The Tide Is Turning Toward Catholicism: The Converts

Catholic Exchange ^ | July 2, 2007 | David Hartline

[NYer]

It started with Scott Hahn and it is still going strong.  The number of prominent Protestant clergy and theologians coming to the Catholic Church has been nothing short of remarkable.  Priests like Father Dwight Longenecker and Father Alvin Kimel are new to the Church and they bring a lot of enthusiasm, scholarship and wit and humor with them.  Father Longenecker might be the only priest who is a graduate of the admittedly anti-Catholic institute of higher learning, Bob Jones University.  Deacon Alex Jones, a former pastor in a prominent African-American Pentacostalist Church in Detroit left behind a vibrant, growing congregation.  However, the pull of Catholicism's 2,000 year-old history and her ability to weather many storms was too much for Deacon Jones.  He now travels around the country telling his conversion story.  In addition, there have been prominent theologians and university scholars like Dr Francis Beckwith, who very recently was the head of the Evangelical Theological Society.  He came home to the Church in April.  The aftershocks from his reversion to Catholicism (he was born into the faith but later left the Church for Evangelicalism during his teenage years in the heyday of the "Jesus Movement,") still are being felt.  He followed Joshua Hochschild who surprised many in the theological world when he recently converted to Catholicism.

In my book The Tide Is Turning Toward Catholicism, I note that while many in the media, even some Catholics, are focused on those who have left the Church, few have noticed the significance of so many prominent members of other faiths who have come home to Rome.  It should be noted that many who left the Catholic Faith, usually for a non-denominational mega church, often can't give a theological reason.  They can only say that they enjoy the liveliness and entertainment that a mega church often provides.  It is most encouraging that Catholicism is getting the crème of the crop from other churches.  Entry into the Church for these converts is usually made after a long, difficult journey to come to terms with something that they never thought possible.  For some, like Scott Hahn and Father Dwight Longenecker, the Faith they once mocked is the Faith they have changed their lives and alienated family and friends to join, a decision not taken lightly. 

Often, it is an attempt to better understand Catholicism in order to disprove it that leads to conversion, when they simply could not come up with anything to dispute the key tenets of Catholicism: Scripture and Tradition, the Sacraments, Apostolic Tradition and the role of Mary.  They found themselves falling into the trap that the eminent Pharisee Gamaliel warned about in Acts 5:33-39. They might be fighting against God.

Many of the former converts, some of whom were admitted anti-Catholics, have now become prominent defenders of the faith.  Dr. Scott Hahn is a mainstay at Franciscan University and is often seen on EWTN.  As a matter of fact there are so many converts and reverts coming home to the Church that one of the most popular shows on EWTN is The Journey Home, hosted by Marcus Grodi.  Besides clergy and scholars there are hundreds of thousands who have entered the Church in recent years. This past Easter, it was announced that over 100,000 people came into the Church, just in the United States.  While bloggers and Catholic apologists Mark Shea and Jimmy Akin came into the Church some time ago, Aimee Milburn and Gerald Augustinus along with twin brothers David Bennett and Jonathan Bennett have chronicled their recent journeys into the Church via their blogs.  It is a truly remarkable story that often gets little media attention.  If the converts keep coming, the Tiber is going to get mighty crowded.  Indeed, the tide is turning!

[ears_to_hear]

Yes it is amazing when one sees spiritual things with spiritual discernment.:)

[bethelgrad]

Ok here we go, a handful of scholars converting to RCC does not a movement make, though it does beef up your propaganda pieces a bit. As a Protestant on the ground among many Catholics everyday in the military, I can assure you that I have personally led many of yours to a personal relationship with Christ. All I do is read them the scriptures. The words of grace spoken of by Paul do more than remove the barnacles of “tradition,” they convert the soul.

[ichabod1]

Interesting. So many people have wondered what the Church would do about the priest shortage. How incredible it would be if the ranks were swelled by the ministers of other denominations.

[ichabod1]

Good for you for having the intellectual honesty to admit you had excommunicated yourself by not accepting what the Church teaches.

[ichabod1]

What do you mean by “being saved?” Is it a sudden overwhelming compulsion to wave your arms in the air with your eyes closed and sway back and forth while listening to “Jesus is my boyfriend” music?

[highlander_UW]

That was my thought. I'm in a small men's group and just a few weeks ago we realized that every single member had been raised as a catholic.

The bottom line is, truth is not determined by numbers of members...so it really doesn't matter what sort of anecdotal rah rah the author cares to present.

[ears_to_hear]

Act 16:30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
Act 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Rom 5:6 ¶ For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Rom 5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Rom 5:11 And not only [so], but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

No mass, no sacraments, no law keeping... salvation by the grace and mercy of God

1Cr 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.

[Iscool]

What do you mean by “being saved?” Is it a sudden overwhelming compulsion to wave your arms in the air with your eyes closed and sway back and forth while listening to “Jesus is my boyfriend” music?

Clearly you are trying to be facetious but that's ok...

AND, while I don't recollect weaving back and forth, there have been times that I've raised my arms/hands in the air praising and worshiping God...

And my take on the music is that if the lyrics glorify God, and you don't get a compulsion to go into a dance mode, it's Christian music to me...

Y'all folks that think that you can do something that will please God don't have a clue what I'm talking about...But I, and those millions like me just sit back and let God handle it...That's cause there's nothing I can do that will please God unless He is the author of it...

Phi 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

But yes, I tried to understand the Bible without submitting to Jesus Christ...I may as well have been trying to read the Harvard five foot shelf of Classics, in Arabic...

[Notwithstanding]

Well, God love ya’ for persevering despite some of the fools we must rely upon to confect the Eucharist!

JPII and B16 are doing a good job making the current crop of swishy pastors who would rather “share our stories” than share the gospel. Isn’t it interesting that pro-life homeschooling Marian Eucharistic stories never get told in such parishes? Only certain stories are legit, apparently.

[Notwithstanding]

Well, God love ya’ for persevering despite some of the fools we must rely upon to confect the Eucharist!

JPII and B16 are doing a good job making __irrelevant__ the current crop of swishy pastors who would rather “share our stories” than share the gospel. Isn’t it interesting that pro-life homeschooling Marian Eucharistic stories never get told in such parishes? Only certain stories are legit, apparently.

[Notwithstanding]

Thats odd.

At our military chapel, the Catholic parish is thriving, despite a lackluster (but kind and orthodox) pastor.

We have many people converting, too.

And the Protestant services keep getting smaller.

Same when I was deployed - protestant services were almost empty - but Catholic Mass was always packed.

[Tax-chick]

It started with Scott Hahn and it is still going strong.

Honestly, he lost me right here. He might as well have said, "It started with Cardinal Newman," if he had to give a historical background :-).

[AliVeritas]

What were the theological reasons?

[Salvation]

The Tide Is Turning Toward Catholicism: The Converts

John Calvin Made Me Catholic

Journey Home - May 21 - Neil Babcox (former Presbyterian) - A minister encounters Mary

Going Catholic - Six journeys to Rome

My (Imminent) Reception into the Roman Catholic Church

From Calvinist to Catholic

A Convert's Pilgrimage [Christopher Cuddy]

From Pastor to Parishioner: My Love for Christ Led Me Home (to the Catholic Church) [Drake McCalister]

Lutheran professor of philosophy prepares to enter Catholic Church

Patty Bonds (former Baptist and sister of Dr. James White) to appear on The Journey Home - May 7

Pastor and Flock Become Catholics

The journey back - Dr. Beckwith explains his reasons for returning to the Catholic Church

Famous Homosexual Italian Author Returned to the Church Before Dying of AIDS

Dr. Francis Beckwith Returns To Full Communion With The Church

Catholic Converts - Stephen K. Ray (former Evangelical)

Catholic Converts - Malcolm Muggeridge

Catholic Converts - Richard John Neuhaus

Catholic Converts - Avery Cardinal Dulles

Catholic Converts - Israel (Eugenio) Zolli - Chief Rabbi of Rome

Catholic Converts - Robert H. Bork , American Jurist (Catholic Caucus)

Catholic Converts - Marcus Grodi

Why Converts Choose Catholicism

The Scott Hahn Conversion Story

FORMER PENTECOSTAL RELATES MIRACLE THAT OCCURRED WITH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD

[Salvation]

BTTT! It’s always great to hear about the military chapels! Thank you!

[Salvation]

Hopefully men who cnverted to Catholicism can also join your Catholic Men’s Group, not just the cradle Catholics.

[Salvation]

**, a handful of scholars converting to RCC **

There are many regular converts here on The Religion Forum too.

God bless you in your misled information and lead you to the truth.

[highlander_UW]

Hopefully men who cnverted to Catholicism can also join your Catholic Men’s Group, not just the cradle Catholics.

Of course, as well as people who have never heard of the catholic church...it was just a coincidence, although a couple have aversion to organized Christianity rooted in their catholic backgrounds, and one in particular struggles with legalism. But that's just the group I'm in, I'm sure there are groups with people who struggle with those issues that had no contact with catholicism...which is to say, catholics don't have that market cornered, people from all backgrounds can struggle with the same issues.

[Salvation]

I noticed since I worked from the botton up that this is a Protestant group. Not funny that you did not mention it in your reply. Honesty, honesty, honesty.

Sorry about my mistaken post.

Hopefully everyone knows that they can return to the Catholic Church at any time. All they need to do is find a priest they can talk with and make an appointment for the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession)

It would also be helpful to them if they were to attend a class for Returning Catholics. The one at our church is entitled, “Catholics Can Come Home Again.” Hoever, there are several with different names.

[AliVeritas]

Be careful, remember how you received the scriptures.

As you say, and this goes for all, unless you know Christ, you can’t love him. It’s a relationship.

Barnicles of Tradition? (shakes head)
I’m shocked, at least I thought you would say you had a different definition of tradition...

For some reason, some think the scriptures preclude Tradition. What did everyone do while waiting for the letters of Paul and the gospels?

What would Paul say re: his words of grace converts souls?
I bet he would speak of his own conversion and what drove him. Paul himself does not give grace. But you knew that.

Pleased to speak with a Bethel grad.