The Drama of Salvation (Catholic Answers)

The Drama of Salvation is the latest book from Jimmy Akin, senior apologist at Catholic Answers. The main aim of this book is to open a dialogue between Catholics and Protestants where they understand what the other is talking about. Akin hopes that Catholics and Protestants will stop talking at each other or past each other and instead engage in real and meaningful conversations, where they come to the realization that they either agree on some points or their disagreements aren't as drastic as often thought. There are nine chapters and seven bonus sections. The chapter titles are as follows:

1. The Drama of Salvation
2. Salvation Past, Present, and Future
3. Temporal and Eternal Salvation
4. Doing Penance
5. Indulgences
6. Faith, Works, and Boasting
7. Justification in Catholic Teaching
8. Justification and Ecumenism
9. Outside the Church, No Salvation?

The chapters were busting at the seams with information and very well organized. Akin used not only the Catechism to make his point, but relied heavily on Scripture. In his use of Scripture, he helped clarify key points regarding salvation that would make for effective dialogue with Protestants. I found this especially true in the chapters on justification. For the most part, Protestants have a view of salvation and justification being a one-time thing. They also believe that their salvation cannot be lost. Akin, with the use of Scripture, explains that Catholics believe that salvation is an ongoing process. He also shows how justification happened in the past, the present, and will in the future. Akin goes further to explain that the original Reformers actually had very Catholic beliefs about salvation and justification, and that ideas like "once saved always saved" are fairly new to the scene.

One of the most helpful chapters for me was the one on indulgences. As a former Protestant, I still struggle with this Church teaching. This chapter answered a lot of my questions, and made me feel a bit more at ease with the subject. I can't say that it was a light switch that flipped and I'm Mr. Indulgence now, but I do have a new understanding and respect for them and hope to slowly become more accepting of them and utilize them. This chapter is great for Protestants, converts, and even cradle Catholics. In addition to the nine chapters listed above, there are also bonus sections. I won't list them all out, but as a Pope Benedict XVI fan, it's no surprise my favorite one was "Pope Benedict XVI on St. Paul and the Doctrine of Justification."

I highly recommend this book for Catholics and Protestants. Most books written of this nature eventually turn into an attack on one side or the other. Instead, Mr. Akin does a masterful job of presenting just the facts in a way that both sides can better understand the other side. By doing this, he has provided a way for meaningful dialogue to occur. I know it is probably a pipe dream, but I would love to see this book written again, but replacing Protestantism with Eastern Orthodoxy. I often find myself wishing I could have better discussions with them, but maybe I am in the minority when it comes to that. Anyways, like I said earlier, I highly recommend this book, and recommend you buy it, read it, and re-read it. You won't be disappointed. I know I wasn't!

This book was provided to me for free by Catholic Answers in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

Remade for Happiness (Ignatius Press)

Today in Fulton Sheen week, I will be reviewing Remade for Happiness. This book was originally published in 1946, but Ignatius Press has recently re-released it for our spiritual edification! There are fourteen chapters in this book. The first seven are questions Sheen asks and answers for us.

1. Are you happy?
2. What is God like?
3. What are you like?
4. How did you get that way?
5. Who can remake you?
6. Is religion purely individual?
7. How can you be remade (if you so choose to be remade)?

As you can see, there is a natural progression with the questions. The first question leads us to the realization that though we experience moments of happiness, we are not truly happy. If we were, then we wouldn't need to continue to look for happiness. The second question introduces to God, the One who can make us happy. We are then juxtaposed with God and it is explained why we are the way we are. Chapter Five brings God back into the picture and explains that we cannot remake ourselves. If we could, we would not need God. Six also strips away the pride of the individual letting us know that we cannot experience salvation alone. We need others to get to Heaven. That is why we have Mother Church. Then, in one of the longer chapters, Chapter Seven walks us through the process of being remade.

The next four chapters in this book walk us through the Four Last Things - Judgment, Purgatory, Hell, and Heaven. He explains that in our judgment, everything will be stripped away and we will be left to be judged by our choices. However, God will not be the one judging us. We will be judging ourselves by the life we lived. There will be no pleading or bargaining, merely the cold reality of truth. After this judgment, he explains so succinctly that there are three possible destinations. "Hell: Pain without Love; Purgatory: Pain with Love; and Heaven: Love without Pain." The final three chapters fittingly deal with faith, hope, and charity (or love).

I was born 3 years after Fulton Sheen's death, so I never had the opportunity to see or listen to him live. That doesn't mean I haven't watched or listened to almost all of his old programs, though. This book is classic Sheen and reads like he is there speaking the words to you. It is practical, straightforward theology without unnecessary words. Part of me is telling me to pass on my copy of this book to someone else, so they may gain from its riches. The other part of me is telling me to keep this book and reread it at least once more. You too might experience this conflict after you read it, so you better buy two!

This book was provided to me for free by Ignatius Press in exchange for an honest review. If you found this book helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

Thirty Steps to Heaven (Ancient Faith Press)

Is there a book on your shelf that has been there too long? One that you wish you could understand, but no matter how many times you pick it up, it just doesn't make sense to you? Sadly, I have a few books like that on my shelf. One in particular is The Ladder of Divine Ascent by St. John Climacus. Every Lent, I pull out my copy from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, and every year I get a few pages in and quit in disgust. Not this year! This year I have Thirty Steps to Heaven to help me!

Before I review, Thirty Steps to Heaven, I think I should clarify what The Ladder of Divine Ascent is for those unfamiliar with it. The Ladder is an ascetical treatise, intended for monastics, on how to obtain salvation. It was written in the 7th Century by Fr. John of Sinai (also known as Climacus, meaning of the Ladder), and is traditionally read by monastics every Great Lent. There are currently two versions in print. I prefer the one from Holy Transfiguration Monastery as it is a nice hardcover, has verse numbers and has other useful texts inside. The other version is printed by Paulist Press and contains an introduction by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, possibly worth buying just for the introduction. Fr. Papavassiliou, the author of Thirty Steps to Heaven, chose the Paulist Press edition for quoting in his book.

Knowing this about The Ladder of Divine Ascent, why would a non-monastic want to read this book? Better yet, how could he ever hope to understand it or apply it to his life? Enter Fr. Papavassiliou and his wonderful book, Thirty Steps to Heaven. Aimed at the non-monastic, this book takes excerpts from the thirty rungs of The Ladder and then applies them to one's daily life. The first thing I like about this book is how the author divides the rungs of The Ladder into seven sections:

• The Break with the World
• The Fundamental Virtues
• The Spiritual Passions
• The Physical Passions
• The Spiritual Passions (continued)
• The Higher Virtues
• Union with God

Doing this not only provides logical breaks, but it also focuses the reader's mind on the goal of each section as they ascend The Ladder. I must admit that the first section alone, The Break with the World, was enough to knock me to my knees. These first three steps focus on detachment from the world, renunciation (or not longing from the world you just detached yourself from), and exile (or humility and not seeking glory in anything we do). After reading these steps, I experienced both a longing to climb these three steps and doubt on whether or not I was able to.

Another thing I appreciate about this book is that it can be read as a stand-alone book, not just in conjunction with The Ladder. With extensive quotes, an easily-read explanation of each rung, and a humble tone, Fr. Papavassiliou makes this difficult ascetical treatise available to the laity, like myself. I think the step that hit home the most for me dealt with talkativeness. "Talkativeness is the throne of vainglory on which it loves to preen itself and show off. Talkativeness is a sign of ignorance, a doorway to slander, a leader of jesting..." The quote goes on to further tell the evils of talkativeness, and all I keep thinking to myself is, Amen. Teach me intelligent silence, Lord.

I find myself picking up this book and re-reading the same step several times per day, letting more knowledge sink in each time. I will soon pick up The Ladder again, with this book by its side, and read with hopefully a little less frustration and a little more understanding. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all, no matter if you are Orthodox, Catholic, or Protestant. It is the perfect book for Lent, but can honestly be read at any time of the year. May we all ascend The Ladder which leads to Paradise. Also, be sure to purchase, Fr. Papavassiliou's next book, Meditations for Holy Week. There's a preview in the back of this book, and it looks just as awesome as Meditations for Advent and Meditations for Great Lent.

This book was provided to me for free by Ancient Faith Publishing in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

Orthodox Thursday: Born to Hate Reborn to Love

Today, is the Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist. He has a special place in my heart, so today I am bringing back a neglected segment on this blog...Orthodox Thursday! I apologize to my audience who missed this section, but there just aren't a lot of Orthodox publishers out there, and the few there are don't send review copies out to bloggers. I would like to thank Mount Thabor Publishing for sending me two of their books to review.

Born to Hate Reborn to Love is the spiritual autobiography of Klaus Kenneth. The book starts off with Mr. Kenneth explaining where his hatred came from. His relationship with his mother can best be described as emotionally abusive. Then, a priest sexually abused him for seven years. One could argue that there is no wonder he developed a hatred for both Christianity and humanity in general. That's not to say that all priests perform such acts -- far from it! However, a tragedy like the one that occurred to Mr. Kenneth can definitely scar a person and make them question Christianity, because a priest is supposed to be someone you can trust.

We then follow Mr. Kenneth through a whirlwind of spiritual seeking. Demonic arts in Mexico, Transcendental Meditation in Hamburg, and Hinduism in India were just some of the escapes from Western Civilization and Christianity that Mr. Kenneth explored in hopes of finding power. I could definitely feel the frenetic searching for something more in his words, but I believe he elaborated on his darker moments a little too much. I understand that he was trying to make his life an open book, but some of his experiences of power that he gained from Satan could serve as a temptation to readers. Eventually, Mr. Kenneth made right with God and we learn that he ultimately became an Orthodox Christian.

The most amazing parts of the book to me were his talks with Blessed Mother Teresa and Elder Sophrony. These are two of the great spiritual giants, one Catholic and one Orthodox, and he got to have extended conversations with each of them! In fact, it was under the guidance and prayers of Elder Sophrony that this version of his book came to be published, as opposed to the original onein which the author feels he glorified his old adventures and built a shrine to his ego. It is truly amazing to have someone that wise and close to God, looking over you and praying for you.

Overall, I would give this book 4 out 5 stars. The author's story is a story of hope, hope that no matter how far away we run from God, He will always be there with open arms to welcome us home. In this book, you will run the gamut of emotions both with the author and toward the author. You will experience sorrow at his tragedies, frustrations at his repeated poor decisions, and elation when he finally figures it all out and realizes that Jesus is the answer to all the questions in this life. This was truly a tale of a sinner's redemption, and I guarantee there was a huge party in Heaven when Klaus Kenneth joined the flock!

If you found this review helpful, please click the link and hit Yes.

Catholic Monday: What must I do to be Saved?

"What must I do to be saved?" This question from the rich young man in Luke's Gospel still tugs at man's heart today. I certainly felt this struggle in my spiritual journey in my early 20s, and I wish that a book of this nature had been written when I was going through my spiritual turmoil. What must I do to be Saved? is written by Marcus Grodi, a convert who hosts the television show The Journey Home on EWTN. He also founded The Coming Home Network for people who have converted or are interested in converting to the Catholic Church.

The book starts off explaining the Protestant path of salvation, which varies from pastor to pastor. Most methods consist of some form of the Romans Road (scripture passages in the Letter to the Romans that help you realize you're a sinner in need of being saved), which leads to a sinner's prayer and has led to the whole "Jesus and me" attitude. Mr. Grodi then goes on to explain why this method is insufficient and how one can still feel like they aren't saved because they didn't experience that emotional feeling. I remember the Romans Road well, and definitely prayed the sinners prayer what seemed like hundreds of times.

Mr. Grodi then uses the rest of the book to walk the reader through an Old Testament path of salvation and a New Testament path. With his clear flow charts, one can see the striking similarities between the two and see how the Old Covenant was replaced by the New Covenant, complete with grace, sacraments, and the Church. I definitely feel like I could have used this explanation when I was going through a searching phase, from my Southern Baptist background to my eventual conversion to Catholicism.

I have one grief with this book, and it occurred in a paragraph in the Conclusion.When asked about how he views the Eastern Orthodox Church, Mr. Grodi said, "A quick glance into any phone book reveals the absence of unity...The Orthodox churches are divided churches not one united Family of God." I assume he is referring to the fact that there are Greek, Russian, Antiochian, etc. Just because they say their Liturgy in a different language, does not mean they aren't united in their beliefs. These are our Eastern brothers, and Jesus wanted us to be one.

For the reason above, I am taking away 1 star from my rating of this and only giving 4 out of 5 stars. Blessed John Paul II worked toward ecumenism, as did Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. I'd even wager Pope Francis will as well. The above section should be omitted if this book is ever edited and a revised edition is released. Other than that, it was a well-laid out book that would benefit someone at any stage in their journey from Protestantism to Catholicism.