When Only One Converts [Paperback]

Lynn Nordhagen (Author), Robin Maas (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2001

By Lynn Nordhagen *What happens when the two most important relationships in your life seem to be on a collision course? *How can you be odedient to God when obedience threatens your marriage vows? *Can you love God if it means hurting the one you love most on earth? Many couples have walked this pash. Fifteen of them share their stories in 'When Only One Converts'. Author Lynn Nordhagen offers stories, not only to the Cahtolic(or soon-to-be Catholic), but also to the spouses who are not not becoming Catholic, praying that they may gain insight and hope, recognizing that this can be, for them also, a time of discovery and growth in the Christian life.

Product Details

• Paperback: 266 pages
• Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor (IN) (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879733152
• ISBN-13: 978-0879733155
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #878,929 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Offers hope and insight for those in mixed marriages, April 16, 2001

By 

Tim Drake "Author and Journalist" (Saint Joseph, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: When Only One Converts (Paperback)

Mixed marriages are no picnic. For six years, my wife and I attempted to do the mixed marriage thing - sometimes attending her Church, other times attending mine, and sometimes attending both. Our story is among the 15 told in Lynn Nordhagen's book.

Nordhagen's book is a twist on the popularity of current conversion story books. It offers stories of pain and honesty from couples in mixed marriages between a Catholic and non-Catholic spouse.

Through the personal stories the book seeks answers to questions such as, "how can you be obedient to God when obedience threatens your marriage vows?" and "Can you love God if it means hurting the one you love most on earth?"

Each of the stories make the point that a spouse should not try to convert their mate. Personally, had my wife ever suggested or pressured me to become Catholic I would have run in the opposite direction.

Catholic and non-Catholic spouses in mixed marriages will find much to identify with in this book. It is a much needed addition to the library of conversion story compilations.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Important Book for Converts, April 28, 2001

By 

"swift112" (Pittsford, Vermont USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When Only One Converts (Paperback)

This book should be in the library of every married person considering conversion to the Catholic Church whether their spouse is in synch with their journey or not. It should also be in the library of everyone in a mixed marriage. It is not about how to convert your spouse, it is about how to live with the tension of seeing things different religiously and still maintaining the unity of your marriage.

The book's contributers run the gamut from those whose spouses were Catholic while they were Protestant, to those where the spouses were both Protestant until one converted, and even one where the spouse remains essentially non-religious. The marriages have mostly weathered the crisis and some have even flourished.

It is a book not only for the person becoming Catholic, but for the spouse who doesn't choose to join them, or at least not yet. It will provide support for the convert (who gets the message "I'm not alone in this"), but help the non-convert to understand what is going on. It also provides tools for making this a growing experience for your marriage instead of just a source of discord. In that vein the chapter by Gregory Popcak alone is worth the price of the book.

So if you've read Rome Sweet Home and find it's message compelling get When Only One Converts before you go any further down the road. Your spouse will thank you for it.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must" to be read for anyone who is in a "mixed marriage", September 12, 2001

By 

Scarlet M. Davis (Newberry, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When Only One Converts (Paperback)

This book helped me realize that I wasn't alone. That other Catholics who have protestant spouses feel like I do. It helped me learn how to handle different aspects of being in a mixed marriage. I would recommend anyone who has converted or reverted to the Catholic faith without the support or company of their spouse to read this book.