What am I doing here?

A welcome to subscribers new and old

Since I began this project a few years ago, I have gained more subscribers than I ever really expected, and I wanted to take a moment to A) welcome them and B) refresh myself, as well as my long-time subscribers, on what I’m doing here.

Welcome!

I grew up evangelical, vaguely Presbyterian. I loved it, and I retain a deep gratitude for those who patiently taught me Christianity by their words and deeds. But I have come to believe, with a conviction I would take to my death, that the Catholic Church is the fullness of the Christian Faith, the institution established by Christ to steward and announce the Gospel until the world’s end.

Even in high school and college, I found myself something of a spiritual leader in my circles. Since my reluctant road to Rome happened mostly on the opposite side of the country from everyone I knew and loved, I felt that I owed an explanation to the communities who had supported, encouraged, and at times even funded my pursuit of the Lord. And so I wrote the Essay that grew into this Substack. The big thesis is this: moving from Protestantism to Catholicism can be a journey of continuity and fulfillment rather than rupture and abolition. And not only that: the Catholic Church has what Protestants need to preserve the fruits that have grown up during our sad separation. And Protestants, especially Evangelicals, have what the Catholic Church needs to take on the challenge of a new Apostolic Age, as we rise to the task of re-converting what C.S. Lewis calls our “un-christened” society.¹

I see now that the American Church is already learning this lesson. Scott Hahn and John Bergsma, both Protestant pastors and scholars who became Catholic, have produced the gorgeous (and gargantuan) Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. Fr. Mike Schmits’ Bible in a Year podcast continues to be a top show, Pints with Aquinas and the whole array of Catholic Answers podcasts carry the faith to curious seekers across the world, and of course Bishop Barron with Word on Fire Press produces a stream of high-quality, beautiful content without any sign of letting up. The Eucharistic Congress gathered tens of thousands of Catholics in Indianapolis a year or two ago, and rising adult baptism rates across the world provide a glimmer of hope that the tide might finally be turning.

More examples could be adduced. But the point is this: it’s happening. And wouldn’t you know it, everywhere I look, I keep finding Protestants-turned-Catholics leading the way. Not in every case, mind you—but a lot of them. One of them, Bishop Eric Varden, even preached the Lenten retreat for Pope Leo and the cardinals² living in Rome.

So here’s what I do. I spend a lot of time trying to help Protestants see the truth of Catholicism. Not because I hate Protestantism, but because I love it. Too much, in fact, to see it vanish without a fight.³ To that end, I not only try to teach and persuade in ways pitched for the ears of my separated brethren, but imagine what it might mean to welcome them home at scale. My most ambitious projects think about liturgical and ecclesial integration of the best Protestant prayers and devotions into Catholic life. More than anything, though, what I want is the true spirit of Protestantism, the zeal for souls and readiness to commit to every breath to the glory of Christ.

I have been deeply blessed to get to know some of my readers who have found my writing helpful on their journey to the Church. If you are interested but hesitating, drawn and repelled, infatuated yet intimidated by the staggering edifice of the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church—if that is you, then we already understand one another, and I will be honored to be of whatever service I can. You are warmly invited to get in touch.

This is an exciting time to be Catholic. It is springtime in the Church. Perhaps you will be the next green shoot. Our world hurtles into a new era, and we need new saints to help us discover what total devotion to Christ means in the age of doomscrolling and children with AI playmates. Perhaps the secret is locked away in your heart, ready to explode in leaves and branches and ripe fruit with proper cultivation. Christ wishes to give you what is needful, and as in former times he deigns to do so through a particular people in a concrete place. Won’t you come and share in the work he’s set before us, as we woo the world back to the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe?

1. “De Descriptione Temporum,” Essays in Criticism VI, no. 2 (1956): 247–247, https://doi.org/10.1093/eic/VI.2.247.

2. High-ranking clergy who help govern the Church at the global level. Their red garments are responsible for the name of the beautiful bird we know and love!

3. I am here thinking especially of denominational Protestantism, which is on its way out in a final and definite way. I won’t defend the claim here beyond noting that the PCUSA, the largest and historically central Presbyterian denomination in America, had a mere one million members in 2024. That’s down 100,000 from just three years prior.