Talking with Catholics about the Gospel: A Guide for Evangelicals

by Christopher A. Castaldo

In Talking with Catholics about the Gospel , author Chris Castaldo provides an easy-to-follow introduction to basic Catholic belief and practice, equipping evangelical Protestants for more fruitful spiritual conversations. Written in accessible, non-technical language, this short book offers Based in part on Castaldo's experience as a Catholic and time spent working professionally in the Catholic Church, Talking with Catholics about the Gospel gives readers a framework for recognizing where lines of similarity and difference fall between Catholics and evangelical Protestants, along with handy tips for engaging in spiritual discussions. Readers will gain encouragement and practical insights for gracious and worthwhile discussions of faith with Catholic believers.

Genres: Evangelism, Catholic, Christian, Theology

192 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 2015

About the author

Chris Castaldo (BA, Moody Bible Institute; MDiv, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; PhD, London School of Theology) was raised on Long Island, New York. For the last sixteen years, he has served in the Chicagoland area, at College Church in Wheaton and then at Wheaton College where he directed the Ministry of Gospel Renewal, a ministry devoted to equipping evangelicals for constructive engagement with Catholic friends and loved ones. Since November of 2014, Chris has served as Lead Pastor of New Covenant Church, Naperville.

Chris has authored and contributed to several books including: The Unfinished Reformation: What Unites and Divides Catholics and Protestants after 500 Years (cowritten with Gregg Allison), Talking with Catholics about the Gospel: A Guide for Evangelicals (Zondervan, 2015), Journeys of Faith: Evangelicalism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Anglicanism (Zondervan, 2012), and Holy Ground: Walking with Jesus as a Former Catholic (Zondervan, 2009). He has written articles for publications such as Religion News Service, Christianity Today, Touchstone Journal, Credo Magazine, Themelios, First Things, and The Gospel Coalition.

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a lot of really good explanation of what the major differences between Catholicism and Protestantism are, all while maintaining the balance of "Catholics need the gospel" and "There are genuinely saved Catholics". The historical overview of the Catholic Church was helpful, as were the practical tips for sharing the gospel(though I wish there were more and that this occupied a bigger section of the book). A good resource that left me wanting a bit more.

[Mallory · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book I'd heard about when it first came out around 10 years ago and I had the best intentions of reading it, but it got buried in the shuffle. Having grown up around Catholic family members and befriended folks who once were practicing Catholics but are no longer, I think this was a useful guide to help understand the similarities and differences between these Christian traditions. I did not feel comfortable addressing these topics and questions when I was younger, though I had many questions! Some of the author's tips regarding conversations seemed pretty common-sense obvious to me, but sadly, they aren't to everyone. He reminded me what I've been coming to the realization for a long time: that no person is a project. To treat them as such is to miss the point of sharing your faith.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really appreciated the tone of this book—gracious and gospel-centered—and certainly learned a great deal about the history of and modern state of the Roman Catholic Church. It was pretty introductory, but it was a great start!

[Judith Ingram · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an evangelical Protestant, I’ve often wondered how I can share the faith that means so much to me with Catholic family and friends, without confronting, offending, or confusing them. This book, Talking with Catholics about the Gospel: A Guide for Evangelicals, provides a short, accessible introduction to the basic theologies of both Catholics and Protestants and offers practical tips for engaging Catholics in religious conversation with respect and love but without compromising the foundational tenets of one’s faith.

The author, Chris Castaldo, was raised as a Roman Catholic and worked several years in the Catholic church. God’s calling took him on a different trajectory, leading him into Reformed theology and to his current position as lead pastor at New Covenant Church in Naperville, Illinois. Far from presenting himself as a disgruntled Catholic, however, Castaldo urges Protestants to learn more about Catholic theology, the significance of the Church and its sacraments, and how faith for many Catholics is an inextricable part of one’s family roots and cultural identity. He defines three different kinds of Catholic practice—traditional, evangelical, and cultural—and offers a brief history of Roman Catholicism from the onset of the Reformation in the early 1500s, which sparked centuries of debates, councils, and edicts that have shaped the Catholic faith into what it is today.

Castaldo describes important beliefs that Catholics and Protestants share in common. Such unities of faith are often overlooked in religious debates and include belief in the Bible as the inspired word of God, the doctrine of the Trinity, the sinful plight of humans in need of salvation, affirmation of the Nicene and Apostles’ Creeds, and the responsibility of Christians to care for the poor, fight for social justice, preserve life, and defend the biblical definition of marriage. Nevertheless, Castaldo does not shy away from defining important differences between Catholic and Protestant viewpoints, and he stands firmly with the evangelical Protestant perspective. He points out three foundational issues where Catholics and Protestants disagree: (a) sources of religious authority, (b) the nature of Christ’s incarnation, and (c) how a person can be saved.

(a) Since the time of Luther, Protestants have upheld the motto sola scriptura, or “Scripture alone,” as the one true source of God’s authority on earth. Church leaders, councils, and sacred traditions are all imperfect and subordinate to what the Bible teaches. This is to say that the Church and its leaders are susceptible to error. Roman Catholics, on the other hand, believe in three equally authoritative sources: the Bible, sacred traditions of the Church, and the Magisterium, or the teaching authority of the pope and bishops to infallibly interpret sacred text and tradition. This interpretive office cannot err or be questioned.

(b) The incarnation of Christ is a one-time event for Protestants that occurred when God became human in the form of Jesus of Nazareth. For Catholics, the Church itself is the ongoing incarnation of Christ and is endowed with Christ’s divine attribute of infallibility. This is why Protestants take communion elements “in remembrance” of Christ’s work on the cross, but Catholics take the elements as a means of taking the essence of the incarnate Christ into themselves.

(c) Means of salvation has been a hotly disputed point of debate. For Catholics, justification (how God removes guilt and accepts the sinner) is a process of acquiring merit through good works and receiving the sacraments while also losing merit through sinful deeds. Salvation itself can be lost, and purgatory is a place where sinners suffer after death until they achieve enough merit to be accepted into God’s holy presence. Protestants believe in a one-time event of believing and receiving the atoning gift of Christ’s righteousness that secures eternal life for the sinner. This viewpoint may seem outrageously presumptuous to a Catholic when it overlooks the ongoing sanctifying work of the Spirit to transform the saved person into a likeness of Christ. Protestants, on the other hand, may view with scorn the Catholic’s belief that one can earn salvation, but they overlook the Catholic’s obedience to Christ’s commands to do good works as a necessary extension of Christ’s presence on earth and proof of discipleship.

The book concludes with ten principles for guiding the evangelical Protestant’s interactions with brothers and sisters in the Catholic faith. Christ commands us to share the gospel with Catholics, but as a way of loving and serving them, not defeating or shaming them. As we come to understand that Catholics hold their beliefs as closely and deeply as evangelical Protestants hold theirs, we can remember that we love and serve our Lord Jesus above all else, and as he shared his message with both grace and uncompromising truth, so also should we.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Compromise

Author does gymnastics with doctrine to minimize the enormous theological chasm between Biblical Protestantism and Roman Catholicism. Strongly recommend you read “Are We Together?” by the late RC Sproul for a more precise view of the doctrinal differences. I am a former Catholic now Reformed Protestant.

[Ethan Marstella · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not quite up on the same level as Anyabwile’s “The Gospel for Muslims,” this was still a generally helpful read. Best part was the chapter on Catholic Church history from the 16th century today and how it has shaped major church teachings. I appreciated Castaldo’s constant plea for love and grace in conversations.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I’m Catholic. I was a Protestant for 27 years. After converting my wife bought two books. This and one by RC Sproul. This book I believe is a fair and honest book. I think he is mistaken and the Catholic Church is the church Jesus founded and the gates of hell will not prevail over it. Regardless it is well written, fair to the Catholic faith, and gracious about the differences.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good, some not so good. While I appreciate gaining a better picture of RC beliefs and reasons behind those beliefs, I also think the author comes too close to recognizing RC as an orthodox religion. More practical examples on how to evangelize RC members would also have been better.

[Tom Heasman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful book, and a good challenge to my instinctive bent to be more confrontational and hostile than perhaps is wholly necessary.

[Saul W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cozy.

[Shane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, sober and fair-minded approach to explaining the differences between Protestantism and Catholicism, from a former Catholic turned Protestant pastor. Highly recommend!

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of grace and truth.

[Kevin Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book thinking it would be a light read. And it mostly was. But I was actually surprised at how heavily researched it is, especially in the first two chapters. The author sometimes includes what feels like a food note in every sentence of some paragraphs, especially the one dealing with the history of the Roman Catholic Church.

Castaldo certainly is a well read man in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, and his experience as a former Roman Catholic does give you some insight. I did find myself disagreeing with some of the statements he makes, especially towards the end of the book. It seemed to me a little ambiguous.

Very good for the history parts and, and found helpful the classifications of the different Roman Catholics. Also found helpful some of his stories. The first chapters were very well written. But I can't help but remain unconvinced about his approach to Roman Catholicism, how big the differences really are between us, and how definitional the Gospel is for our understanding of Christianity as a whole.

If someone were to ask me for another option of a similar book, short, clear and easy to read, I would probably suggest "Are We Together" by R. C. Sproul.

[Brian Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good introduction to the topic of how evangelicals and Catholics differ. Castaldo is a former Catholic who is also very gracious. He often emphasizes the things that the two groups have in common. He also emphasizes the need to love our Catholic neighbors. The book is lacking in depth, but he does provide an overview of the Catholic faith, which includes describing in broad terms the varieties of Catholics that one may reasonably expect to meet, a brief overview of Catholic history since the time of the Reformation, and the areas of doctrine and practice that divide the two groups.

This is a short book and easy to read. For more information on how Catholics and evangelicals differ, one would do well to read Gregg Allison's Roman Catholic Theology and Practice: An Evangelical Assessment.

[Tim Augustyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a lot of combative books out there about Catholics and Evangelicals. This isn't one of them. The author talks honestly about the similarities and differences between the two camps (from an Evangelical perspective) in ways that don't make Catholics look naïve, dumb, hostile, or extra-terrestrial, but human.

This is a real attempt to help Evangelicals make peace (not war) with their Catholic neighbors, friends, and family. I have never seen anything like it. And the chapter "The Top 10 Questions about Catholics" is worth the price of the book.

Tim

[Robert Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book before my recent mission trip to Nicaragua hoping it would offer some insight into the thoughts and beliefs of the people with whom I would come in contact. This book offered a very detailed account of the history of the Catholic church (which was very interesting) and begain by establishin some common ground between Catholics and Protestants. It emphasized sharing the truth WITH love and gives practical advice on what to say and what not to say when you're talking with your Catholic friends and relatives.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super helpful! As a Protestant just beginning a Catholic grad program, this book gave me great context and helpful information on how to communicate well with classmates and professors. The first half was a good intro to Catholic history, and the second very helpfully addressed doctrinal differences and best practices for communicating without giving offense. As I said before, it was very helpful.

[James Hansee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a good primer on issues related to Catholicism and having conversations with Catholics. He does a good job of identifying various types of Catholic people and of being respectful of Catholics throughout the book. This short read does not go into depth on all the issues identified, but will encourage the reader to think about the right things. This is a good read for any church leader or Christian who lives among a sizeable Catholic population.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good, easy to read book. But disappointed as knowing the differences with Catholic after all then one would ask then how? It wasn’t quite clear how to bring the gaps in salvation and authority issues to close.