Welcome!

Catholic Outlook is a website devoted to explaining and defending the beliefs and practices of the Catholic Church, particularly those that are often misunderstood or criticized by other Christians.

My background

I became a Christian in 1986, while attending college, after considering myself an atheist for most of my life. It was in a small Baptist church that I first came to believe the gospel, and evangelical Protestantism shaped my understanding of Christianity from the very beginning. That’s where I learned to love the Bible, to take my faith seriously, and to care deeply about knowing what I believe and why I believe it.

I spent about thirteen years as an evangelical Protestant before becoming Catholic, and I’ve now been Catholic for more than twenty-five years. Having spent all of my Christian life on one side or the other of the Catholic-Protestant divide, I understand many of the questions and objections Protestants have about the Catholic Church. In fact, I once shared many of those objections myself.

If you’re interested in how a Bible-believing evangelical Protestant ended up becoming Catholic, you can read the story of my conversion, Finding My Way Home.

Who is this site for?

My primary audience is evangelical Protestants, especially those who are curious about Catholicism, have questions about Catholic teaching, or have been taught things about the Catholic Church that they’d like to investigate for themselves.

But you don’t have to be an evangelical to find something useful here. Other Protestants may find answers to questions of their own, Catholics may gain a better understanding of their faith and how to explain it to others, and anyone interested in the differences between Catholic and Protestant Christianity is welcome to explore.

You don’t have to agree with me. I’ll be happy if we just understand each other better. All I ask is that you consider what I have to say with an open mind. I’ll do my best to extend the same courtesy to those who disagree with me.

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

χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη

Grace and peace to you,

Gary Hoge