A Philadelphia Catholic in King James's Court

by Martin Deporres Kennedy

Book Overview

After the tragic death of his father, Michael O'Shea travels from his native Philadelphia to rural Kentucky for the summer. In this land of tobacco farming, bluegrass music, and devout fundamentalist... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0967149215
• ISBN13: 9780967149219
• Release Date: April 2021
• Publisher: Lilyfield Press
• Length: 330 Pages
• Weight: 0.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Mr. Puntels Class

A Philadelphia Catholic in King James' Court was a very good book for those looking for explanation for their beliefs in the Catholic teachings. This book explains various controversies between the Catholic and various others Christian Sects, such as; The Catholic Inquisition, The acceptance of Mary as the mother of Christ, her "perpetual virginity" and the Heavenly Queen, The baptism of infants, the infallibility of the pope, praying to statues, and most of all, why we believe in the bible. This book lays explanation for all of these within a well thought out and entertaining story. The plot of this story is that a young boy, about the age of 15, Michael comes from Philadelphia with his family to live with his uncle's family in Tennessee. During the summer stay Mike's uncle Les feels it his duty, as the leader of a small Christian fundamentalist church, to convert mike and his family to their way of worshiping God. Over time Mike is put through various tests where he is forced to explain the Catholic Faith. Over time and many debates Nike wins some people over to the Catholic view on God, including Les' own son Elijah.

A very engaging story.

This is a great book and I'm glad I read it. The characters really come alive and the story is well constructed. The plot slowly but steadily comes together and climaxes with a surprise ending. The apologetics content was very educational. Michael O'Shea, the teenage protagonist, does a wonderful job of defending his Catholic faith (although given his tender age, he is no Karl Keating or Tim Staples, of course!). It may seem that his apologetics ability comes out of nowhere, but the reader must be alert to the fact that he is motivated to study by the love he has for his father, who was a devout Catholic before dieing heroically in a fire--but most importantly, the reader must be alert to the fact that in all the scenes where Michael holds his own while defending Catholicism, his mother was elsewhere praying the rosary for him! His dreams are prophetic, and thus one can see the Holy Spirit working in his life through the intercession of his mother and perhaps even his father. The point is, God is using Michael to bring his Protestant relatives closer to the truth of Christ. Michael conducts himself very charitably while sharing and defending his faith, even when attacked harshly by the fundamentalists.This book is a must read for high school students and for everyone who has ever had their Catholic faith come under attack.

Good Beginning Apologetics Book

A Philadelphia Catholic in King James Court is an easy tutorial in beginning apologetics (teaching, explaining and defending the Faith). Being in fiction form makes it easily accessible to a wide range of readers and whets the appetite for more in depth study of the Catholic Faith or at the very least - gives words to explain Catholic beliefs to those who are not usually comfortable in discussing their faith.

A marvelous, splendid gift on the Catholic Faith

The book "A Philadelphia Catholic in King James's Court" is marvelous, a splendid gift for setting forth the truths of our Catholic faith clearly and precisely. And oh, how this is needed in these times of crisis and confusion in church catechesis. A must read for every Catholic of all ages, religious and clergy included, and a great book to share.

Terrific apologetics novel explains Catholicism from Bible

I want to mention a charming and compelling book I read over the weekend. It's hot off the presses! It's a novel about a young Catholic man (age 17) who spends the summer working on his uncle's horse-powered farm in KY. His uncle is a fundamentalist minister who tries to convert him away from the "Roman" church, which he believes is unbiblical at best, and at worst, evil. Young Michael doesn't know his Faith very well, but he studies Catholic apologetics and then very charitably and humbly, is able to counter his uncle's Bible-alone arguments and defend the Faith. This is not only a good read, it would be perfect for teens or adults. It presents the reasoning on both sides very effectively and realistically. Because the defenses are in the context of an interesting novel, I found myself more able to follow the line of reasoning. It also shows how prayer is crucial in evangelism. Great for either Catholics or non-Catholics. Five stars!