Journal: Journal of Dispensational Theology
Volume: JODT 26:72 (Spring 2022)
Article: Book Reviews
Author: Anonymous

JODT 26:72 (Spring 2022) p. 111

Book Reviews

40 Questions about Roman Catholicism by Gregg R. Allison. Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic, 2021. 332 pp., paper, $23.99.

Gregg R. Allison is professor of theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He regularly teaches classes about the Roman Catholic faith both in and out of the Seminary. In addition to this book, Allison has written one entitled Roman Catholic Theology and Practice: an Evangelical Assessment. His 40 Questions cover the Catholic faith quite comprehensively.

He began by noting the Roman Catholic Church consists of more than one billion members. As a result, anyone would encounter one of these members pretty much anywhere or everywhere they go. With this in mind, Allison embarked to provide answers to questions with regard to “Roman Catholic Theology and practice, doctrine and liturgy, sacraments and Mariolatry, contributions and scandals, and other things catholic” (p. 9), as broadly, yet as thoroughly as he could. In the introduction, Allison acknowledged his approach was not from a Roman Catholic viewpoint, rather he declared his position as an evangelical, Reformed Baptist, systematic theologian, and a local church pastor. Nevertheless, he provides a pretty thorough overview and assessment of the Roman Catholic faith.

Allison devoted the first ten questions to a discussion of the history and foundation of the Roman Catholic Church. In the first chapter (Q. 1), he discussed traditional attributes of the Church, defined key terms and explained how the Church developed in the early years. He also explained how the term Roman came to be a part of its designation: the “Church in Rome was beginning to flex its religious and political muscles and to make exaggerated claims for itself” (p. 17). Two key features begin to appear that make this an excellent book for serious evangelicals who want to know how to understand and reply to Roman Catholics: (1) the many footnotes that document important facts expressed in the text; and, (2) a summary concluding each chapter, reviewing the key ideas of that chapter.

Further, in the chapters on history, Allison compared and contrasted Catholic and Protestant views on basic doctrine (i.e. Christ, the church, and nature and grace). He concluded the section with discussion of areas in which Catholics and Protestants differ. For example, Catholics put a lot of stress on tradition, whereas Protestants proclaim the Reformation concept of sola Scriptura (“Scripture alone”). The author discussed eight areas of difference between Catholics and Protestants, a few of which

JODT 26:72 (Spring 2022) p. 112

include the canon of Scripture, Mary, the church and its sacraments, as well ...