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By What Authority?: An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition
 
 
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By What Authority?: An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition (Paperback)

by Mark P. Shea (Author) "When I was an Evangelical Protestant, I frequently bumped into Catholics who made bold to venture a belief in purgatory or offer a prayer to..." (more)
Key Phrases: apostolic paradosis, male polygamy, apostolic successors, New Testament, Old Testament, Sacred Tradition (more...)
4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (36 customer reviews)

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By What Authority?: An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition + Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic + Surprised by Truth: 11 Converts Give the Biblical and Historical Reasons for Becoming Catholic
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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Mark P. Shea presents a lively and at times entertaining look at his conversion to Catholicism from Evangelicalism and his discovery of Christian tradition.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 192 pages
  • Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor (September 1996)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0879738510
  • ISBN-13: 978-0879738518
  • Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #173,743 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

36 Reviews
5 star:
 (26)
4 star:
 (5)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (1)
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (36 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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147 of 156 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Small, friendly book with a powerful punch, December 12, 1999
By Michael L (Bellevue, WA) - See all my reviews
In this book, Mark Shea presents his reasons for entering the Catholic Church.

This is a fairly small book, but it packs a powerful punch. At the same time, Shea's writing style is always lucid and friendly, and manages to be humorous without making Protestants feel like they're the enemy (as unfortunately too many Catholic Apologetics books do at times). Shea manages to keep things friendly without pulling back from his main and very well constructed argument that Sacred Scripture makes no sense without the support of Sacred Tradition.

I personally know many people who have found the argument the book presents compelling enough to bring them into the Catholic Church, or to solidly buttress questions they had about their Catholic faith. And the number of lengthy, and very defensive reviews here on amazon should give an idea about how agitated it makes some Protestant apologetics with its success. These reviewers wouldn't be so worried about it unless it were in fact making a real impact.

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68 of 74 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly readable, always enjoyable, April 15, 2000
By Tim Drake "Author and Journalist" (Saint Joseph, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
Mark Shea's clever and at times witty examination of the authority of Catholic tradition is a book I turn to again and again in my conversations with others and in my writing.

A former Evangelical, Shea sets out to disprove reliance on Catholic Sacred Tradition for authority. He is unable to. His research and well-reasoned arguments make a solid case against the Evangelical argument of Scripture alone, and a solid case for Sacred Tradition as expressed by the Catholic Church.

This book is short and easy to read. It is meant for the lay person, not the theologian.

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44 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Opened my eyes to weak theology, July 14, 2005
By P. Forrester (Fallbrook, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I read this book in my examination of the Catholic faith from a Protestant perspective. Don't get sidetracked by the author's use of ridicule. His examination of Protestant traditions regarding interpretation and the authority of scripture made so much sense that I realized I could no longer remain a Protestant. WARNING!
This book is very unsettling to zealous, confirmed sola scriptura Protestants.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Better double check your authority
Looks like "By What Authority?" needs to be better answered. So let's give it a try. These were comments made for one particular reviewer, but I thought they applied as well to... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Gordon A. Stamper

5.0 out of 5 stars Love of scripture leads to love of tradition
Through personal testimony and train of thought, Mr. Shea takes us down the trail he followed from his evangelical beginnings to an acceptance of sacred tradition. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Stratiotes Doxha Theon

5.0 out of 5 stars Why do you believe the bible, anyway?
This book in defense of the role of true Christian authority is in my mind one of the best out there. Read more
Published 23 months ago by matt

3.0 out of 5 stars Not such an easy read....
I bought this book because of all the wonderful reviews about it here on Amazon.
I found it a difficult read. Read more
Published on June 12, 2007 by S. Harbour

5.0 out of 5 stars Difficult to Refute
An easy to read and cogent defense of Tradition. A must read for any Christian in search of the roots of faith.
Published on April 1, 2007 by Rosemary C. Patterson

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must read!"
All Evangelicals should take time to read this book - it is an eye-opener!
The author, using a frank and yet sensitive approach, systematically analyzes
the... Read more
Published on January 9, 2007 by Susie

4.0 out of 5 stars Question Authority?
When an Evangelical Protestant moves to a Church more in line with historic Christianity, it is often difficult to break old habits in defending this change to friends in the... Read more
Published on January 23, 2006 by Christian Book Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars By the Authority of the Church
I just finished the book above. It was a very interesting read. I just realized I have too many Apologetic books and many times there is a sense of redundancy. Read more
Published on November 11, 2005 by Laurence A. Gonzaga

5.0 out of 5 stars Are you thinking about Catholicism?
If you are an evangelical thinking about Catholicism, maybe for the first time, or because you have encountered some Catholic traditions and theology that pique your interest... Read more
Published on November 3, 2003 by S. Larkin

5.0 out of 5 stars Concise and compelling
By What Authority is a wonderful read. Shea's prose is witty and his argument is compelling. He describes how as a young evangelical Christian he encountered the writings of... Read more
Published on June 19, 2003 by Thomas More

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