read it sometime ago. Dr. Schreck has written a book that goes beyond the usual Catholic apologist rhetoric and simply explains his position without resulting to silly arguments and questenable tactics.

His writing style is easy and likeable. He is not so bent on trying to prove, in my opinion, as much as he is trying to share the essence of Catholic beliefs to outsiders. The book is probably, though not necessarily, directed to protestants. I say this because he addresses many protetsant objections to Catholism, without seeking to enrage those on the other side. It is a sharpe way of presenting one's faith, without causing more flame to the fire.

The book is not the most detialed or academic of its kind, but this again is a strength. The layperson, who most needs to read and better understand the Catholic faith and practice, will find this book most appealling (at least I hope so). I think this was the author's intent. A great little book.

Like no other book, Dr. Schreck explains the truths of the Catholic Faith in a very readable fashion. Personally, I am a convert to the Catholic Church from Protestantism, and I cannot say enough on how this book helped me understand the so-called "deceptions and lies" of the Catholic Church. Dr. Schreck also uses copious amounts of Scripture, which ought to be a welcomed sight for those who thought the Catholic Church "ditched" Scripture. I have since used this book in an Adult Education setting in our parish, and it was well received! This book is a MUST for anyone who is grappling with the Catholic Faith!

Though it is sometimes a little bit too theological for the average non-Catholic, "Catholic and Christian" is a nice beginning book for those interested in the Church and her members. I converted to Catholicism in 2000, and I accepted the majority of the Church's beliefs on a Biblical and rational basis. Some of the beliefs, however, had to be accepted based on Catholic Tradition and faith. This is where things get tricky.

Schreck attempts to explain the major aspects of Catholicism to his readers using solid Biblical references. Most Protestants should find this very helpful in digesting some of the beliefs of the Church since I'm assuming that many of them attend Bible-based churches. Schreck makes a strong case for the belief in the Pope, quoting and referencing scriptures that many Protestants(as I once did) used against the Church. His argument for the Eucharist and the transubstantiation of it is brilliant, as he adds Biblical strength to an already strong, though tough to understand for most Protestants, argument.

When Schreck tackles touchier subjects such as the Communion of Saints and, the literal Mother of them all, Mary, he has to rely heavier on Catholic Tradition. This does make it a little easier for non-Catholics to refute these beliefs, but Schreck delivers his stance with ease and care. In other words, he states that his faith and reliance on the wisdom of the Church's elders kicks in. That's hard to argue with, and in the end, Schreck makes it clear that he isn't trying to convert anyone into becoming Catholic. Instead, he is merely stating his beliefs and the general beliefs of the Church as a whole in order to make non-Catholics a little more accepting of Catholics.

This is a good, inoffensive book to give to your non-Catholic friends and anyone who is interested in the Church in general. All of the facts of faith are laid out in a wonderful way that won't turn away even the staunchest Protestant. Another wonderful description of the Church's belief system can be found in "Why Do Catholics Do That?" It has an even looser delivery that is easy to take in, though it isn't quite as stacked reference-wise.

Lacking the obvious strident cavalier attitude of some Catholic apologists, Alan Scheck sets forth a good case for his Catholic beliefs. While this Evangelical reviewer was not persuaded to convert as result of this book (indeed, it would appear that the work is meant more to explain Catholic dogma to Catholics than to underscore to "separated bretheren" the "error" of our ways), its explanations are well written, and the author has clearly done his homework. His treatment of both Protestants, and the beliefs of Protestants, is fair, Christ-like, and diplomatic- albeit not error free- although, the man clearly stands his ground. For any Evangelical Protestant who wants a fair, concise counterpoint to his own views in this area, I recommend this work. My only criticism of the work is that it omits a discussion of the issue of the inclusion of the deuterocanonical books of the Apocrypha by the Roman Catholic church. This is an important topic, and it would have been beneficial to see Schreck deal with it.

This is a wonderful apolgoetics text, a "must" for every serious Catholic. It is broken into basic categories, and contains references from Scripture, the early Church Fathers, and Church Councils, defending the core tenets of the Catholic Church. A study guide is also available. This is the next best thing to being at Franciscan University taking the Apologetics course with Dr. Schreck (which I was blessed to have done)!

For my money, Schreck's book is by far the best book of its kind that I've seen. He examines the issues that sometimes come between Catholics and Protestants with clarity and with charity to both sides. Unlike some apologetics works, Schreck's book promotes understanding and respect rather than divisiveness among Christians.