011: How (Not) to Become a Catholic (w/ Dr. James Tonkowich)

06/12/19 • 65 min

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic Podcast, I'm joined by Dr. James Tonkowich, popular commentator on religion in the public square and a convert to Catholicism to share his essay, "How to Not Become Catholic in 9 Easy Steps."
In aplum and charity, Dr. Tonkowich unpacks his own journey as a Presbyterian pastor into the Catholic Church and shares 9 "rules" to follow if you want to avoid his fate:

Assume that all Catholics are idiots
Get all your information about the Catholic faith second hand
Avoid being "Deep in History"
Do not read the Church Fathers
Affirm the "Great Tradition" but don't ask what's included
If you're Evangelical–ignore the sin of schism
If you're a Mainline Protestant–assume the schism is someone else's fault
Believe the Catholic Church and the Bible don't mix
Keep insisting that Catholicism is a grace-free, works-based religion

Listen to Dr. Tonkowich share his rules on the podcast.
Dr. Tonkowich's ebook is available for free from the Coming Home Network International.
Visit Wyoming Catholic College for more information about their programs, including the incredible (and free!) online courses they're offering coming up.
Listen to Dr. Tonkowich on The After Dinner Scholar. A podcast featuring faculty, board members, advisors, and guests talking about their books and the ideas that make up with curriculum at Wyoming Catholic College.

For more, visit The Cordial Catholic. Send your feedback to [email protected].
This podcast is 100% listener supported. For more information about sponsoring the show, keeping this podcast going, and helping me to continue to deliver quality content please visit the Patreon page. All of your support is welcomed, even $1/mo helps.
Theme music is "Sandbox Jingle" by Scott Holmes.

A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.

Support the show

Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:
Instagram: @cordialcatholic
Twitter: @cordialcatholic
YouTube: /thecordialcatholic
Facebook: The Cordial Catholic
TikTok: @cordialcatholic

Assume that all Catholics are idiots
Get all your information about the Catholic faith second hand
Avoid being "Deep in History"
Do not read the Church Fathers
Affirm the "Great Tradition" but don't ask what's included
If you're Evangelical–ignore the sin of schism
If you're a Mainline Protestant–assume the schism is someone else's fault
Believe the Catholic Church and the Bible don't mix
Keep insisting that Catholicism is a grace-free, works-based religion

Support the show

Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:
Instagram: @cordialcatholic
Twitter: @cordialcatholic
YouTube: /thecordialcatholic
Facebook: The Cordial Catholic
TikTok: @cordialcatholic

Previous Episode

010: The Shroud of Turin – Everything You Need to Know! (w/ Dr. Cheryl White)

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic Podcast, I'm joined by Dr. Cheryl White, a historian with 30 years of experience studying the incredible Shroud of Turin – the supposed burial cloth of Jesus!
Dr. White unpacks the incredible history and origins of the Shroud, it's seemingly miraculous qualities, and the unbelievable amount of scientific research which has gone into making the Shroud the "most studied object in history." We also discuss the impact of the Shroud on our Christian faith.
This was such an intriguing interview and, as Dr. White says, the more you learn about the Shroud of Turin the deeper you'll be drawn into its mystery.
Some links mentioned in this episode,

Support the show

Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:
Instagram: @cordialcatholic
Twitter: @cordialcatholic
YouTube: /thecordialcatholic
Facebook: The Cordial Catholic
TikTok: @cordialcatholic

Next Episode

012: What Catholics Believe About Salvation (w/ Dr. Michael Barber)

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic Podcast, I'm joined by theologian and scripture scholar Dr. Michael P. Barber to talk about the Catholic view of salvation.
Dr. Barber's new book Salvation: What Every Catholic Should Know was an instant bestseller and it's no surprise. Dr. Barber talks passionately, enthusiastically, and with an intense clarity about how Catholics should understand their salvation – and how we often misunderstand it as well.
We tackle the idea that all of our works are underpinned by God's grace – they aren't "our works" at all – and Dr. Barber applies what I think is one of the best explanations of salvation using the illustration of infant baptism. You really need to listen to this podcast, right now!
For more from Dr. Barber follow him on Twitter and check out more of his fantastic writing at The Sacred Page.

For more, visit The Cordial Catholic. Send your feedback to [email protected].
This podcast is 100% listener supported. For more information about sponsoring the show, keeping this podcast going, and helping me to continue to deliver quality content please visit the Patreon page. Even $1 or $2 a month can go a long way to helping make this podcast sustainable.
Theme music is "Sandbox Jingle" by Scott Holmes.

Support the show

Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:
Instagram: @cordialcatholic
Twitter: @cordialcatholic
YouTube: /thecordialcatholic
Facebook: The Cordial Catholic
TikTok: @cordialcatholic