High Church Heresy: Exposing Resurgent Catholicism and Orthodoxy

by Kenneth R. Guindon

Publisher:

Regular Baptist Press

, 2015

Overview

In response to the phenomenon of resurgent Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, this book presents a detailed examination and biblical refutation of core Catholic and Orthodox beliefs from a conservative evangelical perspective.

High Church Heresy reveals Catholic and Eastern Orthodox teaching on a number of topics, including tradition, Scriptures, the church fathers, Mary, salvation, baptism, and the Lord's Supper. Learn what the ancient, high churches teach contrary to Scripture. Learn what your Catholic or Eastern Orthodox family, friends, and coworkers believe and practice. This text is helpful for church leaders, college students, and churchgoers alike.

Key Features

• Explains why evangelicals are attracted to both Orthodoxy and Catholicism, while also speaking the truth in love concerning the heresies and even apostate beliefs inherent within these two religious systems
• Lays before the public the Scriptural and historical reasons for returning to a truly Biblical faith
• Attempts to provide church leaders, pastors, evangelists, and interested laypeople with a handy reference book on the topic of Orthodoxy and Catholicism

Contents

Part 1

• Tradition, Scripture, and the Church Fathers
• Historical Issues
• Sacramental Teaching in Ancient Churches
• Baptism in the Early Church—Part 1
• Baptism in the Early Church—Part 2
• Baptism in the Early Church—Part 3
• The Eucharist in the Early Church

Part 2

• Liturgical Developments and the Sacralization of the Clergy
• Further Dilution of Biblical Christianity
• Biblical Worship vs. Diluted Worship
• The Church Defined
• Should We Reject Sacerdotalism?
• The Worst of All Errors
• The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Systems

• Conclusion: Is History Enough?
• Appendix: A Few Remaining Questions

Top Highlights

“have the ancient churches confused salvation and sanctification” (Page 13)

“According to them, ‘Holy Tradition’ is equal in weight with the Holy Scriptures, preceded the Scriptures, is more complete than the Scriptures, and is equal to the Scriptures as a source of dogma.” (Page 28)

“mystery religions offered alternative ways of viewing life and the hereafter” (Page 40)

“Eusebius was only two hundred years removed from Papias when he wrote” (Page 34)

Praise for High Church Heresy

Because of a number of recent accounts of evangelicals joining the Roman Catholic or the Eastern Orthodox Church, this is an important and much-needed book. Through the examination of church history, theology and Scripture, Ken Guindon shares his spiritual journey and explains why he returned to evangelical Christianity. His study is fair-minded and well-written, and provides a sound defense for his decision.

Edmond C. Gruss, Professor Emeritus, The Master’s College

This is a very pertinent book for our time when many prize church history and personal experience above Biblical truth in their search for spiritual vitality. Like many today who find a shallowness of doctrine and life in many contemporary evangelical churches, the author tells of his search for genuine Christianity in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches whose ancient roots are said to signal authentic Christianity. Although acknowledging enjoyable aspects of the worship atmosphere and recognizing the presence of godly believers, the author explains why these churches did not satisfy his search. Utilizing church history and Biblical theology, many teachings and practices of the Orthodox and Catholic churches are shown to be foreign to the New Testament and contrary to the complete graciousness of salvation—many of them having arisen much later in accommodation to surrounding influences. Written with a loving heart, this work is worth reading by everyone interested in authentic Christianity and is particularly helpful for anyone who is tempted to think that age and claims to infallibility are criteria of the true church.

Robert L. Saucy, Former Distinguished Professor of Systematic Theology, Talbot School of Theology

The author describes his goal in writing this tome as twofold: to explain why evangelicals are leaving their faith for “highly ceremonial worship,” even adopting contrary doctrines to do so; and to “present a short ‘apologia’ for biblical faith.” That is a worthy aim, and the author does a good job reaching his objective, with the book divided pretty well into his double theme—the latter taking a slight edge. His “unrelenting goal is to help outsiders to grasp the issues that are leading evangelicals to become members of these ancient churches.” He correctly notes, “A person’s way of life will be based upon one of two clear-cut principles: either the Word of God or the word of men.” Tradition clearly falls into the latter category. Guindon sums up succinctly, based on his own experience, why evangelicals are attracted to Roman and Orthodox bodies, offering four positives and two negatives. His chapters on baptism, worship, and sacerdotalism were especially good, we thought. He is convinced one of the major problems in all this relates to confusion between salvation and sanctification. And we liked his observation that someone said, “The Protestant trusts Christ to save him; the Catholic [or Orthodox] trusts Christ to help him save himself.” We have always felt this to be true. Guindon’s own summary of his work is, “One faith is the true faith and has no temples, no priests, no material sacrifices. God saves us and our works add nothing to His work.” We were very impressed with this careful, scholarly work. High Church Heresy is a good book deserving a wide circulation. It is a delight to endorse it.

Robert L. Sumner, Editor, The Biblical Evangelist

Product Details

• Title: High Church Heresy: Exposing Resurgent Catholicism and Orthodoxy
• Author: Kenneth R. Guindon
• Publisher: Regular Baptist Press
• Print Publication Date: 2015
• Logos Release Date: 2022
• Pages: 269
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
• Subjects: Catholic converts › United States; Orthodox Eastern converts › United States; Ex-church members › Protestant churches--Religious life
• ISBNs: 9781629402161, 1629402168
• Resource ID: LLS:HIGHCHURCHHERESY
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T00:31:04Z