Orthodoxy & Catholicism: A Comparison

by Dave Armstrong

It has been my strong desire for some time now to revise my book in order to emphasize ecumenism and unity proportionately a lot more than in the first (2004) edition. I'm much more interested in finding common ground. I've also learned a thing or two about Orthodoxy over the past decade. I wanted this volume to be able to read by Orthodox and also Eastern Catholics, without having seizures or going into apoplectic fits (caused by my ignorance or overly polemical or biased writing). I exaggerate, of course, but perhaps not by much! Toward that end I have enlisted a very qualified Eastern Catholic friend to contribute significant portions to the revised edition: Fr. Deacon Daniel G. Dozier. The revision remains an apologetic for Catholicism and respectful critique of Orthodoxy, but now it also includes friendly ecumenical discussion and dialogue: feedback and input from the Eastern theological perspective. The overall tone, tenor, and goal is considerably different. Unity is stressed as much as apologetics.

Genres: Catholic, Theology, Church History

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 24, 2007

About the author

I was received into the Catholic Church in 1991 (was evangelical); conversion story in the book Surprised by Truth (1994). Articles: The Catholic Answer, This Rock, Envoy, & The Coming Home Journal. Many nationally syndicated Catholic radio appearances including Catholic Answers Live; Faith and Family Live. My website, Biblical Evidence for Catholicism, was online from March 1997 to March 2007. My blog began in February 2004 & contains more than 2500 papers (including more than 50 separate web pages and 570+ dialogues). Sophia Institute Press has published four of my 23 books: A Biblical Defense of Catholicism (2003), The Catholic Verses (2004), The One-Minute Apologist (2007), and Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths (2009). I am co-author (with Dr. Paul Thigpen) of the inserts for The New Catholic Answer Bible (Our Sunday Visitor: 2005), & editor for The Wisdom of Mr. Chesterton: The Very Best Quotes Quips and Cracks from the Pen of G. K. Chesterton (Saint Benedict Press / TAN Books: 2009).

Happily married to Judy since October 1984: three sons & a daughter.

Reviews

[Rebekah Vineyard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Armstrong is very passionate but can come off slightly argumentative in the first part of the book. The inclusion of responses by Fr. Deacon Daniel G Dozier is to his credit and I think extremely balancing. I much enjoyed the Eastern Catholic perspective and agree that the Eastern Catholics are of particular importance in the future of any further talk of unity. May we all continue to quietly ignore our schism in practice of love and respect for one another as we yet work towards the end of any schism at all.

[Razvan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good staring point for comparison of these two major christian religions, but somehow very subjective (catholic point of view).

[David Burns]

there is a revised edition available through lulu. this edition contains insightful commentary from two Eastern Catholics. a nice balance to Mr. Armstrong