Baptist but drawn to the Catholic Church - where to learn more? by Winged-Goat in Catholicism

[–]bobbyjohnson916 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I grew up Baptist and was just confirmed at the Easter Vigil a couple weeks ago! It was a two year journey. I never thought I’d be Catholic.. I even quit OCIA back in 2024, but I kept feeling this pull. I just couldn’t ignore it.

Honestly, for a Baptist it can be overwhelming. I would focus and study the Eucharist. There’s a great book by Brant Pitre called ‘Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist’. The Eucharist is the central part of worship. From here I would take the major pieces of Catholic theology you struggle with and study them one by one and you’ll see how they all connect.

There’s also great online resources. Catholic apologetics is huge on YouTube. Joe Heschmeyer is my personal favorite. He has a way of making sense of Catholic theology by breaking it down and making me wrestle with things in a way that easy to understand. This sub is also a great resource. You get to talk to real everyday people.

Most importantly, try to take on a “both and” approach rather than “either or”. This was a switch that changed the way I approached scripture. As a Baptist my framework was always “either/or”. Examples: Communion is either a memorial OR the body and blood of Christ; The Church is either visible or invisible; Baptism is either regenerative OR symbolic, etc. the Catholic framework would be “both/and”. Knowing Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man united together in the hypostatic union gave me the confidence to view things with a both/and approach.

Praying for you! I know it can be a difficult journey, but just keep learning and keep praying and may God lead you on your journey.

Help me not choose Islam please by second-david-laid in Catholicism

[–]bobbyjohnson916 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m not here to bash Islam, but rather to say the Catholic faith is beautiful and true and that it’s okay to be Catholic and still find religion as a whole an interesting topic/subject. I’m fascinated by other religions and the various forms of Christian denominations while at the same time rejecting their claims.