Book Review - Why I am a Catholic: A plan for conversion

Most books that describe someone’s conversion to the Catholic Church focus solely on the events that led the author to the faith and to the Church. Brandon’s Vogt’s “Why I Am a Catholic” goes beyond this. Subtitled “And You Should Be Too,” the book is directed at those outside the Church and argues, in a most convincing way, that they should be Catholic.
 
Vogt is a degreed engineer, and his ideas are laid out with almost scientific precision. Each of his three main divisions is further broken down into three or four sections. Part I is titled “Catholicism is True,” and he defends this belief with four sections that support this statement: Because God Exists, Because We Need Religion, Because Jesus is God, and Because Jesus Started a Church. Section I and III have a similar layout.
 
Overall, Vogt argues that “in the Catholic faith,” there is a convergence of all things that are “true, good and beautiful.” This, he says, goes back to Socrates and other ancient philosophers who held that the best reason to accept a belief is because it is true. He continues this with “If a belief is true, it’s almost always good and beautiful too,” and he explains that “these three qualities” are what “philosophers call the transcendentals.”
 
He says that these three things together are “like the three codes to a lock.” When all three codes are hit, the lock opens.
 
“That’s precisely what I found in Catholicism,” Vogt writes, and that is why the transcendentals are the focus of his book.
 
Vogt states clearly in his introduction that “This isn’t just a conversion memoir.” Addressing non-believers directly, he says that “Why I Am a Catholic” is “my appeal to you, why you should consider Catholicism yourself.”
 
He looks at many of the strongly held beliefs of non-Catholics. In “Catholicism is True,” “Because Jesus Left a Church, Not a Bible,” he tackles “sola scriptura,” the “distinctly Protestant belief that the Bible is our sole, infallible religious authority.”
 
In his well thought out, logical way, Vogt presents three things that refute “sola scriptura.” First, this concept is “self-refuting. Nowhere in the Bible will you find the idea that the Bible is all we need for religious guidance.” Next, the Bible as we know it today “wasn’t formally compiled until the fourth century.” The list of which books make up the Bible was decided by Church councils, by the leadership of the Church, by something “outside of the Bible, namely, the authority of the Church.”
 
Lastly, Jesus did not leave anything in writing. Instead, he established his Church with the Apostles as its leaders.
 
Vogt’s reasoning is found everywhere in the book. Looking at the many young people who say they are spiritual but not religious, Vogt compares this to someone who would say he is “scientific but not into scientific laws and rule.”
 
In Part III, Vogt shows that “Catholicism is Good” by providing the examples of saints like Lawrence, an early Christian martyr, as well as Damien of Molokai and Teresa of Calcutta. Pointing to the many universities and charities established by the Church, Vogt says that this is still more proof the “Catholicism is Good,” because it built Western civilization. Not swayed by trends and passing fancies, the Church is steadfast and “offers true forgiveness of sins.”
 
In Part III, “Catholicism is Beautiful,” the author tries to show what really only can be experienced: the physical beauty of Catholic places of worship, especially the great art of the cathedrals and basilicas that house the masterpieces of DaVinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo. This beauty, he says, is “a pathway to God” and is something “which lifts us up,” always reminding us that we are created “imago dei,” in the image and likeness of God.
 
In his conclusion, Vogt offers a workable plan for anyone interested in exploring Catholicism. He recommends reading and provides a list of conversion stories including those of John Henry Newman, G.K. Chesterton and Thomas Merton. He also lists helpful websites such as catholic.com, hosted by Catholic Answers. He says “The Next Steps” should involve visiting a parish, talking with a priest and ultimately joining an RCIA group.
 
He reminds his readers he “walked those paths” on his own journey to the faith that he found when he “opened the door of the Church.” Speaking directly and beautifully to those outside the Church, Vogt concludes with “Today, that same door remains waiting for you, and it remains unlocked. You only need to come and knock.
 
J.E. Helm is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.
Most books that describe someone’s conversion to the Catholic Church focus solely on the events that led the author to the faith and to the Church. Brandon’s Vogt’s “Why I Am a Catholic” goes beyond this. Subtitled “And You Should Be Too,” the book is directed at those outside the Church and argues, in a most convincing way, that they should be Catholic.
 
Vogt is a degreed engineer, and his ideas are laid out with almost scientific precision. Each of his three main divisions is further broken down into three or four sections. Part I is titled “Catholicism is True,” and he defends this belief with four sections that support this statement: Because God Exists, Because We Need Religion, Because Jesus is God, and Because Jesus Started a Church. Section I and III have a similar layout.
 
Overall, Vogt argues that “in the Catholic faith,” there is a convergence of all things that are “true, good and beautiful.” This, he says, goes back to Socrates and other ancient philosophers who held that the best reason to accept a belief is because it is true. He continues this with “If a belief is true, it’s almost always good and beautiful too,” and he explains that “these three qualities” are what “philosophers call the transcendentals.”
 
He says that these three things together are “like the three codes to a lock.” When all three codes are hit, the lock opens.
 
“That’s precisely what I found in Catholicism,” Vogt writes, and that is why the transcendentals are the focus of his book.
 
Vogt states clearly in his introduction that “This isn’t just a conversion memoir.” Addressing non-believers directly, he says that “Why I Am a Catholic” is “my appeal to you, why you should consider Catholicism yourself.”
 
He looks at many of the strongly held beliefs of non-Catholics. In “Catholicism is True,” “Because Jesus Left a Church, Not a Bible,” he tackles “sola scriptura,” the “distinctly Protestant belief that the Bible is our sole, infallible religious authority.”
 
In his well thought out, logical way, Vogt presents three things that refute “sola scriptura.” First, this concept is “self-refuting. Nowhere in the Bible will you find the idea that the Bible is all we need for religious guidance.” Next, the Bible as we know it today “wasn’t formally compiled until the fourth century.” The list of which books make up the Bible was decided by Church councils, by the leadership of the Church, by something “outside of the Bible, namely, the authority of the Church.”
 
Lastly, Jesus did not leave anything in writing. Instead, he established his Church with the Apostles as its leaders.
 
Vogt’s reasoning is found everywhere in the book. Looking at the many young people who say they are spiritual but not religious, Vogt compares this to someone who would say he is “scientific but not into scientific laws and rule.”
 
In Part III, Vogt shows that “Catholicism is Good” by providing the examples of saints like Lawrence, an early Christian martyr, as well as Damien of Molokai and Teresa of Calcutta. Pointing to the many universities and charities established by the Church, Vogt says that this is still more proof the “Catholicism is Good,” because it built Western civilization. Not swayed by trends and passing fancies, the Church is steadfast and “offers true forgiveness of sins.”
 
In Part III, “Catholicism is Beautiful,” the author tries to show what really only can be experienced: the physical beauty of Catholic places of worship, especially the great art of the cathedrals and basilicas that house the masterpieces of DaVinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo. This beauty, he says, is “a pathway to God” and is something “which lifts us up,” always reminding us that we are created “imago dei,” in the image and likeness of God.
 
In his conclusion, Vogt offers a workable plan for anyone interested in exploring Catholicism. He recommends reading and provides a list of conversion stories including those of John Henry Newman, G.K. Chesterton and Thomas Merton. He also lists helpful websites such as catholic.com, hosted by Catholic Answers. He says “The Next Steps” should involve visiting a parish, talking with a priest and ultimately joining an RCIA group.
 
He reminds his readers he “walked those paths” on his own journey to the faith that he found when he “opened the door of the Church.” Speaking directly and beautifully to those outside the Church, Vogt concludes with “Today, that same door remains waiting for you, and it remains unlocked. You only need to come and knock.
 
J.E. Helm is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.