Catholicism and Fundamentalism: The Attack on "Romanism" by "Bible Christians" (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The story of fundamentalism may be viewed in three main phases..." (more)
Key Phrases: touto esti, fundamentalist writers, few fundamentalists, New Testament, Holy Spirit, Roman Catholicism (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Karl Keating defends Catholicism from fundamentalist attacks and explains why fundamentalism has been so successful in converting ``Romanists". After showing the origins of fundamentalism, he examines representative anti-Catholic groups and presents their arguments in their own words. His rebuttals are clear, detailed, and charitable. Special emphasis is given to the scriptural basis for Catholic doctrines and beliefs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Ignatius Press (May 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898701775
• ISBN-13: 978-0898701777
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (151 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #39,720 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

101 of 106 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Defense, But Not For Everybody, January 5, 2006

By	K. Fontenot "Prairie Cajun" (The Bayou State) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is a very powerful book. I say that having been a Bible thumpin' Protestant for most of my short life. I was raised as a Southern Baptist, but during my teen years I began to "feel out" various other Christian faiths in an attempt to find the one that was right for me. These included the C.O.G.I.C, Congregational, Pentecostal, many variations of Southern Baptists, and mulitple non-denominational churches. What I found in each of these was a set of core beliefs that did have Biblical basis, but plenty of "gray areas" that were often open to personal beliefs or, as Mr. Keating mentions in his book, the beliefs of the preacher at each church. I continued my search, running into plenty of "feel good" churches that wanted to accept a person for what they were, with no real definitions of what may or may not be right and wrong. Certain things were obviously wrong, like murder, theft, coveting other's things, etc.(also known as the Ten Commandments). However, things like contraception, alcohol consumption, and even things such as abortion weren't clearly defined. My search continued, uneventful and often with disappointment, until I met a woman who introduced me to the Catholic Church. Not only did I find that most of the things I thought I knew about the Church were unintentionally ignorant teachings from people I knew and trusted, many of them were out-and-out intentionally misleading. I was originally given "Catholicism and Fundamentalism" early on in my study and investigation of the Church. I must admit that I was initially turned off by Keating's sometimes brash style of writing. I put the book away for a long time but always kept it in arm's length. I entered the Church in 2000, but could not pick up this book until the end of 2005.

It is a wonderful apologetic, breaking down many of the ignorances about the Church that are perhaps unintentionally taught by Protestants across the world. It takes many of the strongest naysayers of the Church, such as Loraine Boettner, Jimmy Swaggart, and Jack Chick, and breaks down their accusations and proclamations systematically using the Bible as a primary weapon in the defense. This is crucial when dealing with Protestants, since the bulk of them believe that the Bible is the sole source of religious teaching. Keating tackles such things as Mary, transubstantiation, confession, baptism of infants, and the honoring of saints, among other topics, all the while using the Bible as much as possible to justify his stance.

The only thing that does somewhat turn me off about this book is that Keating can sometimes come across as too harsh when giving his arguments. Don't get me wrong, what he says is justified, but I don't suggest giving this book to someone who is only beginning to become interested in the Roman Catholic Church. That's the only real gripe I have with this book. With no intentions of disrespecting the author, I suggest giving someone "Why Do Catholics Do That?" by Kevin Orlin Johnson. It's a nicer, toned-down apologetic that may not come across as offensive as some of Keating's writings. Another good book is "Answer Me This!" by Patrick Madrid. It literally takes a list of common questions that Protestants have about the Church and answers each one individually. Scott Hahn is another apologetic who has written a number of books that can enrich your study of Catholicism.

Keating provides an appendix that gives the reader sources for Catholic and anti-Catholic literature. He also provides a strong bibliography full of sources for further study.

As stated before, Keating's style of writing can sometimes turn off readers who are early in their studies of the Catholic Church. However, everything that he says is true, hard to swallow as it may be. I say this being one of the people who formerly believed most of the things he refutes in his book. I highly recommend this book, though if you aren't Catholic, or offend easily, you may want to read other books first before tackling Keating's offering.

158 of 169 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book for every Catholic to read., June 29, 2000

By	David Zampino "21st Century Hobbit" (Delavan, Wisconsin) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

From the perspective of this non-Roman Catholic clergyman, historian, and theologian, Karl Keating has done an excellent job of identifying "anti-Catholicism" for what it is, while at the same time, providing clear answers to questions Protestants frequently ask of Catholics.

The book's only significant flaws lie in the tendency of the author to:

1) Not always clearly differentiate between "anti-Catholicism" (which is morally equivalent to anti-Semitism or racism) with legitimate theological disagreement.

2) Lump together many Protestant groups that frankly don't necessarily fall under the category of "fundamentalist", ie. Evangelicals and Pentecostals.

Other than this, however, Keating has done an excellent job. He has certainly raised the standard of debate for Protestant Christians by demonstrating the obvious silliness (and in some cases, deliberate dishonesty) of several of the major "anti-Catholic" organizations. A Protestant apologist who encounters a Catholic familiar with Keating's material will have to rely on a grasp of Protestant theology, instead of (all too typical) third-rate propaganda.

This book has really caused me to think. I thank Mr. Keating for writing it. May God bless us all as we continue to search for His Truth in all its fullness.

229 of 249 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compliments from a Mormon, June 3, 2000

By	D. Peterson (Orem, Utah United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I don't know whether Mr. Keating or his fellow Catholics will welcome or much appreciate a commendation from a very committed member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- I know his fundamentalist despisers won't -- but here goes anyway. There may in fact be some added value in a positive review from someone who is, on the whole, neutral between the claims of Protestantism and those of Rome.

I think this is a fine book. It makes a good, solid case for Catholicism, but, not surprisingly, that isn't the aspect of it that interested me most.

Mr. Keating is devastating in his critique of Protestant fundamentalist anti-Catholic propaganda, including Lorraine Boettner's dreadful book. I've had a great many dealings with the same kinds of people and literature -- sometimes with the very same individual specimens -- and he is precisely right in what he says about them. They are not to be trusted nor relied upon. I've found exactly the same methodological flaws in their work that he has -- to say nothing of the same tone and the same rather ungodly zeal to condemn others.

I enjoyed this book very much, and have cited it approvingly in several things that I myself have written. I recommend it highly.