The Belief of Catholics

Roland Knox is a brilliant and very entertaining writer. He defends Catholicism with the energy of the convert (he converted at the age of 29, one year before being ordained a Catholic priest). He has the ability to express himself with a remarkable conciseness, which if you ask me is a rare virtue in religious writers, and is the more impressive because always accompanied by a great beauty of expression, and an uncommon elegance of argumentation. A brilliant work, and a brilliant author.

An Anglican convert, Ronald Knox affords the reader a defense of Catholicism with the zeal of a convert and the depth of a scholar. It is through contrasting the Catholic Church from the errors of Modernism that Knox most acutely displays his apologetic acumen. His theme is applicable not only to the times in which he lived (the early twentieth century) but also to today, where Modernism has devolved into Postmodernism, wherein mankind questions even the existence of Truth. He begins by addressing the intellectual problems in his own day, and this paves the way for an exploration of Catholic truth through an analysis of the main points of doctrine. Knox's work is a wonderful primer to a further study of Catholicism, especially for potential converts to the faith.

Tremendous source to explain the Catholic Church by one of its greatest writers who knew it from the outside as well as the inside. Msgr. Ronald A. Knox, an Anglican convert to Catholicism, influenced GK Chesterton, Bishop Fulton Sheen and countless converts among others, with his logic, historical expertise, and ability to explain Catholicism and its most challenging issues to the uninitiated and Catholics alike. Starting with the current agnosticsm (then as today), he proceeds to philosophical proof of Divine intellect and will, and then he traces the development of oral tradition from the Apostles and the early Church to the present Roman Church. With wit and incisive facts, he expertly explains the paradox of free will versus submission to an authority, Dogma versus doctrine versus ritual, and the Catholic view versus the "world view". The careful reader will gain an appreciation into both sides of the issues presented. IMHO there is no better English explanation of Catholicism in 250 pages.

This book is an excellent resource for Catholics who want to learn more about pressing eccumenical topics. Knox is easy to read and understand, even though he's British. He refers to the Anglican Church a bit and contrasts it with the Roman Catholic Church.I would recommend this book to all my Protestant friends simply because reading it will most definitly answer questions of the Catholic Faith.Overall a terrific book. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars only because it is a little outdated (written in the early part of the 20th century). But the conversation in the book can never be outlived, and the same topics and issues will be around for the next century.Great Book!!!