Surprised by Truth 2: 15 Men and Women Give the Biblical and Historical Reasons for Becoming Catholic

I liked this so much, I bought one for my son who has fallen away from the church. I learned a lot from the converts as they set forth the reasons they came home to the Church. This book was delivered later than expected (it happens) so I now have a Christmas present for him.

Of the three Surprised by Truth volumes in the series, I definitely liked this one the best. While the first volume was very good in providing a strong dose of conversion accounts from ex-Encangelicals (something people needed to read when it came out back in 1994), and the third volume was interesting, though light on apologetics info and not as well-written, Surprised by Truth 2 is the strongest. Not only was the variety of stories the best of the three (it included stories by relapsed Catholics as well as from converts from non-Protestant backgrounds, which was a big plus), SBT2 has the strongest literary punch. Though all the chapters were excellent, the truly standout chapters were by Kristine Franklin (Our Mission to Convert Catholics Made us Catholic), Fr. Ray Ryland (Meeting Christ on His Terms, Not Ours), Thomas Howard (Catholic Is Not Enough) and Patrick Madrid (Conclusions of a Guilty Bystander). Those four essays in particular combined keen intellectual insights with superb writing and convincing arguments. The one downside in this book (actually with all three) is that it didn't include a chapter by a convert from atheism. There are plenty of atheists milling around out there, and having a well-written and logically coherent account of believing in God would have been icing on the cake. Who knows? Maybe a future Surprised by Truth volume will have one.

This book deserves more than 5 stars. After reading several of the latest Catholic conversion story anthologies from different publishers -- all of which are obviously trying to copy the two Surprised by Truth books -- I have found that Surprised by Truth 2 is better than all the others and surprisingly is even better and richer than the first Surprised By volume. What I especially appreciated from volume 2 was its variety of conversion stories and especially the stories from the cradle Catholics who wavered or even left and then became strong in their Catholic faith. Read these testimonies with an open heart and mind and let the Holy Spirit speak to you through them. He will!

When Pat Madrid brought together "Surprised By Truth" he innovated the Catholic apologetics movement by bringing together the stories of various converts to Catholicism from Protestantism. That first book revolutionized the Catholic Apologetics world and sparked many immitations.Yet few can immitate Pat Madrid except Pat himself. This is proven in "Surprised By Truth II," in which Madrid once again demonstrates why he is a leading Catholic apologist in North America. This book goes beyond the scope of the first book, bringing together the stories of converts from non-Christian religions, reverts who left the Church and came back, as well as people who re-ignited their Catholic faith after falling away for a time to follow secularism and the ways of the world. As such, it reaches a wider audience than Pat's first book, asking questions which trouble modern man.I highly recommend this work, which can be read in short sittings and which will challenge even the most mediocre Catholic to rethink their faith.

I found this book to be as inspiring as the the first one. I think it is well-written and presents a very balanced approach to the Catholic faith. The book makes a great gift to devout Catholics, Catholics who have stopped attending church or to people of other faiths who would benefit from a better understanding of the Catholic faith.

Pat Madrid has done it again. Surprised by Truth 2 picks up where the original left off. Whereas the original featured 11 stories of primarily Evangelical Protestants, the sequel (or equal perhaps) features 15 stories from men and women of a variety of backgrounds: Mormon, Lutheran, pagan, Protestant missionary...While many of these stories have appeared in the pages of Envoy Magazine, collectively they leave a lasting impact on the reader. Each story demonstrates how the Holy Spirit acts within individual lives to move individuals towards Christ and His Church. Each story highlights various historical, biblical, personal, and emotional reasons for the individual conversions. Taken as a whole, the book confronts most of the arguments that people have against the Catholic Church.I'd recommend this book to those who have misconceptions with the Church, those unsure why they are Catholic, and those solid in their faith. It is reassuring, inspirational, informative, and uplifting.