Return to Rome: Confessions of an Evangelical Catholic - Softcover

Beckwith, Francis J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1587432471 ISBN 13: 9781587432477

Publisher: Brazos Press, 2008

Synopsis

What does it mean to be evangelical? What does it mean to be Catholic? Can one consider oneself both simultaneously? Francis Beckwith has wrestled with these questions personally and professionally. He was baptized a Catholic, but his faith journey led him to Protestant evangelicalism. He became a philosophy professor at Baylor University and president of the Evangelical Theological Society (E.T.S.). And then, in 2007, after much prayer, counsel, and consideration, Beckwith decided to return to the Catholic church and step down as E.T.S. president.This provocative book details Beckwith's journey, focusing on his internal dialogue between the Protestant theology he embraced for most of his adult life and Catholicism. He seeks to explain what prompted his decision and offers theological reflection on whether one can be evangelical and Catholic, affirming his belief that one can be both. Excerpt It's difficult to explain why one moves from one Christian tradition to another. It is like trying to give an account to your friends why you chose to pursue for marriage this woman rather than that one, though both may have a variety of qualities that you found attractive. It seems to me then that any account of my return to the Catholic church, however authentic and compelling it is to me, will appear inadequate to anyone who is absolutely convinced that I was wrong. Conversely, my story will confirm in the minds of many devout Catholics that the supernatural power of the grace I received at baptism and confirmation as a youngster were instrumental in drawing me back to the Mother Church. Given these considerations, I confess that there is an awkwardness in sharing my journey as a published book, knowing that many fellow Christians will scrutinize and examine my reasons in ways that appear to some uncharitable and to others too charitable.

About this title

About the Author

Francis J. Beckwith (PhD, Fordham University; MJS, Washington University School of Law, St. Louis) is professor of philosophy and church-state studies and fellow and faculty associate in the Institute for the Studies of Religion at Baylor University. In 2008-9, he served on the faculty of the University of Notre Dame as the Mary Ann Remick Senior Visiting Fellow in Notre Dame's Center for Ethics and Culture. He is the author or coauthor of numerous books, including Defending Life: A Moral and Legal Case against Abortion Choice and To Everyone an Answer: A Case for the Christian Worldview.

From the Back Cover

"In 2007 Francis Beckwith, an esteemed scholar on ethical and political issues at Baylor University, after announcing that he had returned to the Roman Catholic Church, resigned as president of the Evangelical Theological Society. In this highly readable apologia pro vita sua, Beckwith reveals the reasons for his surprising spiritual odyssey."--Edwin M. Yamauchi, Miami University; 2006 ETS President

"Frank Beckwith sketches vividly the sense of home that so many of us have found in the Catholic Church. It is the one place where we can have it all, where we can be both Evangelical and Catholic. With grace and wit, Frank Beckwith narrates life as it really is: a divine comedy. And he makes us laugh with him as he tells a truly edifying story."--Scott Hahn, Franciscan University of Steubenville

"Moving, memorable, unblinkingly honest but always alive with charity, Beckwith's Christian story--leaving the Catholic Church, serving the Lord as a world-class Evangelical scholar and teacher, then finally returning to his Catholic roots while treasuring his Evangelical journey--is an unforgettable witness. I highly recommend it."--Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap, Archbishop of Denver

"St. Augustine famously said that the word religion is derived from reeligere, to choose again, perhaps over and over in the sense of a reunion. Here is that reunion story once again. Frank Beckwith takes us through some of the most interesting religious and intellectual terrain of the post-1960s generation of American Catholics. Far from being a rebuke of Evangelical Protestants, who nourished him deeply, Beckwith's 'confession' should be a wake-up call for Catholics."--Russell Hittinger, University of Tulsa

"Frank Beckwith's memoir is a remarkable act of Evangelical charity. He recounts his reversion to Catholicism in ways that honor his Evangelical past, even as he shows how its riches are being transformed by his new life in the communion of Rome."--Ralph C. Wood, Baylor University

Edition details

• Publisher: Brazos Press
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1587432471
• ISBN 13: 9781587432477
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 144