The premise of the book is the journey of a Methodist pastor from his role leading a huge church and radio show into becoming a Catholic in full communion with the Church.
What struck me about it is his discussions on authority. Mr. Hunt confesses (quite thematically, ha ha ha) that as a Methodist pastor, he was totally on his own in all doctrinal matters. He would decide whether or not to allow divorce and marriages, he decided what to preach about, and he decided, ultimately, what was moral for his church.
The one exception was the general congregation, where every four years, elected representatives would vote on changes to doctrine and morality.
As a Catholic, with the pope and the Magisterium, that's something I simply cannot wrap my head around.
How can a faith structure leave pastors high and dry like that? How can morality be up for a vote, ever? How can a church supposed based on the Bible as a source of authority even consider that morality can change?
He also talks about the 33,000 different protestant faiths, and poses an interesting question that I doubt most people consider: If I am protestant, what am I protesting?
For me, this was an excellent read into the mind of our separated brethren. Living in TN, I am part of the 6% of Catholics in the state. Understanding the other 94% goes a long way for me.
I finished the book with a prayer of thanks, and a prayer for unity.
God bless us all, and may He lead us home.
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