Customer Reviews

My Life on the Rock: A Rebel Returns to the Catholic Faith

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My husband and I just loved this book. It is very easy interesting and easy to read. It kept us glued to the pages. Jeff Cavins writes about his journey out of the Catholic faith, being a Protestant minister and then his journey back into the Catholic faith. He is a very well educated man, but writes in a very readable, down-to-earth fashion. It's a great book and I would highly recommend it for any Catholic who wants to be inspired about their faith, anyone questioning their faith, or for anyone who has left the Catholic faith.

Jeff's story of his life and his eventual return to the Catholic church was very touching and heartfelt. Jeff made the book very personal, and he presents his journey in a very heartfelt and comfortable manner. I greatly appreciated his honesty and sincerity, and his zeal for the Church is contagious.

Cavins book was fantastic. It contained less of the Biblical arguments that Tim Staples and Scott Hahn's conversion stories have, but it was actually a very entertaining read! Cavins is funny and his life story is very moving! He is a great example to fellow protestant ministers (particularly ex-Catholics) who have discovered that the Catholic Church is their true Home- and how difficult it is to return. I'd lean less toward recommending this book to hard-core Protestants, since Cavins is focused more on the struggle vs. Biblical arguments- instead Surprised by Truth by Patrick Madrid or Rome Sweet Home by Scott Hahn tend to focus more on Biblical arguments for conversion stories. This book is a great read for those already Catholic, ex-Catholics, or Protestants (especially Protestant ministers) who have already put a step toward the Catholic Church.

My Life on the Rock: A Rebel Returns to the Catholic Faith by Jeff Cavins is a poignant story of a young man searching for God. Running from the faith of his childhood, his journey brings him full circle to finally embrace that faith once again with startling enthusiasm and zeal. He recalls as a child yearning to know God and vaguely sensing that there was something more to life than just the normal childhood preoccupations of sports, school, and making other people laugh with his knack for comedy. He faced several painful and humiliating experiences, but with each event he was drawn ever more deeply by this desire for a knowledge of the divine.
His spiritual journey began with Catholic baptism and the typical religious education of a suburban Catholic attending public school in America in the 1960's and 70's. He had a spiritual conversion experience as a young adult, got married, and entered a Christian Bible college. Later he became pastor of a large church, and finally came back into the Catholic Church after instruction and spiritual direction from priests, a bishop, and his own father. He recounts with much candor and humility his feelings, hopes, and fears throughout the years of searching and ends the book with a positive eagerness for the continuation of the story. A very uplifting read, to be sure.

A wonderful true story of a man's path to finding his way in his faith and love of God. His passion continues today through his Bible Studies series. A wonderful path for Catholics and others who are questioning thier way to God.

The book is a fast read. It is one of those that is hard to put down once you get started. It was an honest search for God in Faith. The author took many roads and they all keep leading him closer and closer to God and a loving relationship with many people. His sincere Faith journey was not only worth the read, but uplifting too.
I am so glad I purchased this book. In a few years will reread it agin for additional insights.

Shelley J.

Sometimes books that you read touch your heart in ways you can't explain. This book did for me. As Jeff explained why he left the church, becasue he wanted more of relationship with Jesus. But didn't feel he got that in Catholic Church. But life sends you in many roads and for him he went back to his faith. As Catholiic I understand that love of God. It inspire me on why I am Catholic becasue of the Euchrist. Because it was in the bible, I can receive his preious body everyday. And that to me is the Journey.

I loved this book, could not put it down! I too was born and raised Catholic, but have since left that faith and am involved with a Four Square Church now. Jeff's journey was very compelling and I so enjoyed his love for the Lord it was cool to read about the courage he showed doing God's will over his own on several occasions durning very hard times. I can only imagine what his family had to have gone though. I didn't agree with a few of his conclusions, and I didn't appreciated when he slighted worship services in a gym or high school and referred to returning to the Catholic Faith as "coming home..." but being a former Catholic - it greatly helped me to understand why they hold the rituals, traditions and worship of Saints, Mary, and the Priests, even if they are not biblicy sound.