What is the Catholic vision of the Church? Is the Catholic Church arrogant for believing herself to be the Church founded by Christ and His Apostles? For many of us, the journey to Catholicism began when we became captivated by a vision of Christ’s Church that we had never seen before.
It’s important to keep in mind that everyone thinks their position is right — or it wouldn’t be their position. After all, if they thought their position was wrong, they would take another. Therefore, this isn’t an argument against Catholicism any more than it is against any position a person might hold.
But it’s also not true that Catholics believe every other church is wrong in everything it believes and teaches. What Catholics believe is that in the Catholic Church, the fullness of what Christ and the apostles wanted us to know has been preserved intact and passed down through the ages. Doesn’t mean that other Christian churches don’t possess much of that truth and the Church teaches us that the Holy Spirit uses those churches as “means of salvation.” With this in mind, Catholics are instructed to treat non-Catholic Christians “with respect and affection as brothers,” to love them and pray for the Church to be one day reunited as one.
On this page, you will find a variety of testimonies and resources helpful for understanding the unique Catholic vision of “the Church”.
Hear Our Stories
Here are a collection of testimonies from converts to Catholicism for whom the understanding of the nature of the Church played a key role.
What Is The Church?
Tom Murphy
“The whole world became an experience of God’s grace for me.”
Emily Stimpson Chapman
“We all went to Oxford as Episcopalians, and we left as Catholics.”
Br. Bonaventure Chapman
Browse Resources
There are many, many great resources available for deepening your knowledge of the Catholic Church. Here are some of our favorites.
Recommended Articles
The Necessity of the Church – Kenneth J. Howell, PhD
The Catholic Church: Reality and Ideal – Thomas Storck
Recommended Videos
Recommended Books
The Church: Mystery, Sacrament, and Community
Pope St. John Paul II
For ten years, Pope Saint John Paul II dedicated his Wednesday papal audiences to a thorough discussion of the Creed. This new book presents a selection of those audiences that address the Church and her place in salvation history. John Paul gives remarkable insights into a wide range of topics such as the unity of the Church, the role of the papacy and ordained clergy, how the laity build up and spread the Kingdom, and the Church’s dedication to ecumenism and unity among Christians. The scope and depth of Pope Saint John Paul II’s discussion on the Church is a treasure for its readers.
The Protestant’s Dilemma
Devin Rose
This is really interesting and enlightening read. Devin Rose is a convert to Catholicism. In this book he compares and contrasts Catholicism and Protestantism by showing the implications of rejecting the Catholic view of the Church. It’s really good.
Catholic for a Reason: Scripture and the Mystery of the Family of God
Edited by Scott Hahn & Leon J. Suprenant, Jr.
Catholic for a Reason will help readers develop a better understanding of the Catholic Church, through the personal study and reflection of 12 well-known Catholics. In this book, the teachings on Mary, the Eucharist, Baptism, and Purgatory are explained in light of the relationship of God the Father to us.
Mystery of the Church
by Fr. Paul Haffner
Here is a beautifully systematic, clear and in-depth treatment of the Catholic teaching on the Church. The author covers the origin and nature of the Church, the Church as One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic, Peter and the Papacy, the necessity of the Church and tons more. Great book!
The Spirit of Catholicism
by Karl Adam
In this book, Karl Adam seeks to identify the “spirit” or essence of Roman Catholicism. He gives particular weight to the doctrine of the Mystical Body of Christ, which he considers crucial to the problems of the present age, when mankind is desperately seeking a principle of unity and authentic community.
The Church of God: Body of Christ and Temple of the Holy Spirit
by Fr. Louis Bouyer
Simply one of the best books on the Catholic doctrine of the Church you will ever read. A former Lutheran, Fr Bouyer looks at the Reformation views of the Church and focuses on how the Catholic Church has viewed itself throughout history and especially now after Vatican II.
Recommended Websites
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