The Protestant's Dilemma: How the Reformation's Shocking Consequences Point to the Truth of Catholicism

As a Catholic, I had a decent understanding of the material presented in here. With Protestant friends, we would often get into discussions about the divisions between the Church & Protestantism, and I found myself without words. I picked up this book to help with that, and to share the truth of the Church with these friends. Easy to read & digest this book. Well written and well researched by the author. Gave me clearer words to expose the flaws in Protestantism (in general...which was one challenge since my friends all had different Christian beliefs) & has helped to plant some seeds with my friends. Recommend!

As a former Evangelical Protestant I was eager to read this book. Some of the things Devin talks about in his book I had already learned as a born again Catholic. The chapters are short and bite sized. The book focuses on authority. Catholics and Protestants can debate on Mary, the saints, or purgatory, but without first establishing authority it's for naught. Each chapter takes you by the hand and walks you through the infallible authority of the Church compared to the fallible authority of Protestants. A great book for Catholic apologetics. Also, a great book to give to any non-Catholic. Devin Rose uses a non-bias approach. He does not slam Protestants. With 139 foot notes his book is well researched. The book is rich with Scripture to back up the Catholic position, and gives insight to Protestants reading this book that all denominations go back no further than the Reformation. *Spoiler* There really is a dilemma!

Before getting into the review proper, I would like to point out that this book is very similar to the author's earlier work "If Protestantism Is True". The format is basically the same, and many of the the topics are the same as well. A few of the stories seem lifted almost word for word from the earlier book. I wish this was marketed as an updated, revised, or expanded version of "If Protestantism Is True", because that is what it felt like to me. If you already have that book, I would rate this a 2 or maybe 3 stars. It is still a good book, and I enjoyed reading it, but you are not really getting an entirely new work. Now for a stand alone review of this book -- I loved the format, taking on the assumptions and beliefs at the heart of Protestantism and dealing with them one by one. I found it to be very accessible, with a nice balance between readability and depth. On a few occasions, he does go on the offensive without a enough depth to his argument to justify the certainty he displays in his conclusions. While this is understandable, since he is trying to cover a lot of ground in a manageable page count, it can come across as cocky or arrogant. However, I don't want to overstate that point, since the author maintains a charitable tone for the vast majority of the time, which I appreciated. Also, I did like that the section on each point was kept fairly compact. While I'm no stranger to longer books, these sorts of debates can easily stretch to great lengths, and I definitely think there is a place for a work of this scope. I don't think it should be the only book of apologetics on your bookshelf, but it is a nice addition.

If you are a Protestant willing to have your faith challenged, then read "The Protestant's Dilemma" by Devin Rose. This should be a book that every Protestant read. At the very least, it helps explain to us Protestants why Catholics believe in certain doctrines the way they do even if they seem a bit strange to us. At best, it helps a Protestant better understand why he/she may be drawing closer to the ancient beliefs and traditions of the Catholic faith such as myself. In my early years of the Christian faith I was a right-wing fundamentalist Evangelical Christian that was taught that Catholics and their Church are apostates and heretics. I read a lot of anti-Catholic propaganda that led me to believe that the Popes are corrupt and Catholicism is really just a powerful and wealthy cult. As I have grown in my faith and come to know Jesus more, not only have I left fundamentalism, but I have actually begun to understand and in some ways embrace many of the doctrines, traditions, and teachings of the Catholic faith. While this book helped clear up many misunderstandings and misgivings I had with the Catholic faith (i.e. the apocrypha/deuterocanonical books, purgatory, praying for and seeking prayer from the saints, and apostolic authority), I still have issue with a couple of key Catholic doctrines, such as: transubstantiation of the Eucharist and Marian theology. Aside from these two issues, I come just short of fully identifying with the Catholic faith. Very well written and laid out, humbly explained, and uncritical to those of other faith traditions, I highly recommend this book to those Protestants who have enough balls to have their faith challenged and for those who desire to seek and understand more about our Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ and their rich history.

The book concisely contrasts the fundamental contradictions inherent in Protestsntism, with the common sense, historical, Scriptural truths held and taught by The Church from the beginning. Well done.

Direct and to the point. This is an easy read, making it a valuable use of your time. Do not harden your heart..

For anyone with questions about their faith this is an invaluable resource. It's not a difficult read but is a comprehensive treatment of It's subject.

This book written by a former Evangelical Protestant approaches the differences in a unique and interesting manner. It is a very good resource for those who have recently become Catholic and wish to pass on to non Catholic friends a book which will address the questions that many Protestants ask. It deserves a wide readership and is a good tool for the new evangelisation.

El libro trae una serie de preguntas que genuinamente hacen pensar a la persona con la que se está hablando y la invitan a considerar que tal vez podría existir otra manera de ver el rol de la Iglesia.

This is a very easy to read book. It's information packed but not boring. I very much liked the layout of the book. Also a great book to keep as a resource.

Very informative book, cleared many doubts. I recommend this book to all confused Catholics.