Stephen K. Ray's CROSSING THE TIBER (Book)-1997

Ecclesiastes 4:12 Though one may be overpowered,

two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Not only a moving account of the conversion of its author and his entire family, but also an instructive document.  Evangelical Protestants may learn the art of rediscovering the historically established Church.  Catholics can discover the clear logic of their faith.-Fr. Stanley L Jaki

Those who know me well know that I left the Catholic Church then went back again when I was much, much younger.  More or less I have been back to this fold I am in for a quarter of a century.  I am still a progressive Catholic until now, for one reason or another, but each day, I am learning to embrace my faith.  I don't know everything yet.  I still backslide sometimes and to be honest, right now, I am struggling.  Not with my belief in God, but with the people who are messing with my heart and my brain.  There's a thin line between accepting everyone for whatever they believe in because we don't have the monopoly of doing good and not being yoked with unbelievers(2 Corinthians 6:14).  With united prayer(my friends, family, and the Communion of the Saints), I pray that God would uproot everyone that will not make my faith stronger.  Oh, I'm not talking about Christians from another fold, because even if they have problems with Catholics, I don't have problems with their beliefs because for one, my dwelling in their fold made my love for Jesus deeper. Since I don't have the heart to do that myself, I will let God be God.  I still respect everyone and their beliefs, but respect goes both ways.  No matter how much I love them, no one should stop me making the sign of the Cross.  This is what I believe in.  Anyways, I'm digressing. Let's go back to the book...

"This book needs to be 'pastoral' in tone---not combative or harsh."- Janet Ray's constant reminder to Stephen

CROSSING THE TIBER is a wonderful book.  It taught me a lot of things and is still teaching me a lot.  It is not a book that you will read only once.  You will want to get back to it and most probably, refer to it, if you want to teach other Catholics about the Faith we take for granted.

Yes, we Catholics who are born in free countries(or in countries with a semblance of freedom), take our Faith for granted.  Others have to die for our Faith, but since it's just there, we don't even try to understand why things are done this way or that way.  

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Unlike me who was born and raised as a Catholic, but temporarily stepped out of the fold, Stephen K. Ray and his family were Evangelicals(Baptists to be exact) who converted to being Roman Catholics.  They didn't convert just like that.  They studied our Faith before anything else and they made sure that they would not hate their roots, instead, they are thankful for their upbringing and for the faith that made them love Jesus.

Their journey was not easy and they were not also easily convinced.  They had to pray, pray, pray, research, research, research, pray, pray and pray.  There were plenty of struggles, of course, but finally, Ray, Janet and their children converted as a family.  No one was forced to do so.  

To learn more about the book and more about our faith, please buy it.  It was published by IGNATIUS PRESS in San Francisco, California, U.S.A.

Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert Lunford

Imprimatur: Cart F. Mengeling, Bishop of Lansing.

In the Philippines it was published by Totus Bookstore and Publishing House, 2nd Floor Red Ribbon Bldg., Missouri corner Connecticut Streets, Northeast Greenhills, San Juan City

Telephone No. (+632) 7234326

Email address: tuus@hotmail.com

An exhilarating conversion story of a devout Baptist who relates how he overcame his hostility to the Catholic Church by a combination of serious Bible study and vast research of the writings of the early Church Fathers. In addition to a moving account of their conversion that caused Ray and his wife to "cross the Tiber" to Rome, he offers an in-depth treatment of Baptism and the Eucharist in Scripture and the ancient Church.

Thoroughly documented with hundreds of footnotes, this contains perhaps the most complete compilation of biblical and patristic quotations and commentary available on Baptism and the Eucharist, as well as a detailed analysis of Sola Scriptura and Tradition.

"This is really three books in one that offers not only a compelling conversion story, but documented facts that are likely to cinch many other conversions." 

— Karl Keating, Catholic Apologist

 "A very moving and astute story. I am enormously impressed with Ray's candor, courage and theological literacy. His numerous footnotes and quotes from Scripture and the Fathers of Baptism and the Eucharist are vastly helpful and a great service."

- Thomas Howard, Author of the book: EVANGELICAL IS NOT ENOUGH