Catholicism and Fundamentalism
by Karl Keating
San Diego, the 1980s. Karl Keating, a lawyer, finds anti-Catholic tracts left on windshields outside his parish. He writes replies. The replies grow into Catholic Answers, and eventually into this book, published by Ignatius Press in 1988.
Keating first sketches fundamentalism itself and some of its leading anti-Catholic voices. Then he takes the charges one by one: that Catholics worship Mary, that the Church invented doctrines, that the Eucharist is unbiblical, that Catholics think they can earn salvation by works. His answer, over and over, is that the Bible makes more sense read within the Church than against it. The tone is reasoned and sometimes wry, and he respects the sincere faith of the fundamentalists he's answering.
It suits inquirers coming from evangelical or fundamentalist churches, Catholics who have been challenged by Bible-quoting friends, and anyone curious about the roots of today's apologetics. Some of the critics it answers belong to another era. The questions haven't changed.
Key Takeaways
- What fundamentalism is and where its critiques come from.
- Biblical answers on Mary, the Eucharist and salvation.
- Why Scripture reads best within the Church.
- A reasoned tone toward sincere opponents.
It helped shape modern Catholic apologetics, and it still answers questions inquirers bring.
