Understanding the differences between Roman Catholic and Protestant beliefs
Description
When Ray Galea submitted his life to Christ, he had a problem on his hands: Which church should he go to?
"I did not want to assume that just because I was born a Catholic, this was by definition the right choice. I knew I could just as easily have been born a Baptist or a Mormon. So I spent the next six months reading and talking to priests and ministers to find out the differences between Catholics and Protestants. How did each of their teachings compare with the teaching of Jesus and the apostles?"
This book is a kind of retracing of Ray's investigation, looking at key issues which continue to divide Protestants and Catholics, and assessing them in light of the teaching of Scripture.
A challenging and invaluable book for Protestants and Catholics alike.
A rivetting story of one man's quest for truth! An easy to read book setting out the journey of a man brought up in Roman Catholicism who begins to question its traditional teachings. A very helpful book to give to Roman Catholic friends to help them see the truth of God’s Word for themselves, Also an excellent book for contemporary Christians who may not understand the implications of Roman Catholic teaching.
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Review by | 10/08/2011 |Did you find this review helpful?Yes|No
Excellent and very readable
As a former Roman Catholic and RC seminarian (student priest, I found this book very informative, easy to read, engaging and not too heavy.
I would recommend this book to Roman Catholics, pastors, evangelists and Bible teachers.
Ray Galea has performed a great service!
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Review by | 26/02/2009 |Did you find this review helpful?Yes|No
An excellent resource
Written by someone with a deep respect for his Catholic heritage, and a sincere search for the truth, this book is a real help to those seeking to be equipped in their defence of the biblical gospel in the face of false teaching from the Catholic Church.
An easy-to-understand read for anyone, this book is most suitable for:
Any Christian with friends who are Catholic;
Any Catholic who is seeking to find truth.
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Review by | 18/11/2008 |Did you find this review helpful?Yes|No
A good book but be careful who you give it to and how you use it
The book says it is written for both Catholics and Christians, and on this basis I gave it to a friend with a Catholic background without reading it myself. This was probably a mistake on my part, but if I had read the book first I would not have given it to my friend. This is because unless you have discussed with your Catholic friend the differences between Christianity and Catholicism first, or the Catholic person to whom you have given the book has questioned the Catholic faith, I think this book is too great an assault on the Catholic faith. I have no reason to doubt what is written in the book, and I found it extremely useful for me as a Bible-believing Christian, but I will be more careful about how I use the book in the future.
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Review by | 11/10/2008 |Did you find this review helpful?Yes|No
Nothing in my hand I bring
Moving, informative and insightful book about Roman Catholicism. Could be given to a carefully selected Roman Catholic, but would give great offense to most Catholics I suspect.
Probably this book will prove most useful to those trying to help Catholics or to Christians not clear on the huge differences between Roman Catholicism and Biblical Christianity.
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Review by | 24/04/2008 |Did you find this review helpful?Yes|No
Nothing in my hand I bring
Moving, informative and insightful book about Roman Catholicism. Could be given to a carefully selected Roman Catholic, but would give great offense to most Catholics I suspect.
Probably this book will prove most useful to those trying to help Catholics or to Christians not clear on the huge differences between Roman Catholicism and Biblical Christianity.
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Review by | 24/04/2008 |Did you find this review helpful?Yes|No
Excellent book highlighting differences between Protestants and Roman
What a good book this is, written by Ray Galea who is the Rector of a thriving multi-cultural church in Sydney. He describes how he was brought up in a devout Maltese Australian Catholic home. He explains in a very sensitive and compassionate way the significant differences between Roman Catholicism and Protestant Evangelical belief. In particular he writes about the Mass,the authority of the Bible, and justification (by faith alone, by grace alone, and in Christ alone). He concludes with a very helpful chapter on Mary, and another on the finished work of Christ.
It is very well written, is crystal clear and hugely clarified my understanding of Roman Catholicism. It would be very helpful for young Christians (and older ones!) who are not fully aware of the major differences between the two denominations. It would also be a very helpful evangelistic book (it is only 114 pages)for those who are investigating Christianity. I cannot recommend it warmly enough.
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Review by | 12/03/2008 |Did you find this review helpful?Yes|No
Informative, but too narrow in focus
I found this book accessible and interesting in setting out some of the basic issues for Catholic converts. However, the author speaks from his own experience of a fairly traditional form of Catholicism. It's simply not so relevant to more liberal Catholicism. Also, an attempt to convince by assertion, rather than setting out reasoned arguments, undermines the usefulness in practical evangelism.
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Review by | 22/02/2008 |Did you find this review helpful?Yes|No
A helpful book on the relationship between Catholics and Protestants
Anyone who has ever heard of the Roman Catholic Church should read this book. As a Catholic-turned-evangelical myself, I found this book clearly explains what I spend a lot of time failing to explain to people. As well as describing the key differences between Catholic and Protestant teaching, and why they matter, Galea also gives helpful insights into the relationship between the Church in Rome and the average Catholic sitting in Mass on a Sunday. The book is also very readable.
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Review by | 02/02/2008 |Did you find this review helpful?Yes|No
Helpful comparison of R.C. teachings with biblical view of salvation
This is an excellent book to give to Roman Catholic friends who may be struggling to reconcile a biblical view of salvation with the teachings of their own Church. It makes it perfectly clear that the two can never be reconciled, but does it in a manner that is not patronising or overly intellectual. I found it to be an immensely helpful, and heartwarming book, that is very clear in its explanation of exactly how we are put right with God. As an ex-Roman Catholic myself, I appreciated the turmoil the author went through when leaving the church he was brought up in, and the anguish this caused his family. In this respect, I found it to be very balanced. Anyone who has come through this same experience, but who may still have a lot of R.C. "baggage", will find this a very helpful little book.
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Review by | 28/12/2007 |Did you find this review helpful?Yes|No
A rivetting story of one man's quest for truth! An easy to read book setting out the journey of a man brought up in Roman Catholicism who begins to question its traditional teachings. A very helpful book to give to Roman Catholic friends to help them see the truth of God’s Word for themselves, Also an excellent book for contemporary Christians who may not understand the implications of Roman Catholic teaching. 
