My good friend, blogging cohort, and apologist extraordinaire Devin Rose has just released his first book. It’s titled If Protestantism Is True: The Reformation Meets Rome. In the book, Devin explores how things like the canon of Scripture, the saints, and Sacred Tradition all lead not to Protestantism but into the Catholic Church.
The book’s title reveals its primary method of exploration: If Protestantism Is True leans heavily on the logical tool reductio ad absurdum, “reduction to the absurd.” This method says, “If you assume A is true, then the absurd conclusion B must follow. But if you can’t accept the absurdities of B, then you can’t accept A either.” Devin applies this tool to many traditional Protestant beliefs like sola Scriptura, the dismissal of most Sacraments, and the rejection of papal authority, unveiling the natural ramifications of each claim.
But what’s great about this book is that it’s not just dry, intellectual gymnastics. Devin also includes anecdotes of real people wrestling with the claims of Protestantism. In the first chapter, for example, Devin lays out his own story, explaining his journey from atheism, to Evangelical Christianity, and finally to Catholicism. Devin’s conversion strengthens his arguments since he has experienced both sides of the Catholic/Protestant divide, choosing his position only after weighing the claims of each side.
Another thing I love is that the book is both charitable and intelligent–caritas in veritate, as a wise man encouraged. Many Catholic apologetical books coldly denigrate Protestantism. But Devin writes warmly and though he disagrees with most Protestant claims, he probes each one seriously and respectfully. It’s clear that Devin cares deeply about Christian unity, considering it not a game to be won but a goal to be passionately pursued.
Devin sent me the manuscript before he published the book and asked, if I liked the content, to provide a back cover endorsement. Here’s what I wrote:
“When I began to explore Catholicism as a Protestant, I Googled “why become Catholic?” Yet most of the results explained “how to become Catholic”–few explained “why.” What I was really searching for was a book like If Protestantism Is True.
This book pokes, prods, and wrestles with many Protestant beliefs, focusing not so much on why the Catholic alternatives are true, but how the Protestant ones come up short. Far from an angry polemic, Devin’s book investigates these turbulent issues with both charity and respect. Whether you struggle with the claims of Protestantism–or feel satisfied with them!–If Protestantism Is True will open your eyes to the rich, logical, Biblical-based claims of the Catholic Church.”
If Protestantism Is True is already available in paperback format, but you can download the Kindle version for just $2.99. For a new book, that’s tough to beat! The book is also available in ePub format.
 |
| Click to see a larger version of the cover image. |
Bonus Content
- Devin started his own publishing company, Unitas Books, whose mission is to “publish books that promote Christian unity.” I’m sure we’ll see many more gems published by Unitas in the near future.
- You can read the entire first chapter of If Protestantism Is True for free at the Unitas website.