———— Introduction ————

My brothers and sisters, welcome. We live in a world that desperately needs Jesus. And when the world looks at us, it ought to see his face. But Christians are so divided that we're like a broken mirror, reflecting a fractured image of the one we profess to follow.

We need each other, and we need to stand together wherever we can. We must make every effort to understand one another, to agree wherever possible, and when we must disagree, to do so in love and with a sincere desire to overcome our differences. The world needs to see a clearer image of Christ in us.

My background

I was an Evangelical Protestant for 13 years, and I have been Catholic for over 25 years. One thing I’ve learned is that both sides agree on a lot more than many people on either side realize.

There are real and important differences between us, of course. But I'm convinced there are fewer than most of us realize. My goal is to show where we have common ground, and to explain the Catholic faith in those areas where we really do disagree. It may be more biblical than you think.

Above all, my goal as a disciple of Jesus Christ is to make him better known. If you don't already know Jesus, I hope you'll meet him here. And if you do know him, I hope these pages will help you know him better. 

What you will find here

I write primarily about subjects that interest me, especially the issues that divide Catholics and Protestants. This isn't intended to be a comprehensive presentation of the Catholic faith. Some subjects receive considerably more attention than others, depending on what I find interesting or important.

If you see a date at the top of a page, that represents the date the page was either written or most recently revised.

This site is also a work in progress. Some links are grayed out because the articles aren't ready yet. Some are papers from my old website that need rewriting before they're fit for human consumption; others are articles I intend to write but haven't gotten around to yet.

The old “Catholic Outlook”

Twenty years ago, I hosted a similar website under the same name. I was a new convert then, eager to explain why I'd left Protestantism and why I believed Catholicism was true. There's value in that, but now that I'm (hopefully) twenty years wiser, my perspective has changed. I'm still convinced that Catholicism is true, but I've become increasingly interested in what Catholics and Protestants have in common, and in clearing away the misconceptions that prevent us from understanding one another.

Nevertheless, some of you may remember the old site and you may want to read some of the old material. I’ve included most of it here.

Occasionally, when I reread something I wrote twenty years ago, I wish I'd expressed it differently. Since my purpose here is to explain things as clearly and accurately as I can, rather than preserve every word of my earlier writings, I've sometimes revised my old material. This includes my own contributions to some of the dialogues, though I've tried to change only the wording and not the meaning, and I’ve left the other participants' words unchanged.

I don't expect this website to resolve five hundred years of disagreement between Catholics and Protestants. But perhaps it can help a few people understand one another a little better, recognize how much we already share, and approach our remaining differences with greater charity. That would be a good start.

If you'd like to share your thoughts or offer feedback, I'd love to hear from you. I can't promise I'll have time to respond, but I do read the messages I receive, and I'm grateful for your input.

info@catholicoutlook.me

I can’t promise I’ll have time to reply, but I will read it, and I’m grateful for your input.

χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη

Grace and peace to you,

Gary Hoge