The Catholic Writers Guild

This month, the Catholic Writers’ Guild is touring Dr. Roger and Karen Salstrom’s book, “95 Questions for Protestants: Points to Ponder During the 500 Year Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation…and Beyond.” It is a CWG Seal of Approval winner! What if it is possible to sift through all religious claims and ultimately find the Truth, and what if that Truth is held within the doctrines of the Catholic Church?

Summary:

As the title implies, 95 Questions for Protestants was written in response to Martin Luther’s 95 Theses, which set the wheels in motion for the runaway train called the Protestant Reformation. It offers questions along with answers that sum up the Church’s teachings from Holy Scripture, the early Church, the Church Fathers, Sacred Tradition, and Catholic catechisms. 95 Questions for Protestants gives a solid foundation for anyone who seeks truth in its fullness.

Excerpt:

CHAPTER: Scripture vs. Scripture Plus Tradition

Martin Luther’s proclamation, in his speech at the Diet of Worms in AD 1521, that the Bible alone (sola scriptura) provides complete understanding of faith is the basis for a major division between Catholics and Protestants. The Catholic Church has consisted of a three-legged stool since the beginning in AD 33: Sacred Scripture (Bible), Sacred Tradition (holy oral Tradition), and the Magisterium (teaching body). If one leg is removed, the stool collapses. This section will show that the sola scriptura, one-legged stool foundation was and is counter-biblical.

Is Luther’s concept of Bible alone (sola scriptura) supported by or found in Scripture?

Such a Scripture does not exist. Some Protestants point to certain Scripture verses as proof for sola Scriptura. For instance, in 2 Timothy 3:16 we learn that all Scripture is not only inspired by God, but is useful for teaching and training. However, it does not state that Scripture only should be used. Conversely, we see in Acts 2:42 that the early Church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teachings (oral tradition). And in 2 Thessalonians 2:15 is a directive to hold to the traditions the apostles taught. In effect, holy Tradition is given credence as a means of knowing the faith. Those traditions (not human traditions) have been passed down from the apostles, preserved in the writings of the Church Fathers, and remain as the full deposit of truth of the Catholic Church.

Bio:

Roger Salstrom, Ph.D., was raised as a Methodist and spent most of his adult years as a Protestant. In 2010, after many conversations with his son-in-law Nick and after reading Scott and Kimberly Hahn’s Rome, Sweet Home, Roger began to consider Catholicism in a new light. He was struck by Scott Hahn’s statement that his friend and pastor, Gerry Matatics, said there was not one Catholic teaching that was contradicted in Holy Scripture (Hahn, 1993, p. 65). This set Roger on a journey of discovery, culminating after four years with his entering the Catholic Church in 2015. Roger is currently a Retired Dean of the School of Business at a local university in Northern California.

Karen Salstrom grew up in the years surrounding Vatican II. She left the Church for nearly 40 years, spending her time in a variety of Protestant denominations where she picked up false information about the Church’s teachings. After reading Rome, Sweet Home, Karen was convinced by the truth about Catholicism. Consequently, she sought to be reconciled to the Church. Since her return, she devotes much of her time to learning about the faith she never truly knew in her earlier years. Karen is a singer-songwriter, pro-life advocate, and owner of Holy Veils by Karen, making chapel and First Holy Eucharist veils for women and girls.

Buy Links:

Amazon –  http://a.co/8KWJNFE
Aquinas and More –http://www.aquinasandmore.com/catholic-books/95-questions-for-protestants/sku/98559
Barnes & Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/95-questions-for-protestants-dr-roger-salstrom/1126577596?ean=9781942190349

Tweet:

What is truth, and does it matter? 95 Questions for Protestants will help in your search for the truth. www.95-questions.com

Special Considerations:

After publishing our book and due to conflicts at work surrounding his Catholicism, Roger felt called to retire from his position as Dean of the School of Business at a Protestant Evangelical University. We are in transition phase with a 50% income loss. His story will be on the Coming Home Network on January 29, 2018.

Our Book will be available for use on Formed sometime in 2018.

Michael Fraley

Michael Fraley has been editing and posting the CWG Book Blast since 2016. He's adapted the Arthurian portion of Geoffrey of Monmouth's “Histories of the Kings of Britain” to the comic page, has worked in book illustration, graphic design, and has also served as a newspaper columnist. In 2019 the story of his conversion to Catholicism was told in Nancy Ward's book Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story. His primary area of study is in the Jewish roots of the Church, with an emphasis on the Gospel of Matthew and the Epistle of James. He holds a MA in theology from St. Joseph's College of Maine and a BFA in fine art from Indiana University. He can be reached at michael@michaelfraley.com