Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #630739 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 544 pages

Customer Reviews

Much more than just another page-turner...
Marcus Grodi gives us a compelling novel -- one that draws us in, like the novels of Grisham and Turow. But there's much more here, an element of faith and struggle that is honestly and vividly drawn from life.

Mr. Grodi is himself a former Protestant minister who converted to the Catholic faith. Presumably, he knows the anguish and the turmoil of one who must choose between his livelihood on the one hand, and his intellectual and spiritual integrity on the other.

Those pressures are depicted in the characters of his novel -- in the main character, of course, but also in his friends, his family and his flock.

I recommend this book highly. It is more than merely diverting; it is highly instructive.

Engrossing
I started reading this tale and found I couldn't put it down. I am a mental health professional and was particularly intrigued by how skillfully Grodi depicts the many factors at play with someone making such basic changes as a conversion. I count among my friends a number of Protestant clergy. Now I have a much better understanding of hints they have given me! As a cradle Catholic I found I have taken entirely too much for granted.

Be not afraid
I grew up as a PK (preacher's kid), so a lot of this book hit home with me. My family switched churches quite a bit - denominations too. We were Baptists, Methodists, Congregationalists, and a couple others I can't even remember now. The way my father dealt with the variances within Protestantism was to adapt an ecumenical stance: "The smaller differences don't matter, as long as we all love Jesus". It sounds reasonable enough on the surface, but there are two major problems with this sentiment:

The first has to do with the "smaller differences". If it "really doesn't matter" how or when we baptize (for example), then why does it matter if we baptize at all? If it "really doesn't matter" if there are two or seven sacraments, then why does it matter if there are any sacraments at all? If none of the individual parts of Christianity matter, then it becomes easier and easier to conclude that the whole thing doesn't matter - which, sadly, is where many Christians end up.

The second problem has to do with the part that we all supposedly agree on: "loving Jesus". Even loving Him is different for the various denominations. Some believe that loving Him means simply accepting Him as their "Lord and Savior". But Jesus, Himself, said on at least two occasions, "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not DO the will of my Father?" Clearly, mere assent to His Lordship is not sufficient.

One of the characters in this book says that there are three reasons most Protestants won't even consider the possibility that the Catholic church is Christ's one true church: 1) prejudice, 2) ignorance of the Church's true teachings, and 3) the bad example of individual lukewarm Catholics. I agree, but that character left out one more important reason: fear.

I've found that many Protestants are simply afraid of pursuing the possibility that there is one single truth to Christianity. You see, discovering that one church has the truth necessarily means that the others are wrong - and that's scary! We live in a culture that says if little Johnny thinks two plus two equals five, well don't correct him, because it might embarrass him and hurt his feelings...and hurting someone's feelings is the one unpardonable sin of this age.

Furthermore, if it's discovered that one church indeed has the truth, then that might mean that someone has to change - and that's scary too! So scary, in fact, that multitudes of Christians studiously avoid any line of discussion or reasoning that might lead to the truth. Instead, they continue to repeat comfortable, safe and unchallenging Christian sounding platitudes, patting themselves on the back for not being "judgmental", and all the while never even scratching the surface of the kind of faith and life that Christ intended for them.

I congratulate Marcus Grodi on this book. His use of fictional characters to express real concerns is very effective. I especially liked some of the points made by the priest - particularly when he shows that the very earliest controversies in the Church on record (as described in the book of Acts) were resolved NOT with scripture, but by the authority of the Church - and, in particular, by the authority of Peter - just as Christ intended.

If you have a hunger for the truth, I strongly recommend you read this book. I guarantee you'll enjoy it. Be not afraid.