This text is incomplete in many ways. No small text can contain the immense teaching and explanation of the Roman Catholic faith. We have hit only the high spots, the truths and issues which we believe are the most important as foundations of faith. There is much more to cover beyond this.
The authors are incomplete also. We present this text from our experience and our viewpoints. We use the Bible and the Church documents to illustrate our Faith. Yet, we cannot give the topic complete justice because of our limitations. Please excuse our errors, blind spots, and views limited by space considerations.
Finally, this text is information. Yet the process for understanding Roman Catholicism is formation rather than education. In the early history of the Christian Church, the Gnostic heretics tied success in faith to knowledge. The Church knew then, and it knows now, that Christianity is a matter of relationships rather than knowledge. The foundation of Christianity is relationship with Jesus. One key to this relationship is our relationships with each other. We cannot love God and hate people. Changing our lives to love people and love God more is what formation is all about. This text cannot show you the reality of Roman Catholicism. Only participation in an active faith community can give one the understanding of what Catholics are really about.
With these caveats, we present Catholic Biblical Apologetics.
By Paul Flanagan and Robert Schihl.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture texts are taken from the New American Bible with Revised New Testament, © 1986, Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.
Email comments to pdflan@mindspring.com
Last Updated: January 3, 1997