“Thirty-eight thousand versions of Christian”

A Facebook friend sent me a message the other day.  She is not a Christian, but is interested in learning more about the faith.  She messaged me for book recommendations, specifically recommendations for books about the universal, basic tenets of Christianity.
Happy to help, I clicked on the empty reply box, readied my hands on the keyboard, and stopped dead in my tracks.  Goodness, what a question to ask a person in this day and age.  If she’d asked me for specifically Catholic teachings, it would be simple – a Catholic catechism, perhaps in YouCat or Compendium form, and a Catholic bible, particularly the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible.   Catholicism for Dummies is another good one for the cut-and-dry basics.  But she wasn’t specifically asking for Catholic titles, and I felt a little funny assuming that she’d be satisfied with the “brand” of Christianity I deemed true.  But because I do indeed deem it true, I explained to her my plight: this is just one version of Christianity, but it’s the original!  I could direct her nowhere else for a universal survey of Christian thought.  They don’t call us “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic” for nothing, you know.
Outside of Catholicism, is there any way to respond to my friend’s request for resources without endorsing one version of Christ to the exclusion of others?  The Protestants are protesting, but they are certainly not doing so in unison.  One hundred Christians would recommend completely different (and frequently opposing) theological approaches to Jesus.  Some of the more mainline Protestants would even do so under the proud banner of “Scripture alone!”  It is no surprise that I had such a diverse experience in the Protestant world: why not shop around?  Forgive me if I sound too casual, for I know that many Protestants take their protest quite seriously and do their best to remain systematic and sensible in their theology (Baptists, I’m looking at you).  But in the end, my former Protestant self was just weighing persuasive arguments.  And these persuasive arguments, of course, were accountable to no one but perhaps a local pastor or at best, a creed that was written within the last few hundred years or so.

“Let it be printed!” The Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur are official declarations by a local Catholic diocese that a certain book does not explicitly reject the Catholic Church’s teachings.

I’m relieved that the book question is simple to answer.  Our universal Church is easy to define (though her teachings remain the antithesis of worldly wisdom).  But how would I have answered the question five years ago?  What would that list of books include?  Would it be Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life?  Some Joyce Meyer study?  Billy Graham?  Mark Driscoll?  Max Lucado? R. C. Sproul?  J. I. Packer?  Francis Chan?  John Piper?  Christianity Today has an article from June of 2009 titled “Ten Theology Books for your Beach Bag.”  One of the books listed is about justification, a topic rightfully described by CT as “a topic too important to be left to professional theologians”, and is in the previous sentence described as being at odds with yet another prominent theologian!  In Protestantism, there is no universal belief about justification; there are main schools of thought.  It is impossible to recommend a book on “universal Christianity” without necessarily endorsing someone’s idea of Jesus.  The possible responses are infinite and worse yet – all fair game.
There’s a new song playing on Christian radio stations and one line always catches my ear: “There’s thirty-eight thousand versions of Christian, twistin’ the word to fit how they are livin’.”  Interestingly, 38,000 is a number often attributed to the number of Protestant churches in existence today.  Of course, the number is debated left and right between Catholics and Protestants, and any true scholar can see that the precise number is neither possible to determine nor useful in the least.  The fact that two exist is a tragedy.  Jesus prayed that “they may all be one,” and today we are anything but.  (John 17:20-21)
Catholicism is not just another denomination.  (That’s right, they’re not even Christians! shouts some guy in the back row.  Har har.)  Catholicism makes the bold claim that she is the true Church of Christ, the one founded by Him and brought forth to the present day by way of authoritative succession.  Of course, any church could say this about itself.  But is it true?  The truth of Catholicism brought me home, but when I finally took a look around and saw the unity I so desperately longed for, I couldn’t help but see the “oneness” that Christ desires for His people.  And of course!  Unity is found where truth is found.  Though unity is ever-perfecting this side of eternity, you’ll never see it more boldly and unapologetically than in the Roman Catholic Church.
It’s good to be home.