Francis J. Beckwith - Return To Rome: Confessions of an Evangelical Catholic

Praise for Return to Rome

This book is an irenic, intimate look at one mans journey of discipleship. But it is much more than that. I have always believed that Protestant/Catholic dialog is important. The two camps must develop awareness and partnership about the things on which they agree, clarity about the things on which they disagree, and charity with discernment about both. This book is sure to advance that dialog. I highly recommend it.

J. P. Moreland , Talbot School of Theology

A compellingly instructive story of departure and return, loss and recovery, in the Christians way of discerning the Spirits lead and responding in the courage of faith.

Richard John Neuhaus , editor in chief, First Things

Return to Rome is the story of Frank Beckwiths homecoming. Its a story told without a trace of flippancy or disdain. Franks love for the faith communities that have shaped his life is obvious; and it gives to his narrative a warmth and a grace that seems to me unique among contemporary conversion stories.

Ronald K. Tacelli, SJ , Boston College

An interesting, intimate, and intellectually enlightening account of why Francis Beckwith returned to the church of his baptism and his youth. Every good book faces obstacles, and I suspect that this good book will be no different. The denominationally contentious among us will read it, and attack it as Catholic apologetics, as inter-church proselytizing and warfare. It is not. Rather, its an account, a journey, a story, a memoir, a travelogue. It gives its reasons, to be sure, but it is not apologetics. Its the rich, articulate, and memorable narrative about why one pilgrim decided to go home. Therein lies its value and its contribution.

Michael Bauman , Hillsdale College

When an Evangelical becomes Catholic, his Protestant acquaintances usually wonder How could he do such a thing? To them it means abandoning the Gospel. In a life story that manages to be charming and erudite at the same time, my friend Frank Beckwith answers the question, showing that taking hold of the Gospel is really what being Catholic is all about. This delightful apologion will be not only thought-provoking and informative for Evangelicals trying to decide what to make of their Catholic friends, but wonderfully encouraging for Catholics who aspire to the New Evangelization so often urged by John Paul II.

J. Budziszewski , University of Texas at Austin

In struggling with the unwelcome appeal of the Catholic Church, Frank Beckwith gave every benefit to the thinking of his Protestant brothers and the long tradition that had formed him for so many years. The result is a careful and generous explanation of the arguments for his entering into full communion with the Catholic Church. His faith memoir will aid mutual understanding between Protestants and Catholics as well as explain why so many serious Evangelicals have found themselves (often unhappily) drawn to Rome.

David Mills , editor, Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity

2009 by Francis J. Beckwith

Published by Brazos Press
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.brazospress.com

Ebook edition created 2012

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

ISBN 978-1-4412-0390-8

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Unless otherwise indicated, scripture is taken from the Revised Standard Version , Catholic Edition. Oxford University Press, 2004.

Scripture marked RSV is taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked NIV is taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked NKJV is taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked NRSV is taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked TNIV is taken from the Holy Bible, Todays New International Version. Copyright 2001 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved.

To my wife, Frankie

Her father, Joseph Alexander Dickerson Jr. (19202006), wanted to become Catholic in the late 1940s, but was unable to fulfill his desire. To honor her beloved Daddy, Frankie chose Joseph as her Confirmation name when she was received into full communion with the Catholic Church on August 18, 2007, at St. Josephs Catholic Church, Bellmead, Texas.

I would like to thank my wife, Frankie, and several of our friends and family members who read portions of an earlier version of this books manuscript: Michael Bauman, Michael Beaty, David Lyle Jeffrey, Katherine Jeffrey, Elizabeth Beckwith Wuebben, Scott Moore, Jonathan Kvanvig, Paul Owen, Scott Hahn, Michael Foley, Jimmy Akin, Myron Steeves, Elizabeth Beckwith, J. Budziszewski, and Ralph Wood. A special thank you to my nephew, Dean Beckwith, for giving me permission to republish my personal letter to him. The book that eventually resulted was the consequence of the brilliant editing of Rodney Clapp of Brazos Press. It was a pleasure to work with both Rodney and Lisa Ann Cockrel. Because of the insights and suggestions I received from all these readers, this is a far better book than it otherwise would have been. However, all of its flaws and shortcomings are mine.

This book would not have been possible if not for the ministry of our pastor, Fr. Timothy Vaverek, the priest that God placed at just the right time and location on the path of our Christian journey. He exemplifies the virtues of the man of God that Paul told Timothy to aim at: righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness (1 Tim. 6:11).

A Note on Endnotes

In order for this book to be easy on the eyes, I have placed the notes at the end of the book. Some of these notes contain important comments, citations, references, etc. for those interested in delving deeper into some of the issues discussed in the main text. For example, in there are notes that deal with aspects of some issues of doctrine and scripture, such as purgatory and prayers for the dead, not addressed directly in the text.

So far as a man may be proud of a religion rooted in humility, I am very proud of my religion; I am especially proud of those parts of it that are most commonly called superstition. I am proud of being fettered by antiquated dogmas and enslaved by dead creeds (as my journalistic friends repeat with so much pertinacity), for I know very well that it is the heretical creeds that are dead, and that it is only the reasonable dogma that lives long enough to be called antiquated.

G. K. Chesterton, from The Autobiography of G. K. Chesterton (1936)

I ts 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 marriage to this woman rather than another, though both may have a variety of qualities that you found attractive. It seems, 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 convinced I am 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 Mother Churchafter a sojourn of several decades in Evangelical Protestantism. Given these considerations, 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 would appear to some uncharitable and to others too charitable. And I suspect that most of these examiners will see my reasons as mere pretexts for justifying my travel to a destination to which I had unconsciously been moving for quite some time. Nevertheless, given the public nature of my return to the Catholic Church and my former prominence in the world of Evangelical Protestant Christianity, I believe that I have a responsibility, in the words of Peter, to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope (1 Pet. 3:15a).