"The Biblical Basis for the Catholic Faith" by John Salza was on my 'to-be-read' list for several months. I hadn't picked up a copy yet but a friend brought it to Bible study one Saturday morning offering it to anyone who was interested. Then it sat next to the tv remote for a few months until I began to read it.
I was raised Catholic. I went off in different directions when I started college, and through my faith journey attended services at nearly every major denomination, even preached and witnessed in some. Two years ago, through a series of Spiritual revelations, I returned to the Catholic faith. What does this have to do with the book? Let me explain.
What became evident to me upon my return was that I had a deep arrogance regarding the Church. I thought I knew and understood its rituals and traditions, its beliefs. My exposure to the broader Christian community with its more overt importance on Scripture left me wondering about the very topic this book addresses, how much of the traditions of the church are Biblically based? As many believe, even some Catholics themselves, the traditions of the church do not appear to have a Biblical foundation.
"The Biblical Basis for the Catholic Faith" is a great read for anyone interested in knowing more about the foundation of Christianity and the Catholic faith. It can be read topically but the chapters build upon themselves so you will likely get more out of it reading it front to back. I would often find myself, unaware at first, that I would read several pages or a chapter, then spend time reflecting on it. Mr. Salza's writing style is clean, precise; he makes often tangled and difficult topics - like Reconciliation, Holy Communion, Priesthood, the Bible, Purgatory, Mary and the Saints - clear and covers a majority of the points both from a deep historical as well as spiritual perspective. He is firm and not condescending when he clarifies a point of separation between Catholicism and Protestant faiths.
I recommend for any Catholic who is wanting to understand more about the faith and wants to engage in deeper dialog more confidently with their non-Catholic friends; and likewise recommend for non-Catholics for the same reason.
I was raised Catholic. I went off in different directions when I started college, and through my faith journey attended services at nearly every major denomination, even preached and witnessed in some. Two years ago, through a series of Spiritual revelations, I returned to the Catholic faith. What does this have to do with the book? Let me explain.
What became evident to me upon my return was that I had a deep arrogance regarding the Church. I thought I knew and understood its rituals and traditions, its beliefs. My exposure to the broader Christian community with its more overt importance on Scripture left me wondering about the very topic this book addresses, how much of the traditions of the church are Biblically based? As many believe, even some Catholics themselves, the traditions of the church do not appear to have a Biblical foundation.
"The Biblical Basis for the Catholic Faith" is a great read for anyone interested in knowing more about the foundation of Christianity and the Catholic faith. It can be read topically but the chapters build upon themselves so you will likely get more out of it reading it front to back. I would often find myself, unaware at first, that I would read several pages or a chapter, then spend time reflecting on it. Mr. Salza's writing style is clean, precise; he makes often tangled and difficult topics - like Reconciliation, Holy Communion, Priesthood, the Bible, Purgatory, Mary and the Saints - clear and covers a majority of the points both from a deep historical as well as spiritual perspective. He is firm and not condescending when he clarifies a point of separation between Catholicism and Protestant faiths.
I recommend for any Catholic who is wanting to understand more about the faith and wants to engage in deeper dialog more confidently with their non-Catholic friends; and likewise recommend for non-Catholics for the same reason.
