A Philadelphia Catholic in King James's Court [Paperback]

Martin de Porres Kennedy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 6, 2009

After the tragic death of his father, Michael O'Shea travels from his native Philadelphia to rural Kentucky for the summer. In this land of tobacco farming, bluegrass music, and devout fundamentalist Christianity, he is compelled to explain and justify the Catholic faith. His only defense... the Bible.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Besides being an intriguing tale, it is an instant course in apologetics....It would be unfair to give the final outcome of this tale. Evil pits all its strength against Michael. Grace inspires and empowers him. Moments of suspense and horror lead up to a climax not devoid of subtle humor. We are left applauding the hero of the piece, wondering, and wishing for more. National Catholic Register, August 14, 1999 From stickball played on the Philadelphia blacktop to working the tobacco fields of rural Kentucky, Kennedy takes us on a wonderful ride. He introduces us to the sublime joys found in a slower pace of life and the profound truths of the Christian faith found in the Bible. -- Matthew Pinto President, Envoy magazine --Publisher Comments

From the Back Cover

Join Michael on an Amish-style farmstead as he learns to milk a cow, harness a horse, disk a field, and harvest hay with a team instead of a tractor. Will he discover the truth about the papacy, the Eucharist, and devotion to Mary in Sacred Scripture? "This improbable novel calms the spirit with the beauty of family life on a farm, and somehow - can't put my finger on it - beguiles you into identifying with the unlikely hero as he learns how to defend his Catholic faith in confrontation with Bible believers. Too bad apologetics isn't always this enjoyable - or seductive." Father Owen Kearns, LC Publisher, National Catholic Register "...A powerful defense of Catholic beliefs that acknowledges the deep love for Christ and thirst for truth among fundamentalist Christians." Marcus Grodi President, The Coming Home Network Host, "The Journey Home" on EWTN "From stickball played on the Philadelphia blacktop to working the tobacco fields of rural Kentucky, Kennedy takes us on a wonderful ride. He introduces us to the sublime joys found in a slower pace of life and the profound truths found in the Catholic faith. It's a fun read - enjoy it yourself, then pass it on!" Matthew Pinto President, Envoy magazine

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Product Details

• Paperback: 316 pages
• Publisher: Lilyfield Press (August 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967149215
• ISBN-13: 978-0967149219
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (91 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #172,138 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well-written coming-of-age story, November 16, 2001

By 

"kathrynlively" - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Philadelphia Catholic in King James's Court (Paperback)

Michael O'Shea is surviving a bittersweet summer; the untimely death of his father has sent him spiraling into a grief that only prayer seems to quell, and at the behest of his maternal uncle his family is urged to leave the familiarity and comfort of their Philadelphia home to heal in rural Kentucky. There the only comfort is found in the welcoming smiles and hospitality of strangers, as Michael learns his mother's brother's family are staunch "Bible-believing" folk who choose to live as "plain" people. Socializing among the Amish of that region, Michael's extended family's existence is founded upon a lack of material wants and needs and an abundance of faith.

Gradually Michael and his family come to relax and enjoy the company of their relatives. Creature comforts fade into memory, for playing a game of baseball and tucking into homemade ice cream on the front porch appears to yield more enjoyment than a night in front of the television. However, Michael senses something amiss, particularly every time his uncle brings up issues of faith and challenges the boy to validate his own beliefs. As if dealing with the death of his father was not enough to bear, Michael soon realizes his uncle's ulterior motive for bringing his family to Kentucky -- to persuade Michael's mother of the error she made in converting to Catholicism by first converting her children to his beliefs. Michael, a lukewarm student of his own Catholic faith, is suddenly shocked to hear people dismiss the Catholic Church as "pagan" and "unChristian."

Explanations outside of actual Bible quotes (KJV version, mind you) fall upon deaf ears, and Michael is self-propelled into a crash course in apologetics, with only the Bible and the prayers of his mother to sustain him. As Michael prepares to successfully defend the Faith against the local nay-sayers, many of whom know much of the Bible by heart, his confidence grows, and it is his knowledge of the faith through God's Word which helps establish an atmosphere of tolerance which some in this tight-knit community are more willing to embrace than others.

Like the works of Bud MacFarlane, Jr., Kennedy's "Philadelphia Catholic" is a teaching novel, an apologetics tool in the guise of an engaging coming-of-age story. Kennedy's eye for detail is evident in his descriptions of Amish country and portrayals of life among the "plain" people, and Michael's dialogue and evangelization is well woven into Kennedy's prose. Kennedy delivers the facts of the faith without making it sound as if the "Philadelphia Catholic" is regurgitating lines from a textbook; the reader should not feel as if he/she is being lectured, and considering the tense climactic scene where Michael faces his challengers as a witness standing trial, Kennedy should be commended for a plausible conclusion to the story. With "Philadelphia Catholic" Kennedy leaves us to decide the validity of the Catholic faith, and through Michael O'Shea he offers convincing arguments bracketed by a touching story.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific apologetics novel explains Catholicism from Bible, October 8, 1999

By 

"romancathmom" - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Philadelphia Catholic in King James's Court (Paperback)

I want to mention a charming and compelling book I read over the weekend. It's hot off the presses! It's a novel about a young Catholic man (age 17) who spends the summer working on his uncle's horse-powered farm in KY. His uncle is a fundamentalist minister who tries to convert him away from the "Roman" church, which he believes is unbiblical at best, and at worst, evil. Young Michael doesn't know his Faith very well, but he studies Catholic apologetics and then very charitably and humbly, is able to counter his uncle's Bible-alone arguments and defend the Faith. This is not only a good read, it would be perfect for teens or adults. It presents the reasoning on both sides very effectively and realistically. Because the defenses are in the context of an interesting novel, I found myself more able to follow the line of reasoning. It also shows how prayer is crucial in evangelism. Great for either Catholics or non-Catholics. Five stars!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mr. Puntels Class, April 11, 2005

By 

jim "idiot" "jim" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Philadelphia Catholic in King James's Court (Paperback)

A Philadelphia Catholic in King James' Court was a very good book for those looking for explanation for their beliefs in the Catholic teachings. This book explains various controversies between the Catholic and various others Christian Sects, such as; The Catholic Inquisition, The acceptance of Mary as the mother of Christ, her "perpetual virginity" and the Heavenly Queen, The baptism of infants, the infallibility of the pope, praying to statues, and most of all, why we believe in the bible. This book lays explanation for all of these within a well thought out and entertaining story.

The plot of this story is that a young boy, about the age of 15, Michael comes from Philadelphia with his family to live with his uncle's family in Tennessee. During the summer stay Mike's uncle Les feels it his duty, as the leader of a small Christian fundamentalist church, to convert mike and his family to their way of worshiping God. Over time Mike is put through various tests where he is forced to explain the Catholic Faith. Over time and many debates Nike wins some people over to the Catholic view on God, including Les' own son Elijah.