The Bookshelf

Pope Peter: Defending the Church's Most Distinctive Doctrine in a Time of Crisis

Besides Mary and the Eucharist, the Office of the Papacy is among the most misunderstood and maligned teachings of the Catholic Church. Detractors, particularly Protestants, charge that the entire idea of a pope is completely unbiblical. However, as author Joe Heschmeyer, a former DC litigator and then seminarian, explains throughout his book Pope Peter: Defending the Church’s Most Distinctive Doctrine in a Time of Crisis, the papacy is entirely scriptural and based on many passages, not just the “Upon this rock” passage most commonly used to defend it (see Matthew 16:18-19 in particular). Rather, as Heschmeyer shows, the evidence for the office of the Pope - and the unique relationship between Jesus and Peter - spans the entire New Testament, lending a legitimate claim that Jesus certainly did intend to found the Church not on, say, Peter’s confession of faith but on the person and role of Peter.

For many faith-filled Catholics, the conclusions which Heschmeyer is working towards throughout his book will be sensical. The bonus for Catholics reading this is that Heschmeyer spends time drawing out the scripture passages that show the unique role Peter had among the Apostles, thus providing an excellent resource for readers who want to better understand the founding of the Papacy. 

And for readers who find themselves confronted with objections to the Papacy from Protestant friends or family members, each chapter includes a section entitled “How might a Protestant respond?” By including prominent Protestant theologians from history to better understand the objections, Heschmeyer provides a very well-rounded look at the scriptural evidence for the Office of the Pope, while also refuting misunderstandings that have arisen among non-Catholics.

While I found the book started off a bit slow, it quickly picked up steam. Heschmeyer provides some very rich intellectual and theological information but is able to present it in an easy-to-read style. I recommend Pope Peter by Joe Heschmeyer for Catholic adults and young adults who want to better understand and/or defend the Papacy.

Letters to a Young Catholic

Thankfully, the title of the book "Letters to a Young Catholic" by George Weigel didn't persuade me from picking it up. It is a great and easy read. It is a good book to read and then share.

Some materials that I read are what I call “bedroom reading.” These are books that can be read in short bursts and do not call on us to fire up all our mental capacities, these books are intended for the heart.

With that in mind, George Weigel is a scholar on many fronts. He is the recipient of eighteen honorary doctorates in fields including divinity, philosophy, law, and social science. He is best known for his biography on Saint John Paul II.

I had the opportunity to hear him speak a couple several years ago. You would think with this intellect he would be dry and analytical… but you would be wrong. He is one of the most passionate supporters of the joys of Catholicism.

"Letters to a Young Catholic" offers an interesting approach. Instead of offering theological arguments, or experience of the saints, the author takes us to the places that offered him transformative experiences. In this format, we are taken around the world, starting and finishing in Professor Weigel’s home town of Baltimore.

Through these journeys and the stories of people, the book wonderfully reveals truths of the Catholic church and how God reveals himself through humanity. This book embodies our faith and seals it in the world. As you read each “letter,” you will hear yourself saying, “that’s right…that’s how I feel.” George Weigel has the gift of expressing the core of our love for God. The title is "Letters to a Young Catholic" and it is meant to inspire those searching, but aren’t we all?

Something Other Than God

"Something Other Than God: How I Passionately Sought Happiness and Accidentally Found It," by Jennifer Fulwiler is recommended by not only parishioners of St. Dominic Catholic Parish, but Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Brandon Vogt, who works as the Content Director for Bishop Robert Barron's Word on Fire Catholic Ministries.

Brandon has said, "Like Augustine and Lewis before her, Jennifer recounts her compelling journey of conversion through a colorful and stirring memoir.

Smart, inspiring, and absorbing, Jennifer's book will go down as one of the best spiritual memoirs since "Mere Christianity." It will lift her to her rightful place alongside Augustine and Lewis, troubled converts, talented memoirists, and courageous intellects who each followed the truth to its beautiful and unsettling conclusion."