TELL YOUR CATHOLIC FRIEND:
How to have Gospel Conversations
By Leonardo De Chirico
B&H Publishing. 144 pages. £17.99
ISBN 979 8 384 516 088
The death of Pope Francis has opened a discussion about the place of the Roman Catholic church. Some have expressed confusion about how to best view the spiritual state of individual Catholics and the stance of the Papal institution itself. Perhaps it takes an Evangelical, who is based in Rome and who has his ear close to the ground, to provide a close observer’s perspective.
This book attempts to lay out the evidence for the assertion that the Roman Catholic Church, despite all its apparent updating and modifications over the years, has not fundamentally changed.
In the first two chapters, the author gives three reasons why the RC Church is far from the gospel and then outlines the nature of the true gospel. He sums this up succinctly: “Simply put, Roman Catholic Christianity retains the name ‘Christian’ but requires a reinterpretation of its meaning.”
The third chapter, which is possibly the most helpful part of the book, shares tips on how to share the gospel with Catholics. De Chirico first makes it plain that our testimony needs to reflect Peter’s words in 1 Peter 3:15, by being kind in its approach to Catholics. The author then makes good use of Tim Keller’s atonement grammars, and Dan Strange’s updating of J.H. Bavinck’s “Five Magnetic Points”, before offering four tips for sharing the gospel.
The final chapter deals with some FAQ’S on witnessing to Catholics. This includes a section on whether we can pray with Catholics and whether there is any scope for cooperation. In the latter sections the author helpfully refers to Francis Shaeffer’s notion of co-belligerency on moral and social issues, and contrasts this with making an alliance with Catholics.
The book concludes with a sermon on the uniqueness of Christ as the way to the only Saviour.
