Surprised By Truth: 11 Converts Give the Biblical and Historical Reasons for Becoming Catholic

Surprised by Truth #1

by Patrick Madrid, Scott Hahn (Foreword)

The first testimonies to give you all the reasons for becoming Catholic These eleven personal conversion accounts are unlike any you’ve ever read, they’re packed with biblical theological and historical proofs for Catholicism. Each year thousands of atheists, Evangelicals, Fundamentalists, and Pentecostals are being surprised by Catholic truth – and these converts tell you why. “These converts, coming from varied backgrounds, converged on the Catholic faith because their intellects were enlightened by divine grace to accept its truth…They bring apologetics to life in an exciting way.” - Fr. Peter M.J. Stravinskas, author of The Bible and the Mass “I’m privileged to know personally several contributors to Surprised by Truth. Each is deeply committed to Jesus Christ; each relentlessly sought Him and was amazed at where he found him.” - Fr. Mitchell Pacwa, S.J., host of EWTN Live “These eleven stories of conversion merge into a sustained argument for the truth of the Catholic faith. The converts’ anxieties, doubts, reasons, and affirmations are reported candidly – nothing is held back.” - Karl Keating, author of Catholicism and Fundamentalism and What Catholics Really Believe “The apostles preached the Catholic faith regardless of the cost. These converts have accepted that faith – in each case at a great cost. What they learned is here distilled in a masterpiece of Catholic apologetics.” - Most Reverend Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Denver, Colorado “Conversion involves many strands of theological and personal struggles. Surprised by Truth weaves those strands in a tapestry of great beauty.” - Kimberley Hahn, co-author of Rome Sweet Home

Genres: Catholic, Religion, Faith, Theology, Nonfiction, Christian, Christianity

252 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 1994

About the author

PATRICK MADRID is the publisher of Envoy Magazine, a journal of contemporary Catholic thought, and the director of the Envoy Institute of Belmont Abbey College. Since its inception in 1996, the Envoy team has garnered numerous journalism awards, including several first-place awards in the magazine-of-the-year “General Excellence” category from the Catholic Press Association.

Patrick is the author or editor of 14 books on Catholic themes including, Pope Fiction, Search and Rescue, Does the Bible Really Say That, 150 Bible Verses Every Catholic Should Know, and The Godless Delusion: A Catholic Challenge to Modern Atheism (Spring 2010). He edited and co-authored the acclaimed multi-volume Surprised by Truth series.

He has published numerous popular articles on Scripture, Church history, patristics, apologetics, and evangelization in various Catholic and Protestant periodicals, and he has contributed scholarly articles on apologetics in the New Catholic Encyclopedia.

Active in apologetics since 1987, he worked at Catholic Answers for eight years (from January 1988 to January 1996), where he served as vice president and helped co-found that apostolate's flagship magazine, This Rock, in January of 1990.

Patrick is a cradle-Catholic, not a convert. By God's grace, he was raised in the Catholic Faith and has been a practicing Catholic his entire life.

Growing up in Southern California, he attended grammar school at the Mission San Juan Capistrano parish school, where for years he served as an altar boy for the parish's daily Traditional Latin Mass in the famed Serra Chapel. Ever since his boyhood, Patrick has loved the Traditional Latin Mass.

Patrick earned a bachelor of science degree in business from the University of Phoenix and a bachelor of philosophy degree (B.Phil.) from the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, where he is completing a master's degree in dogmatic theology. He has also done graduate studies in theology at the University of Dallas.

He is the host of several EWTN television series, including “Pope Fiction,” “Search & Rescue,” and "Where Is That In the Bible?" and he hosts the Thursday edition of EWTN Radio's “Open Line” broadcast, heard on approximately 150 AM & FM stations across the United States, as well as on shortwave and on the Sirius Satellite Radio Network (Thursdays from 3:00 p.m. — 5:00 p.m. ET). He is also a regular guest on the "Catholic Answers Live" program and Sirius Radio's "The Catholic Channel."

Patrick serves on the board of trustees of the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, CA, on the board of directors of St. Gabriel Catholic Radio, in Columbus, Ohio, and on the board of advisors for Catholics United for the Faith, Immaculate Heart Radio Network, and Catholic Scripture Study International. He authored all the original website content for CatholicsComeHome.org, where he also serves as a theologica

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seemed that I traveled the road alone on my own journey into the Catholic Church. This book proved that many have traveled that road before me.

I was not alone in concluding that Jesus did establish a church, that church is visible, and it has authority. Other former Evangelicals also realized that the belief in the Real Presence of the Eucharist is supported in scripture and has been the historical belief in Christianity.

Interesting to see how other people's journeys so closely paralleled my own.

[K.D. Absolutely · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book failed to create much impression to me. In fact, it is a bit pretentious. Maybe because I have been Catholic since the time I was baptized (49 years ago) few months after I was born. Since the time I was tagging along with my mom going to the church during my elementary days, I have never thought of joining or converting to other religions. I was born a Catholic and I will die as a Catholic. No ifs nor buts.

Don't get me wrong. I admire people, some of my friends included, who are converts from other religions or denominations. I am happy that they've joined my faith. Since they came from other sides of the fence, they then to seek more about Catholicism and they now know more about my own religion. I mean, I have been hearing Sunday mass since I was a kid, I attended Sunday catechism when I was in the elementary and I finished several compulsory 3-unit Religion subjects in college since I studied at two Catholic schools. However, I have been so contented with my faith and the practices (traditions like the sacraments) that go with it so I did not care reading books about my religion. It is only now (thanks to those convert friends) that I have been brushing up my knowledge about Catholicism.

Neither I was surprised about the stories of the 11 converts in this book. Well, maybe they grew up in different environments like mine. You see, here in the Philippines, 85% of us are Roman Catholics and that explains the proliferation of Catholic schools. In fact, 3 of the top 4 universities are Catholic and even the state university (University of the Philippines) have students belonging mostly to Catholic faith. It is also here in the Philippines where a cardinal can lead an uprising against a dictator and it is also here in the Philippines where politicians seek the mandate of religious leaders to win elections. That's why these stories about converts to Catholicism came as a bit corny for me. Many people seek the religion that gives them comfort, be it to address their spiritual needs (that is good) but sometimes for convenience (that is bad). The latter is akin to somebody posing as religious just to gain approval of friends or boss or somebody he or she is courting or planning to marry.

But of course God works in mysterious ways. It is not for us (for me included) to judge them for their decision to join or come back to Catholic faith. It is just that we all have to be beware of wolves in sheep's clothing. To each his own though. I am happy with my religion, he is happy to join mine so we are happy together and our salvation (of whether we will go to heaven or not when we die) is each of our own business.

So there. If the 11 converts in this book inspire people to join Catholic faith, I am okay with that. I am happy for them. As Jesus mandates, it is not enough to follow His footsteps. It is also important that we bring our friends with us.

[Bob Costello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here are my highlights from this great book:

“Knowledge of Church history is the death of Protestantism” John Henry Newman

One cannot examine Catholicism and not develop an admiration for it – an admiration that almost invariably leads to becoming convinced of its truth. Chesterton

Early Church was ruled by bishops. Early Church history attested that the apostles had laid hands on men and installed them as bishops.

The very foundation doctrine – the doctrine of what Scripture is – we have to trust the Church since there was no way to show from within Scripture itself exactly what the books of the books of the Bible should be.

Scott Hahn’s study of Scripture led him to the conclusion that sola scriptura is not only unhistorical and unworkable, it was unbiblical. If sola scriptura is not taught in the bible and is thus self-refuting proposition. As Luther, Calvin and other Reforms claimed, if sola scriptura is false, Protestantism, as a theological response to the Catholic Church, is likewise false, since Protestantism was founded upon the idea of the Bible as the sole infallible rule of faith for the Church. Sola scriptura is a euphemism for “sola ego”. The theory of sola scriptura has done untold damage to Christendom. The most obvious evidence of this damage was Protestantism itself: a huge mass of conflicting, bickering denominations, causing by its very nature of “protest” and “defiance,” and endless proliferation of chaos and controversy. The Bible isn’t a comprehensive textbook of systematic theology - honest and sincere people could legitimately interpret the Bible in many different ways.

Explain how the Church could fulfill the Lord’s command to decide issues of authoritatively if the Church is not infallible. Given all the conflicting opinions among Protestants on essential doctrinal issues, how can you possibly say the Bible is the supreme authority when the Bible cannot interpret itself?

The Catholic Church didn’t pull its beliefs out of thin air, they are biblically based. Matthew 18:15-18: Jesus confers special authority on the hierarchy of the Church which fits the Catholic model perfectly, not the Protestant one. Church Fathers didn’t hesitate to invoke biblical authority, but they never tried to prove their case by the Bible alone. They also appealed to an authoritative Church tradition handed down through a succession of bishops that could be traced all the way back to the apostles themselves.

How could it be that Jesus would command visible unity but leave his Church without the necessarily infallible means of settling doctrinal disputes in order to maintain that unity? Protestants claim the Bible alone is the only infallible rule of faith and practice. But, ironically, it was the emphasis on the Bible alone that caused all the confusion and division within Protestantism.

“One body! One Spirit! One hope! One Lord! One faith! One baptism! One God and Father of all!” (Eph. 4:7-13) “I urge you brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions. Keep away from them.” (Rom.16:17)

I wonder how Protestantism, which has splintered into over 20,000 denominations worldwide, could be what Jesus had in mind in John 17:21, when he said that the world will know that the Father sent the Son by the unity of his disciples.

[Amber Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good! Loved it

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book years ago. The conversion stories always inspire me to learn more about my faith.

[Jeff McCormack · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book pretty sad, mainly because all of the "converts" seemed to not have a good foundational view of Christianity to begin with. The truths they discovered were only discovered because of their faulty theological views they held to already. The response to this book, entitled Seduced by Error: A Protestant Response to "Surprised by Truth" by Greg Loren Durand showed point by point how these errors led to the ease of conversion for these converts.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written, engaging and substantive conversion accounts. I kinda want to go back through and make notes of some of the biblical arguments and passages the different writers cite.

[Trevor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of these eleven 'converts' seem to speak with virtually identical voices. Of the eleven ten are male, and it sems to me, big fat American egos at that. Mostly the are coming from a fundamentalist protestant background and are convinced by the authenticity of Catholic teaching and its traditions when compared to the endless splitting of the protestant world.
These are not really spiritual stories, they speak to your head, not your heart. They are about power, being elite, in with the in crowd. Most of them mention Prof. Scot Hahn, one of the key movers in this exodus from protestantism, and they refer to the book Catholicism and Fundamentalism by Karl keating. I hadn't heard of this so looked it up on Amazon. In the process I spotted another book mentioned by no one here, Catholicism and the Roots of Nazism by Derek Hastings. Perhaps we should all be reading that one first.
It seems to me that real conversion, real spirituality is about an individual soul's journey into God. You don't see the word soul much in these accounts. They are exclusive, too, of course and every one has his or her knife into homosexuals. You have to do that,because otherwise you can't be in their gang.
I can't help wondering about the women who are married to these men, too. When the men convert, the women do too, either at the same time or shortly after. Are they Stepford Wives, afraid to think for themselves, or too shamed to stand alone and not convert? It reminds me of a book I once read by Kitty Muggeridge which consisted almost entirely of what Malcolm thought.

[Ben De Bono · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this slowly over the past six months and found it to be a wonderful resource. The book is exactly what it promises on the cover: stories of converts to Catholicism - mostly evangelicals but several are from wider Protestant backgrounds as well.

While I really got a lot out of the book, I would probably only recommend it to a limited audience. Committed Protestants are unlikely to be swayed as the book is more testimonies than hardcore Catholic apologetics. Likewise, long time Catholics won't find much here they're unfamiliar with.

The book is much more for those of us who fall in between those two camps. Those either curious about conversion, converting or recently converted will find this to be a must read. The book will answer questions for the former group and be a source of empathetic encouragement for those of us in the latter two.

[Friar Stebin John Capuchin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book which brings so much surprise in our lives. Though I am living the Catholic faith I really don't know many realities with regard to my faith. This book taught me so many things about my religion and how to live my faith in proper way. These people who came back to the Catholic faith studied in depth the real doctrine of faith in the Catholic religion. There teachings are really good for any Catholic or any other person who needs to know about the real strength of our religion. I am so much grateful to Patrick Madrid for his commitment to put together these eleven testimonies together. Scott through the preface give a beginning to this book. His thoughts were really a foundation for this book. This book is really a source for the Catholic studies. I recommend this book to anyone who needs to know about Catholic faith.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Madrid is a publisher and editor and has written many aplogetic books. I have listened to him on TV but have not read him. This book turned into a much better book than I expected. One person in particualTim Staples offer so much information on the Bible I would love to read his story over. He also stated that for him it was not sex or drugs or music but books. He felt he was addicted to books and I'm not sure if he considered that good or bad but placed it in the same catagory as drugs. But the book lets 11 people tell their own story of coming into the Catholic Church. I think I learned more about the Protestant churches from this read then in any other way.

[Joan Haselman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned that God seeks us even more than we
seek Him. I learned that He is incredibly
generous in Mercy. I learned that we are all in
this together and we are so fortunate when we find
our One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Faith.

[Tessin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The testimonies in this book and the biblical and historical information within them brought me hope and joy!

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let's start with my biggest criticisms of this book. There are eleven conversion stories and only one of them is by a woman. While Scott and Kimberly Hahn's book achieved the perfect balance, Surprised by Truth does not come close. When a family converts, it is just not the head of the household that converts. We could use a wife's perspective.

Still if you like conversion stories, there are several here. They seem to all follow somewhat of a pattern. They stereotyped and strawmaned Catholicism and were surprised by truth, where they had once believed fantasy. If anything, these type of stories should inspire us to avoid strawmen with other faiths.

I did not mean to be this negative. I really did enjoy the book, especially where it intersected areas of interest of mine.

[Daniel Lower · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this. The book is almost worth it just for the stories of conversion alone, all of which are quite fascinating. Most of the stories are of double-jump converts to Catholicism via Protestantism, and the converts' theological as well as personal journeys provide lots of moments for laughing and for introspection on the part of the reader. While the book is definitely edited with an angle to conversion to Catholicism, it should be noted that as it challenges Protestants, Catholic readers will also find themselves challenged to consider the place of Protestant Christianity in introducing people to Jesus.

[Richly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book of testimonies of those who converted/returned to the Catholic faith. Some of the testimonies diverged into apologetics which didn't seemed to detract from the powerful personal stories of the converts, but a great, quick read nevertheless. A great book for seekers of the Faith and for those who need a book to strengthen it.

[Victor Chininin · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is hard to write and read about testimonies of others. In general, I appreciated the candor of the contributors to this book. However, I feel the tone of the book betrayed a little uncharitableness towards the "other side" if not a little animosity. This is the kind of book one must read soaked in prayer and with the Bible at hand.

[Brooke Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I actually received this book from our married couple mentors....like I said before in a previous review, I'm not turning catholic, however I do want to read this book....stay tuned!

So honestly...if you aren't catholic this book can be VERY offensive. Just to warn you...I didn't like it at all.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing read for anyone on a spiritual journey!!!! This book is filled with short stories of conversion that are an inspiration. I couldn't put the book down and finished it in a day. I highly recommend it!

[Reggia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very powerful book ... fascinated by the testimonies and nearly became a revert.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading about people's conversion stories and the apologetic arguments. Very interesting book.

[Clare Omvig]

This book has helped me heaps to come to grips with the questions that I have been asking for decades...really ispiring and useful! I really recommend it to everyone.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of the Surprised by Truth books, as well as The Journey Home show on EWTN, were very helpful in my Conversion to the Catholic Church.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing conversion stories that fill me with such hope and love! I love being a Catholic!!

[Hortensia Alvarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly inspiring.Testimonies that made me cry. Journeys of faith that arrived to our Blessed Catholic Church. Libro de testimonios maravillosos, me llegaron al alma.

[нєνєℓ ¢ανα · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is one of the best books I ever read about convertion and the path to the Holy Catholic Church. I love all the testimonies and I recomend it fully to friends and catholics alike.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting accounts of conversions to the Catholic Church. I found some of the accounts too detailed but enjoyed the book for the most part.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprised by Truth: Eleven Converts Give the Biblical and Historical Reasons for Becoming Catholic (Basilica Press, 1994) is a compilation of the accounts of eleven individuals, all members of various Protestant denominations, who elected to come into full communion with the Catholic Church. These men and women were some of the best and brightest Protestant apologists and ministers until they came to realize that, despite their true aversion for and hatred of the Catholic Church, Catholicism is the true Church, established by Jesus Christ and taught by the apostles and earliest Church fathers. These converts give solid arguments as to why they think Catholicism is the true faith by referring to the Bible and the early history of Christendom. Their conversion accounts are packed with biblical, theological, and historical proofs for Catholicism, as ascertained by the converts themselves.

I was moved by the touching stories of the eleven persons that found a home in the Catholic Church after a fierce internal struggle within themselves. Some were former pastors that risked their reputations and gave away their employments for the sake of honesty to God and to themselves along with the need to belong to the only Church that satisfied their souls. Most had grown up with the idea that Catholicism couldn't possibly be true because it wasn't biblical. Imagine their surprise to find that once they had studied Catholic dogmas and liturgy that the Catholic Church was the most biblical church of all Christian denominations.

If you are a member of one of the Protestant denominations, Surprised by Truth is an excellent book to understand the validity of Catholicism as the one true Church established by Jesus Christ.

If you are already Catholic, you will learn a great deal by reading the compelling arguments made by the converts themselves in favor of Catholic Doctrine.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. With a few exceptions, it contains mainly stories of people who were already Christians who eventually came to the conclusion that Catholicism was the true Church founded by Christ. Reading the personal stories of converts was more interesting and more engaging, I think, than other apologetics books. These are real people with real experiences, emotions, and dilemmas. Some of them knew they would be losing jobs, relationships, friends, and lifestyles and they still took the leap.

As a Catholic revert myself, I could very much relate to many of the people who contributed to this book and what they were feeling throughout their search for 'the truth': from firm belief that the Catholic Church was wrong, to the subsequent question of which Protestant denomination then was 'more true' than the others, to the particular issues and doctrines the contributors had trouble with, and which doctrines and lines of thinking finally led them to the Catholic Church. There was so much good stuff in here it's hard to mention it all. I'd be interested in hearing a Protestant's thoughts on the book as the case for Catholicism seemed pretty strong.

I'd definitely recommend it to any Catholic converts or reverts as they could probably relate to these stories as well, and also to other Christians with even the slightest interest in Catholicism and why someone would convert. In light of the recent scandals, I'd also recommend it to anyone who is thinking of leaving the Church. It serves as a reminder of why one is Catholic and not just some other denomination.

[Oguz Alhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is always great to hear how God’s loving kindness brought people from different backgrounds to his church. This was one of those collections.