Good News, Bad News: Evangelization, Conversion, and the Crisis of Faith / C. John McCloskey III & Russell Shaw

Fr. John McCloskey has become a famous “convert maker” in the powerful corridors close to the White House. Having run the Catholic Information Center in the heart of Washington, DC from 1998 to 2004, McCloskey had direct contact with numerous well-known and lesser-known Washington figures. Among well-known Catholic converts instructed by Fr. McCloskey are Senator Sam Brownback, publisher Alfred Regnery, Dr. Bernard Nathanson, journalist Robert Novak and many others.

This work is a joint effort of McCloskey and Russell Shaw, the widely read Catholic author, speaker, and former communications director for the U.S. bishops. Drawing on moving, firsthand accounts of conversions, this book combines personal testimony, solid theology, and effective methods of communicating the Catholic Faith.

Father C. John McCloskey, III, STD is a priest of the Prelature of Opus Dei and a research Fellow at the Faith and Reason Institute. He has served as a Catholic chaplain at Princeton University and as director of the Catholic Information Center in Washington. His articles have appeared in such publications as Catholic World Report, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times.

 Russell Shaw is the author of eighteen books and is the former information director of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops/United States Catholic Conference and Knights of Columbus. He is also a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, the father of five and the grandfather of nine.

From personal experience, I can testify that Father C. John McCloskey is one of America’s great Catholic evangelizers. This book is a unique, fascinating guide of how and why to convert, and it should be must reading for all Catholics.
—Robert D. Novak, Syndicated Columnist

Mr. Shaw and Fr. McCloskey have written a book about repentance, recovery, conversion, and joy. I recommend it because I have experienced it through Jesus, my Savior.
—Lawrence Kudlow, Host CNBC's "Kudlow & Company"

Through their friendship and their family life, Catholics converted the Roman Empire, on person at a time. This book shows you how it was done-and how it's still done today. It's a book that can change the world all over again.
—Scott Hahn, author Rome Sweet Home

This book ranks with Karl Stern’s Pillar of Fire and Thomas Merton’s Seven Storey Mountain as an indispensable spiritual road map for the perplexed, the sorely bent and the broken.I know: Father John McCloskey was my Virgil, guiding me gently and lovingly through the terrifying jungle of secular success to a place of infinite surcease – God’s grace.
—Dr. Bernard Nathanson, Pro-Life activist and author

Fr. C.J. McCloskey and Russell Shaw are themselves incomparavle evangelists and apologists of the Curch. They are compelling writers. All should study them.
—Lewis E.Lehrman, 2005 winner of the National Humanities Medal

No matter where you are in your spiritual journey, pick this book up and be transformed both inside and out.
—Raymond Arroyo, EWTN News Director and New York times bestselling author

When it comes to leading people into full communion with the Catholic Church, Fulton J. Sheen was the John McCloskey of his day.
—Robert P. George, Princeton University

This book is calling all Catholics to share the gift of faith and shows them how to do so with winsome joy.
—Rev. Richard John Neuhaus, Editor-In-chief of First Things

Articulate and provocative. This is an important book we all need to read.
—Bowie Kuhn, Former Commissioner of Professional Baseball.

"There is no more articulate believer in the power and majesty of the Catholic Church than Fr. C. J. McCloskey. Any sincere searcher for Truth who is attracted to Christian--particularly Catholic--faith, will want to read this book. Agree or disagree with Fr. McClosky's unequivocal perspectives, his assertive witness provides much food for thought."
—Wesley J. Smith Senior fellow, Discovery Institute and author of Culture of Death: The Assault on Medical Ethics in America.

I've often wished that the call to Christian witness could come with a user's manual. Now it does, and the book is written by two true heroes of the apostolate. Do the world a favor and read this book today!
—Mike Aquilina, EWTN host. Vice-President, St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. Author, The Father

Fr. C. John McCloskey is one of the foremost apostles of the new evangelization in the United States. Catholics looking to bring converts into the fold should pay close attention to this wise and engaging book.
—W. Bradford Wilcox, author of Soft Patriarchs, New Men: How Christianity Shapes Fathers and Husbands

Good News, Bad News is a wonderful contribution to the new evangelization envisioned by Pope John Paul II. Although dialogue is important for the Church, it is not a replacement for the fundamental call to evangelize. Father C.J. McCloskey and Russell Shaw, with clarity and deep insight, show how this can be done today in a joyful effort to bring others to the fullness of truth, which is found in Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Church. All those who love Our Lord and long to share the Faith would do well to read this excellent work.
—Dr. Timothy O'Donnell, STD, KGCHS, President of Christendom College.

Fr. McCloskey's and Russell Shaw's new work is an arresting reminder that even in our relentlessly technological age, sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ born and raised from the dead is still best accomplished person-to-person. In these pages two compelling writer/evangelists provide both blueprint and testimonial to the ongoing power of the personal witness and its role in the evangelization of persons and cultures.
—Jeffrey O. Nelson, President, Thomas More College of Liberal Arts.

The obstacles to converting people to the Catholic Faith in the modern world today are formidable. It is difficult to imagine a time since Luther's revolt when Catholicism has been more misrepresented and misunderstood, and more treated with contempt and indifference. Fr. John McCloskey and Russell Shaw - the priest and the journalist -show how, despite these impediments, the Truth of the Catholic Faith can be made known to self-identified modern people through appeals to the intellect and the heart seeking understanding. Both practical and inspiring, McCloskey and Shaw have provided us with an indispensable guide for bringing others to where we are all called - home to Christ and his Catholic Church, the home of Truth and Divine Love.
—Samuel Gregg, Acton Institute

Father John is the subject of much wariness in some quarters — a secretive figure working the back corridors of power, sewing the seeds of medieval intrigue. Here's his playbook, for anyone to read, along with some A-list testimonials.
—Dave Shiflet, author "Exodus -- Why Americans Are Fleeing Liberal Churches for Conservative Christianity."

In McCloskey and Shaw we have examples of men who contradict the vacuous dictum that those who cannot do, teach. They teach what they have done, and have done well. What they say is both faithful and reasonable and the combination has already affected many lives.
—Fr. George William Rutler, New York City.

Fr. C. John McCloskey has written a book from an uncommon vantage point: the perspective of a clear-eyed, optimistic Christian who focuses, not on the obstacles to religious belief in our society, but on the incredible opportunities for evangelization. Drawing on his broad pastoral experience, and giving us the actual words of many ordinary, real-world people who have gone through different forms of conversion, he offers a multitude of resources to use and practical steps to take in order to bring others closer to Christ in a very normal, “un-preachy” way. This unapologetic introduction to apologetics will open people’s eyes to marvelous possibilities for being apostles in their own lives."
—Christopher Wolfe, author of Natural Law Liberalism and Co-Director of the Ralph McInerny Center for Thomistic Studies

In a time of great conversions to the Catholic Church, not only in numbers but in the noteworthiness of the converts themselves, we are now blessed to have the Good News and the Bad News about the state of the Church and conversions in our age. Fr. McCloskey has been on the front lines, leading searching souls to the fullness of the faith. The stories are fascinating, the background instructive. This book is a fascinating read that will enthrall you from beginning to end.
—Steve Ray, author of Crossing the Tiber

Fr. C. John McCloskey has provided a clear and practical guide for the apostolate of evangelization to which God calls every member of the Catholic laity. With confidence in the power of the truth and an understanding of the joy that permeates faithful Catholic life, Fr. McCloskey draws upon his own considerable experience in helping converts into the Church to assure us that we, too, can be God’s instruments in this edifying work.
This book is in many ways an exhortation to genuine friendship and love—just as Our Lord offers us friendship with God, so also can we help those we care about to a fuller friendship with Christ. If we take to heart and put into practice the message of this very readable little book, not only will we have a role in bringing God’s kingdom to our friends and relatives, we will grow in our own relationship with Christ.
—Dr. Thomas E. Dillon, President of Thomas Aquinas College

McCloskey and Shaw have put forth a clarion call to the laity to proclaim the Gospel and defend the Faith. Good News, Bad News is filled with inspiring stories, concrete advice, and a clear theological vision of what it means to be a disciple and witness of Jesus Christ in a culture in desperate need of the Truth."
—Carl Olson, author of Will Catholics Be Left Behind?

Those who forget the role of contemplation in the conversion of souls would be well advised to read this book. As one of the greatest saints of the twentieth century has reminded us, it is prayer, then action, that is the recipe for winning souls for Christ
—Joe Sobran, Syndicated Columnist

A great priest and a great writer combine on a great topic, the path to Rome - now that's a great idea! As one who tread that path some years ago, I can not think of a more important subject. Hopefully, this book will inspire others to follow that path.
—William L. Saunders,Vice President, Family Research Council

Fr John McCloskey is an expert apologist and evangelist. With patience, wisdom, compassion and wit he has helped many people come into joyful full communion with the Catholic Church. Here he applies the same gifts to the task of teaching others the art of winning converts. Good News is a fresh, practical and readable manual for the New Evangelization, and should be devoured by all those involved in sharing their faith.
—Fr Dwight Longenecker, author, broadcaster and Chaplain of St Joseph’s School, Greenville, South Carolina

Good News gives Christians of today a clear guide on how to reach out to people and disseminate the truth about life. The many personal stories about how human beings opened their souls to the Lord's calling have one implicit element in common: McCloskey's extending himself to meet and understand human beings as they are. God does the conversion, but McCloskey has helped open minds and hearts by an apostleship based on prayer, knowledge about his faith, example and courage.
—Alejandro Antonio Chafuen, CEO of Atlas Economic Research Foundation.

In this tour de-force, one of America's foremost writers and a well known priest evangelist, provide a theologically rich and a pastorally wise guide for Catholics to fulfill the Lord's command "Make disciples of all nations" Mt. 28:19. The personal stories provide thrilling moments of how God works through the evangelizer and in the converted. For priests and laity this thoughtful, joyful and practical book is a must!
—Bernard Dobranski, President and Dean, Ave Maria School of Law.

Conversion and Holiness in The New Evangelization may sound forbidding, but it offers a very practical spirituality. If a friend asks about converting to Catholicism, here is simple, straightfoward and unembarrassing advice. Almost all the known questions related to conversion are similarly discussed. God will be the real sheperd, of course, but this is a clear set of guideposts to Catholicism from which even (or especially) exisiting Catholics will benefit.
—John O'Sullivan, author The President, the Pope and the Prime Minister

Without conversion there will be no evangelization, that is the good news and the bad news. The call to change is the very heart of the gospel and the new evangelization demands it.
—Bishop Nicholas Di Marzio, Brooklyn

"Evangelizing" sometimes has a bad name. But Father McCloskey and Russell Shaw show why this needn't be the case. In fact, they explain why evangelization is every Christian's responsibility and how to evangelize with both zeal and genuine respect for others.
—Sen. Rick Santorum

Readers are guaranteed to find this book highly intelligent, unabashedly orthodox, and splendidly readable. The team of "Fr. C. John" and Russell Shaw would be very difficult to beat.
—Thomas Howard, author of The Night is Far Spent

We are repeatedly told that the success formula in life is KISS: Keep it simple, Stupid! And that's just what Father McCloskey has done in his work on evangelization. We are reminded that this task of "convert-making" is pre-eminently a lay apostolate and that it takes no more than a basic knowledge of the faith, living it enthusiastically and being willing to share it honestly and joyfully. The whole book constantly brought back memories of my own father - a common laborer with only a high school diploma - who throughout the fifties and sixties brought dozens of honest seekers into the Catholic Church by his own fervent witness and intelligent presentation of the Catholic Faith. What God has made so simple, we ought not to complicate, as this book amply demonstrates.
—The Reverend Peter M.J. Stravinskas, PhD., S.T.D. editor, The Catholic Response

Father C. John McCloskey is one of the most dynamic apostles of Jesus I have ever known. He has the ability to present the good news of our redemption through the saving life, death, and resurrection of Our Lord persuasively, enthusiastically, invitingly. In Evangelization, Conversion and the Crisis of Faith Father "C.J" and Russell Shaw describe the compelling insights Father has used to share the truths of the faith in an inspiring way. I personally know some of the persons he has converted-and whose moving testimonies are included in this book-and the way their lives have been transformed as a result. This is a must read.
—William E. May, Michael J. McGivney Professor of Moral Theology, Pontifical John Paul II Institute and author of Standing with Peter: Reflections of a Lay Theologian on God's Loving Providence