Talking with Catholic Friends and Family: Understanding...How They Think and Feel, Why They Trust in Tradition, What the Bible Teaches [Paperback]

James G. McCarthy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2005

Why is it often difficult for evangelical Christians to talk about Christianity with their Catholic friends? What are the differences that sometimes lead to misunderstandings between the two?

Capturing the heartbeat of the Roman Catholic way of life, Talking with Catholic Friends and Family provides an insightful glimpse into the way Catholics think about God, the church, getting to heaven, and the practice of their religion. With compassion and clarity, James McCarthy tells real–life stories that contrast biblical Christianity with Catholicism—and does so in a way that emphasizes what true saving faith is all about. Readers will learn:

• ways that Catholics and evangelicals view Jesus and salvation differently
• Tradition shapes what Catholics believe
• to minister more lovingly and effectively to their Catholic friends

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Harvest House Publishers; Reprinted edition (August 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0736916695
• ISBN-13: 978-0736916691
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,238,855 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars An Inaccurate Portrayal!!, September 3, 2009

By 

Craig Pulido - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Talking with Catholic Friends and Family: Understanding...How They Think and Feel, Why They Trust in Tradition, What the Bible Teaches (Paperback)

If in fact the Catholic Church taught what this book potrays as official Catholic teaching, I too would leave the church. The problem is this book's interpretations of Catholic teaching are inaccurate, distorted, and in some cases flat out untrue. This book is challenging for "cultural Catholics" and ignorant Catholics because it has many shades of Catholic truth and teachings they would recognize. But these truths are often twisted or misrepresented, therefore they are not accurate Catholic teaching, but something else. If one is really knowledgable of scripture and AUTHENTIC Catholic teaching, this book's errors and distortions are obvious and clear.

If you are going to challenge Catholic teaching, you have to at least present authentic Catholic teaching accurately and completely. This books fails to do to accomplish this.

19 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it!, November 27, 2006

By 

William Lynne "Cet" (Montgomery, MN United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Talking with Catholic Friends and Family: Understanding...How They Think and Feel, Why They Trust in Tradition, What the Bible Teaches (Paperback)

It's apparent from other reviews this book is a love it or hate it. As I said, I loved it. I was born and raised Catholic and am now at a point in my life of searching for a bit more than what I am finding in my Catholic church. This book helped answer questions to a few things I had questioned myself throughout the years, and it also pointed out many other things I hadn't thought of. I would agree, it does sound a bit harsh against the Catholic faith, but McCarthy backs all of these arguments up with scripture. I highly recommend this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Strawman to the n-th., December 15, 2011

By 

Rakolnikov - See all my reviews

This review is from: Talking with Catholic Friends and Family: Understanding...How They Think and Feel, Why They Trust in Tradition, What the Bible Teaches (Paperback)

To sum up this book in too words would be to say, "Strawman Fallacy." I am a protestant and I look at this book and see idiocy. He takes what Catholics believe and distorts them in terrible ways. If the Catholic Church was like he describes it to be, then it would need reform. It is not, however, anything like it. This is another example on the scandal of the evangelical mind, that is to say, "The scandal of the evangelical mind is that there is no evangelical mind"(Mark Knoll). He makes the protestant church look bad. Some protestant evangelicals write idiotic things like this which has the affect of making the whole church look bad. Books like this are why protestants are not normally considered intellectuals. I strongly believe that it is time for protestants to move beyond their ignorance like God calls us to.