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Book Review: Ducks in a Barrell

October 19th, 2005 at 08:20pm Albert McIlhenny

Catholicism and Fundamentalism: The Attack on “Romanism” by “Bible Christians” – Karl Keating Ignatius Press (1988) Topic: Catholicism; Protestantism Summary: Catholic rebuttal of Fundamentalist claims about the Roman Church Rating:

The historic Christian Churches had, until recent years, largely ignored the strange claims leveled against them by that peculiar branch of Protestant Christianity known as Fundamentalism. Generally viewed as a bastion of ignorance and bigotry, it was probably unfathomable to them that anyone would take the fundamentalist propagandists seriously.

In the last few decades this outlook has changed considerably. With a general loss of confidence in the direction of American society has come a wish for a simple explanation for what the future will hold. In step the Fundamentalists with a message devoid of nuance and charts outlining the coming apocalypse in full color graphics. In their scenarios, Catholicism is almost always the evil religious system of the last days with the Pope as antichrist or false prophet. As such, it is the duty of every “Bible Christian” to lead lost souls from the clutches of Rome to the purity of Fundamentalist Christianity.

Through tracts, televangelists, and door-to-door canvassing, they led poorly catechized Catholics to fundamentalist sects in large numbers. Then tracts were left one Sunday morning on the car windshields of parishioners in the parish attended by Karl Keating and for him it was the last straw. Mr. Keating began the Catholic Answers ministry and wrote Catholicism and Fundamentalism. The distributor of those tracts probably wishes he had chosen a different parish that day.

Beginning with sections on the major anti-Catholic fundamentalists and the their most widely used sourcebook (Loraine Boettner’s Roman Catholicism), Keating ferrets out the truth behind their misrepresented “evidence” and proceeds to skewer their claims with tremendous verve and a certain amount of glee. Showing the argumentative skills honed from his years in the legal profession, Keating fires his salvos at the who’s who of anti-Catholicism (at the time of its writing): Bob Jones, Bart Brewer, Jimmy Swaggart, Tony Alamo, Jack Chick, and others. The claims of each are examined, compared with original sources, and shown to be based in either ignorance or deceit. Their hysterical charges against Rome are so wrought with error that it becomes much like shooting ducks in a barrel. The protagonists may vary in strategy and demeanor, but parochialism, ahistoricism, and cultural paranoia weave a common bond between that unites them into an inwardly focused subculture.

Later in the book, Keating mounts a defense for Catholic doctrine. In this turn from experienced lawyer to novice theologian, Keating is not as convincing. While his defenses of Catholicism are clear and forceful, he may leave one with the impression that there are no objections to uniquely Roman doctrines any more substantial than what the fundamentalists offer. It is by no means a fact that papal infallibility is on a par historically with, say, Christ’s presence in the Eucharist – a doctrine accepted by Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans, Lutherans, and many Reformed. Certainly, such a judgment would be challenged by Christians outside the Roman Church and with far more powerful arguments than could be expressed by Jimmy Swaggart. Despite this difficulty, Keating is usually consistent in attributing his points to fundamentalism and not to all those outside the Roman Church.

Keating finishes up discussing ways for Catholics to defend and share their faith with fundamentalists. He places great importance on learning the issues at hand and answering them clearly and honestly. There is no need, he points out, to avoid the unpleasant moments of history since they never prove anything beyond the sinfulness of men – a point agreed upon by both sides. The apologetics of Fundamentalism, Keating asserts, relies upon a selective reading of scripture taken out of its proper contextual setting and little else. Once one is familiar with the strategies applied by Fundamentalists, rebutting their claims is not that difficult. Keating goes on to emphasize the importance for Roman Catholics to be properly catechized and to read the Holy Scriptures regularly – something applicable to any Christian.

Throughout the book, Keating demonstrates a gift for clarity and directness that makes it accessible reading for almost anyone. Upon consideration, even the most ardent fundamentalist has to conclude that the foundation supporting many of their anti-Catholic claims is built upon sand. Indeed, the book has had just that effect as many former fundamentalists have cited it among important influences in their entry into the Roman Church. It has also affected debates between Roman Catholics and Protestants in general, with many Roman Catholic apologists making their points almost verbatim from Catholicism and Fundamentalism. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Mr. Keating is much admired among his peers.

Given that a number of the anti-Catholics countered in Catholicism and Fundamentalism have fallen from prominence, the book may seem a bit dated. However, their poorly supported claims continue to be recycled and new ones developed using the same shoddy research standards. Thus it stands as a fine methodological tool for countering fundamentalist errors. As one of the earliest return salvos from the historic Churches, it is a great reference for apologetic argumentation.

Entry Filed under: Catholicism, Highly Recommended Books, Keating, Karl, Protestantism