Customer Reviews

Surprised by Truth: 11 Converts Give the Biblical and Historical Reasons for Becoming Catholic

5 star:		(79)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When I first read this book 10 years ago, at the age of 35, I underwent a life-changing conversion experience. I was born and raised nominally Catholic, which is not unusual for the generation that underwent all the experimental formation in the 60s and 70s. We went to Mass on Sundays, but that was it. No prayer in the home, no sacramentals, no discussion of God at all--outside of Church. So when I became an adult, I drifted. I was never "saved" by an evangelical or fundamentalist, but I was probably ripe for it. I don't even remember how I got the book, but when I read it, it accused me of my sins and made me take the first honest look at my spiritual health that I'd ever taken. I didn't like what I saw. Seeing what Marcus Grodi and the rest had to give up to cross the Tiber. Family, friends, careers--all down the drain but they HAD to become Catholic. Would I have that much strength if I was in their position? What a treasure! I've been taking all this stuff for granted. From that point forward, I resolved to learn as much as I could about my faith and despite the terrible priests, the our-of-habit nuns, the liberal media and academia, I've come to believe the claims of the Church more now than ever. Everything is supported by Scripture, History, and Reason.

I've read the few negative reviews, and there are a couple questions posed that are very asily answered. One reviewer asked why, if people found Christ outside the Church, did they see the need to become Catholic. The answer is because the formation of my generation was so poor that we were never introduced the Christ as we should have been. Parents expected Catholic schools or CCD classes to handle that, and the priests, nuns and catechists were too busy "liberating" themselves to pass on the faith. So we grew up knowing only that the old Church was terrible, the new guitar-playing Church is the wave of the future and everybody is going to be in heaven together someday singing Kumbaya. Truth is what you say it is, and it doesn't matter what part of the Body of Christ you belonged to, all roads ascended the same mountain and all of us would reach the same summit. So naturally, when someone introduces Christ to one of us, using Scripture, and pointing out the weaknesses of our formation, we leave and find Christ in the beautiful, Spirit-filled separated churches. But, when exposed to the TRUE catholic church from history, we want to come into the fullness of the truth. It's not so much that there is anything so terribly wrong with the Protestant faith traditions, it's more that they are incomplete.

Another question concerned cafeteria Catholics. This phenomenon is a result of that same poor formation that this generation has received. When Humanae Vitae (Pope Paul VI's 1968(?) Encyclical "On Human Life" condemning contraception) came out, misguided priests told people who questioned it that it was OK to "follow their conscience" even if they were informed of the evil of the practice in question. So, the idea was applied to all of the Church's teachings, so if Joe Parishioner thinks women should be priests or that he doesn't need Confession or that this or that is no longer a sin, he claims he is following his conscience.

Anyway, good book. I've reread it a few times over the last 10 years as well as the two sequals. It woke me up from my 30-year slumber and ignited a fire that is burning hotter now than ever.

Now there are no excuses for this generation. We have the Catechism, all the writings of the Councils, the legacy of JPII and another dynamic shepherd, BXVI, and this new generation of well-formed and energetic converts to the faith. The young priests coming out of seminary these days are awesome. The misguided generation that formed us is beginning to age... I believe we are poised at a monumental tipping point. The new springtime of evangelization is dawning and this book was part of the first pink glow in the eastern sky. God willing, the next 10 years will bring more light to the world than anyone alive today has ever seen.

In Christ,
Jeff King

I like to call this the little purple book that could. The author himself cannot explain the success of this book, giving credit to God alone for the awesome things it has done. To date it has sold more than 200,000 copies.

This book was sitting in the Eucharistic Adoration Chapel at the Catholic Church I was attending with my wife. I was Lutheran at the time, but desiring more time in prayer I signed up for an hour each Sunday night to spend in prayer.

Each week I would read a chapter in this eye-opening book. The book, coupled with who it was that I was kneeling before in the Blessed Sacrament brought me to the Truth so beautifully expressed in the Catholic faith.

Countless others have similar stories to tell. I challenge anyone to confront the Truth expressed in this book.

It features chapters by well known converts Steve Wood, of the Family Life Center and St. Joseph's Covenant Keepers, Marcus Grodi of the Coming Home Network, noted author, professor and apologist Paul Thigpen, apologist James Akin, Tim Staples, and several others. They give moving personal testimonies of finding the historical and Biblical evidence for Christ and His Church. It's not a book you will forget.

For those who have already read the book a sequel is on its way yet this year (2000).

I saw the reviews on this book and knew I needed to read it. I only saw one negative review; someone who said that the converts presented in the book were not "fully" immersed in true protestantism. As a former Protestant who was raised in the faith, studies apologetics, studies scripture, and studied the reformers, I had (and still have) a dynamic and lasting relationship with our Lord. I also know that the questions that are asked in this book helped propell me to a fuller understanding of Christianity. These converts (and now me) asked the hard questions, and answered them honestly. They ended up "in Rome" because they have the honesty to look into our comon history and recognize that the Lord did not wait 1500 years to provide us with the truth. He provided it in a Church, a Rock, an apostolic tradition, that continues today. This book brought me to true Christianity....Catholic Christianity!

With the possible exceptions of Karl Keating's Catholicism and Fundamentalism and Scott and Kimberly Hahn's Rome Sweet Home, no recent works of Catholic apologetics have been as instrumental in winning converts to Rome as the Surprised by Truth series edited by Patrick Madrid. Consisting of conversion stories by prominent Roman Catholics who originally were part of other Christian (or non-Christian) traditions, it takes as its theme the "surprise" (or shock) many Evangelical Protestants experience when they encounter the early Church and are faced with beliefs and practices that vary considerably from what they see regularly in their own Churches.

This is the first in the series and caused a sensation (for a Roman Catholic book) when published. The fact that so many moving to Rome cite Surprised by Truth provides some evidence of Patrick Madrid's astuteness in selecting testimonials - a point further confirmed by reading it. The essays blend together remarkably well and Madrid adroitly avoids the danger of stifling uniformity by drawing upon those who approached Rome from across the ecclesial spectrum. Another plus in this regard is an intermingling of those who were initially drawn by different concerns so the approach is not completely one-dimensional.

Protestants often criticize the essays as insufficient to prove the Roman case and highly emotional in character. Both these claims are quite true but this is not the detriment the critics make it to be. One could hardly expect a new convert to prove within twenty pages what the greatest theologians have employed years and many volumes to attempt. As for the emotional content, conversions always have an emotional aspect to them and a presentation that attempts to ignore this is built upon dishonesty. The essays contained here are more or less emotional depending upon the makeup of the individual, the amount of "surprise" experienced, and the sense of betrayal felt by discovering what you had been told what was of the Apostles is actually of recent origin. A positive sign by these converts is despite the emotional upheaval, they display no evidence of lasting anger at their former ecclesial homes.

The one flaw in this book is shared by the genre - shallowness. New converts are not always the best ones to express the riches of the faith. Even if they have done much prior study, reading about the grace of God and receiving the grace of God are not equivalent experiences. While the "let's have the new guy go up and give his testimony" approach may suffice in the superficial environs of modern Evangelicalism, those more mature in their faith are probably better witnesses in richer traditions.

Any expectations of an exhaustive defense for Roman Catholic beliefs in a book like this are remarkably wrongheaded. Madrid planned neither a work of systematic theology nor a catechism. Collections like this are usually read by those already on their way but unsure if things are quite what they seem. The message given is not "this is all you need to see we are right" but "come on in - the water's fine". Given that limitation, Surprised by Truth can only be viewed as a rousing success.

I would like to say, as a cradle Catholic, I found this book inspiring. I could not put it down and would recommend it to anyone, Catholic or Protestant, who is searching for the Truth. I know in my heart that the Catholic Church is the true Church of Jesus Christ and this book just helped confirm it. I will be praying for the reviewer who did not see these truths. God is still working on him and one day, by His Grace, he will see the truth. If you do not get the fullness of the truth from this book directly, you can get it indirectly by reading all the books these individuals read during their conversion. I would encourage all Catholics to read this book and study the scriptures used to defend our faith, it is key in evangelizing others and bringing our brothers and sisters back to the Church. God Bless all and thank you to those who shared their stories with us.

Many reviews here on Amazon are well-written and helpful, even if they're critical of the book they analyze. Others are less helpful due to lack of clarity and/or the palpable negative bias some reviewers have against the author or the author's message. Still others are unhelpful, even counterproductive, because they contain errors.

"J. Schumaker's" review of my book falls into both the second and third categories. His negative bias is obvious, and his remarks contain several fallacies, but the most glaring was this twin error:

"Patrick Madrid began as co-host of the apologetics radio program Catholic Answers in the 90s before his falling out with CA president Karl Keating."

First, and this is a minor point, I did not begin my work in apologetics on the Catholic Answers radio program. That program was launched a year or two after I left Catholic Answers. I was vice president of Catholic Answers for eight years, starting in early 1988. I left at the end of 1995 to pursue writing books full-time.

Second, and this is a more substantive error, I did not have a "falling out" with Karl Keating, as Schumaker alleges and as some have imagined. This notion that I left Catholic Answers due to a spat with Keating is simply not true.

Surprised by Truth 1 was the first of my ten books, and its commercial success suggested to me that I should focus my energies in the field of writing books. Karl Keating and I have been friends since 1987 and remain friends today. Anyone, including "J. Schumaker," who tells you otherwise is not telling the truth.

As far as the merits of Surprised by Truth go, my suggestion is that you read the book for yourself and see what you think. I suspect that Mr. Schumaker's negative review stems from his discomfort that the book's message that the Catholic Church is the Church established by Jesus Christ hits home a little too effectively for his liking.

I thoroughly enjoyed Surprised by Truth. Each of the 11 contributors tells a personal story of search and enlightenment. This would be my book of choice to give to fallen away Catholics or those who are lukewarm about their faith. Many people who were born Catholic lack conviction and "fire" for their religion. This book is also a great starting point for those of other Christian groups who have little knowledge about the Catholic Church's real teachings. I don't fall into any of these categories. I read the book because I do missionary work with people of mostly Protestant persuasion, and I wanted to understand them better. So....for many reasons, I heartily recommend Surprised by Truth to anyone who wants to learn how people think about religion. Did I mention that the book is also a delight to read? The people come alive through their stories, and this makes the reading much more enjoyable than struggling through a scholarly work.

I learned two very important lessons reading this book.

1) Many protestants do not give the Catholic Church a fair shake.

2) Many Catholics are not helping the matter.

In reading these eleven stories and other protestant-to-Catholic stories, it is apparent to me that protestants do not understand what the Catholic Church really teaches, and this misinformation is strengthened by the many Catholics who are unable or unwilling to defend Holy Mother Church.

This is our own fault. If we Catholics continue to leave this void, then it will continue to be filled by even more falsehoods and misinformation about our faith.

It is time for our brother and sister protestants to know the truth about Catholicism, even if they continue to reject it. It is time for Catholics to learn their faith more thoroughly, and to defend their faith more assertively. We have been off the playing field for too long.

An excellent book which shows the errors on BOTH sides.

This book is GRAND! I was personally moved by each of the convert's stories. Hungerly devouring each page, I had the book read in just a few hours! As a former Lutheran, this was another book that helped me in my journey to The Roman Catholic Church. All protestants should read this, and, before they give it a negative review, they should, as one part of the book mentions, do some investigations into Martin Luther, the individual responsible for the mess of protestant denominations today. There is little unity in these churches, which all claim different beliefs. The Bible clearly states that people who cause divisions should be avoided (such was the case with Martin Luther), and thrown out of the church. (see Romans 16:7) Page 266 of Surprised By Truth is one place to find this point brought up, and I quote, "Where is the visible expression of unity and universality in Protestantism?" -- (p.266 2nd paragraph)

I am always fascinated by the testimony of those who convert to Catholicism. This book contains 11 such tales, and none of them disappoint the reader.

It is truly remarkable to read of the anguish that people feel as they discover the doctrines of the Church, and become "surprised by truth."

I am touched by the sacrifices that many have made by becoming Catholic. They risk alienation from family and friends, and in come cases even their livelihood. This book permits many insights into the thoughts and doubts that are part of the conversion process.

I especially enjoyed seeing how the converts reasoned from scripture, how each started from a different point, and all ended up in the same place! Each testimony is a mini-course in apologetics, and demonstrates the scriptural basis of the Catholic Faith.