Book Review
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School
California Baptist University *
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Course
353
Subject
Philosophy
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
Pages
3
Uploaded by vndreew
Andrew Hernandez
PHI353-AE
Prof. Juan
15 October 2023
Book Review
Gregg R. Allison's Theology and Practice of Roman Catholicism: An Evangelical
Evaluation was published in 2014 and offers an in-depth examination of the theology and
practices of the Roman Catholic Church from an evangelical viewpoint. The book offers a
critical analysis of key theological tenets and religious practices. The book is written by an
Evangelical theologian who seeks to evaluate and comprehend the similarities and distinctions
between Roman Catholicism and Evangelical Christianity. Topics discussed in the book include
the Doctrine of God, the Authority of the Church, the Plan of Salvation, the role of the Virgin
Mary, and the Holiness of Saints. Overall, Allison's book is a great resource for anyone who
wants to learn more about the theological differences between Roman Catholics and
evangelicals. It's a great way to get an evangelical point of view on the subject and to have a
good, honest conversation between the two. The goal of the book is to help people understand
each other better and have a better conversation about faith and theology. Some of the key points
in the book were definitely the doctrines examination. It systematically examines major
theological doctrines of Roman Catholicism, such as the nature and function of God, the church's
position on this matter or the sacraments. Allison carefully identifies the views of the Roman
Catholic Church on those issues and offers an analysis of them by Evangelicals. Another one of
the main topics in the book that caught my eye was the topics of the famous salvation and also
the topic of justification. The book argues that Roman Catholicism and Evangelical Christianity
do not share the same understanding of salvation or justification but differ significantly in
historical terms. In contrast to the Roman Catholic doctrine of "faith" and "work," it highlights
the concept of "justification by faith alone." The roman catholic belief in salvation and
justification includes ideas such as the sacraments which is basically the process of sanctification
and the church being the means of grace. The two different religions have completely different
ideologies, and their differences are fairly obvious. But the thing is that they also do share some
similarities at the end of the day. Another main topic of interest in the book would be the role of
Mary. She plays a huge role in Roman Catholicism and the way that Allison talks about the
Marian doctrines and how it was the perpetual virginity that people did not want to believe. In
the Roman Catholic Church, Mary is also regarded as a major intercessor. Believers often pray to
Mary to plead with her son, Jesus Christ, on their behalf. This book talks about the practice of
seeking Mary's intervention and gives an evangelical perspective, which is different from the
Evangelical focus on prayer directly to Jesus or God. Usually, people from the roman catholic
belief would pray and use Mary in their prayers because she was the mother of Jesus. So, by
being his mother, there is a deeper connection that has been made and the message will seem like
it will go through more efficiently. Another important fact about Mary is that she holds a special
place in the roman catholic faith. She is the mother of Jesus, so she represents and symbolizes
compassion, motherhood, and hope for many Catholics. Her images and icons are commonly
found in churches, homes, and religious art all over the place. As a roman catholic, You will
know that Mary is as important as Jesus himself because without Mary, Jesus would not have
been able to be born and the stories would not have been able to be told.
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