The Rapture Trap: A Catholic Response to "End Times" Fever [Paperback]

Paul Thigpen (Author), Marcus Grodi (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2001

Paul Thigpen, Ph.D., lays out in clear, simple terms the biblical foundations of Catholic teaching on the close of the age--the "end times." Along with Scripture, he draws from Tradition, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Church history, and contemporary experience to reveal the shortcomings of the rapture doctrine and the larger tangle of twisted religious teachings to which it is tied.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...The Rapture Trap presents a reliable and trustworthy guide to Catholic Teaching on the end times. -- Steve Wood, Founder, St. Joseph's Covenant Keepers

Paul Thigpen debunks the rapture theory with charity, clarity, and precision. -- Karl Keating, Author, What Catholics Really Believe

About the Author

Paul Thigpen, Ph.D., is a senior editor for Servant Publications, associate editor of Envoy Magazine, and the best-selling author of more than 25 books, including A Dictionary of Quotes From the Saints (Servant, 2001) and Blood of the Martyrs, Seed of the Church (Servant, 2001). Thigpen is a former evangelical Protestant pastor who entered the Catholic Church in 1993. He lives with his wife, Leisa, and their two children in Savannah, Georgia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 261 pages
• Publisher: Ascension Press (October 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965922820
• ISBN-13: 978-0965922821
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #95,757 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

145 of 157 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Catholic Response to Left Behind Lunacy, November 17, 2001

By 

Carl E. Olson "Author of 'Will Catholics Be '... (Oregon, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Rapture Trap: A Catholic Response to "End Times" Fever (Paperback)

Dr. Paul Thigpen has written a helpful book that is clear, concise, and charitable. And that is quite a feat considering the subject matter. As a former evangelical Protestant Dr. Thigpen understands both the inner logic (so to speak) and the strong appeal of the belief in the pretribulational Rapture. The Rapture Trap emphasizes the Big Picture: Why did Jesus come the first time? Why will he come again? What are Christians to be doing in the meantime? What is the purpose of suffering and tribulation? Who has the authority to rightly interpret Scripture? These and other crucial questions are handled adeptly and with a firm foundation in Scripture and Church teaching.

The Rapture Trap exposes the overt anti-Catholicism of Tim LaHaye, creator and co-author of the wildly successful Left Behind books. Dr. Thigpen documents LaHaye's ridiculous and laughable attacks on the Catholic Church and shows how this anti-Catholic bent is not simply compatible with "left behind" beliefs, but is a natural outgrowth of those misguided notions.

As an added bonus the book contains a chapter about private revelations and Marian apparitions. Dr. Thigpen provides a commensensical list of questions to consider in evaluating the validity and importance of apparitions.

Highly recommended for both Catholics and non-Catholics who are looking for an introduction to this important topic.

54 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Logic at last! Many thanks from the trenches., February 17, 2002

By 

"avrilyn" (Rohan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rapture Trap: A Catholic Response to "End Times" Fever (Paperback)

This book was a pleasant surprise to me. Having witnessed many emotional, heated, unproductive discussions about the Left Behind series, I am grateful and relieved to find a resource that presents a critique of Mr. LaHaye's books in a calm, balanced, well-researched manner. I especially appreciated the way Dr. Thigpen refrained from personal attacks on Mr. LaHaye, instead using historical facts and scripture to make his points. The result is that I came away feeling genuinely educated about the whole topic, not just caught in the crossfire of dueling authors.

Another thing I like about this book is that it is easy to understand. Dr. Thigpen has a knack for taking complicated theological ideas and making them easy to understand. (I'm just an average Christian reader, with no formal theological training.) He writes for real people! Thanks to this book, I now understand why my LaHaye fan/friends think the way they do, and how to kindly and logically present a different perspective.

As much as I appreciated the historical and scriptural research to share with my "Left Behind" friends, I especially thank Dr. Thigpen for including a special section "just for me": a series of questions to help me evaluate end-times teachings and other kinds of private revelations (and there seem to be a lot these days!). After reading about the many earnest Christians who have been misled by false teachings in the past, Dr. Thigpen's guidelines for discernment were a fitting and helpful close to this excellent, timely book.

68 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Truth, February 12, 2002

By 

Daniel A. Domanico (Buckingham, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rapture Trap: A Catholic Response to "End Times" Fever (Paperback)

I recently completed The Rapture Trap, and I thought it was excellent. I want to say thank you to Paul Thigpen for writing a succinct, informative and well-documented refutation of the rapture theory. Finally there is an answer to all those Fundamentalists who refuse to open their eyes to the truth of the written word and sacred tradition.

I have been searching for this type of book for years, and now Paul Thigpen has written a work that demolishes the rapture theory. I have cringed through books by such authors as Hal Lindsey, Chuck Smith, John Walvoord, Dave Hunt, the "Left Behind" characters, and a host of others. None of these authors completely agree on anything, but they all have one thing in common - to satisfy their own agenda, rather then God's agenda. If they read Mr. Thigpen's book, perhaps they would retract their Catholic attacks and embrace the truth he so skillfully communicates.

Mr. Thigpen exposes the dangers of private scriptural interpretation and the complete lack of evidence of any rapture teaching prior to the eighteenth century. He provides interesting insights into the errors of the Scofield Bible. He also reminds readers why such a "Rapture" teaching is so popular - it allows people to avoid punishment and consequence for their actions.

Leave behind "Left Behind", and venture into Paul Thigpen's work; you'll do yourself a great spiritual credit, and keep the second coming of Christ in balance with the truth. Thanks again, and thanks to Ascension Press.