Mike Gendron

Recommendation:   4/5

Description of author:  I met Mike Gendron at this year’s Shepherds’ Conference (2006) in Los Angeles.  He is a former Roman Catholic who, upon hearing and receiving the true Gospel, has dedicated his life to preaching the Gospel to Roman Catholics.  He writes and teaches around the country.  His website is found at  www.pro-gospel.org.

Comments:  This book is a very helpful survey of how the teaching of the Catholic Church differs from what the Bible teaches.  Gendron quotes verbatim from the Catholic catechism and places those quotes side by side with Scripture.  The book is not a thorough statement of all that the Roman Catholic Church teaches, rather its main focus is on showing that the RCC does not teach the Biblical Gospel.  Gendron writes:  We propose that a Catholic Christian is indeed an oxymoron for two reasons:  1) the Roman Catholic teaching on salvation contradicts the biblical teaching of salvation, and 2) it is impossible for anyone to believe two opposing views simultaneously.  We recognize there are some Christians attending the Catholic Church but if they believe the Gospel they are no longer Catholics (p. 97).  His purpose in the book is to show that there is a profound difference between what Rome teaches and what the Bible teaches regarding salvation.  He surely succeeds in that purpose.  His “Answers to Catholic Questions” (chapter 21) provides a great deal of insight into how Catholics respond to his ministry.  It seems rather hard to argue with his case since most of what he does is quote Catholic authorities (mostly the catechism) and quote Scripture.   The only reason I have not given this book 5 stars is its style.  It is not exceptionally readable and comes across in somewhat of a curt manner.  Nevertheless this is an excellent resource for an Evangelical wanting to understand the differences between Catholicism and Biblical Christianity as well as an important tool to give to Catholics who think they are Christians, yet are bound up in a false religious system.