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Conversion and Converts (Catholic) Index Page

Conversion and Converts (Catholic) Index Page

Last updated on: October 15, 2026 at 12:07 pm by Dave Armstrong

Conversion and Converts (Catholic) Index Page 2026-10-15T12:07:00-04:00 Dave Armstrong

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Front Cover (550 x 828)

[published in 2013]

[see full book and purchase information]

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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I. INDIVIDUAL CONVERSIONS

II. MY METHODIST AND PAGAN YEARS / EVANGELICAL CONVERSION (1977)

III. MY CATHOLIC CONVERSION (1990)

IV. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS AND INFORMATION

V. C. S LEWIS AND CATHOLICISM

VI. PROTESTANT ANALYSES OF CATHOLIC CONVERSION (AND MY COUNTER-REPLIES)

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I. INDIVIDUAL CONVERSIONS

G. K. Chesterton’s Conversion to Catholicism (In Brief) [1991; published by The Coming Home Newsletter, Sep. / Oct. 1996]

Ronald Knox’s Conversion to Catholicism (In Brief) [1991; published by The Coming Home Newsletter Jan/ / Feb. 1997]

Malcolm Muggeridge & His Conversion to Catholicism [1991; published by The Coming Home Newsletter, March / April 1997]

Why I Returned to the Catholic Church; Including a Searching Examination of Various Flaws and Errors in the Protestant Worldview and Approach to Christian Living (Al Kresta) [transcript of his talk in my home, 26 April 1992]

Absurd Anti-Newman Rhetoric in Anti-Catholic Polemics [3-19-02 and 9-27-05]

On Irrational Hostility to Conversion Stories (Esp. Scott Hahn’s) [3-3-06]

James White’s Lies Re the Return of Francis Beckwith to the Church [5-6-07]

Fifteen Conversion Stories (in my book, Catholic Converts and Conversion: 2013)

Cardinal Newman’s Conversion Odyssey, in His Own Words (September 1839 to December 1845) [3-19-15] [see also the Spanish version (shorter version) ]

Cardinal Newman on Catholic Conversion & Converts (Especially His Own & that of Anglicans Who Become Catholics) [May 2015]

Malcolm Muggeridge: The Iconoclast (Old Links Page) [4-18-16]

Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman: “Father” of Vatican II (Old Links Page) [4-18-16]

G. K. Chesterton: The “Colossal Genius” (Old Links Page) [4-18-16]

Malcolm Muggeridge & Mother Teresa: A Blessed, Fruitful Meeting [9-6-16]

The Holy Collaboration of Mother Teresa and Malcom Muggeridge [National Catholic Register, 6-20-18]

Cardinal Newman’s Conversion Agonies: Jan. 1842 to Feb. 1844 [10-10-19]

My First Book, by God’s Grace, Helped Someone Come Into the Church (Coming Home Network Testimony) [Facebook, 9-14-20]

II. MY METHODIST AND PAGAN YEARS / EVANGELICAL CONVERSION (1977)

My “Romantic / Imaginative” Conversion to Christianity [1997; rev. 9-19-03 and 9-23-15]

Gratefulness for My Evangelical Protestant Background [3-18-08]

My Two Conversions: Interview with Spanish Journalist Itxu Díaz [3-31-11]

My Nature-Mystic, Occultic, Practical Atheist Period (1967-1977) [7-27-11]

Dialogue with a Friendly Atheist #1: My Pagan / Occultic Period (+ Circumstances and Factors Regarding my Evangelical Conversion in 1977 at Age 18 and Catholic Conversion at Age 32) [8-3-17]

[see also the earlier portions of my ten-part conversion story in the next section below]

III. MY CATHOLIC CONVERSION (1990)

My Odyssey from Evangelicalism to Catholicism [9 December 1990 / revised: July 1992 / expanded: 1993. My draft of what was later somewhat edited and included in Patrick Madrid’s 1994 runaway bestseller book, Surprised by Truth] [see also the Spanish version]

150 Reasons Why I Became (and Remain) a Catholic [1992; revised 9-28-05] [see also the Spanish version (1992 original) and Portugese version]

How Newman Convinced Me to Become a Catholic [1996; published in Latin Mass Magazine and Coming Home Newsletter] [see also the Spanish version and Portugese version]

My Catholic Conversion (Radio Interview with Al Kresta): Transcript (listen to the audio file; see #3) [9-8-97]

Radio Interview: My Conversion Story, with Al Kresta, Kresta in the Afternoon [4-30-02; free audio file; see #6]

Radio Interview: My conversion story, with Steve Wood, of Faith and Family Live [7-10-03; free audio file; see #7]

Epistemology of My Catholic Conversion + My (Protestant) Letter to Karl Keating in 1990 / How I Became an Apologist [4-25-04]

White’s & Hays’ Anti-Catholic Analyses of My Catholic Conversion [Dec. 2004; added dialogue from 2-21-17; additional citations added on 2-24-18]

My Catholic Conversion in a Nutshell [5-1-06]

My Conversion: Not Due to Hostility to Evangelicalism [9-9-06]

My Supposed “Hybrid” Post-Conversion Faith [9-19-06]

Flawed Conversion Blurb & James White’s Personal Insults [9-7-07]

Am I a “Protestantizing” Catholic (Formerly “Catholicizing” Protestant)? [7-24-08]

My Earliest Catholic Apologetics (1990-1995) [1-5-11]

My Two Conversions: Interview with Spanish Journalist Itxu Díaz [3-31-11]

Radio Interview in My Conversion: Blessed John Paul the Great Leafeater’s Club, with hosts Terry Moran and John Lillis (audio file: see #13) [6-1-12]

My Conversion to Catholicism: “Five Minute Version” [1-17-13]

My Conversion: Apathy, Occult, Evangelicalism, & Catholicism (Ten Parts) [2013]:

Part One: Nominal Methodism, Occult, and the Seeds of a Serious Christian Commitment (1958 – early 1970s)

Part Two: Nature Mysticism, Romanticism, Bible Movies, and the “Great Depression” (1968-1977)

Part Three: Evangelical “Born-Again” (?) Experience, More Lukewarmness, and Personal Revival (1977-1982)

Part Four: Apologetics, Abundant Evangelical Blessings, and Protestant Evangelistic Campus Ministry (1983-1989)

Part Five: Collapse of My Protestant Ministry: Disillusionment and the End of One Chapter of My Life, But with Faith Intact (1985-1989)

Part Six: Pro-Life Rescue Movement, Letter to Karl Keating, My Ecumenical Gatherings, & the First “Domino”: Contraception (1988-1990)

Part Seven: Ecclesiology (the Church), the “Protestant Myth” of Church History, and My Vehement Opposition to Catholic Infallibility (1990)

Part Eight: Bombshell and Paradigm Shift: Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman’s Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine (1990)

Part Nine: The Slow But Inevitable Paradigm Shift, Fr. John A. Hardon, and Another View of the “Reformation” (1990)

Part Ten: Thomas Howard & Liturgy, My New Catholic Apologetics Career, and the Long-Awaited Fulfillment of My Calling (1990-1991)

Radio Interview: My conversion story, with Al Kresta, Kresta in the Afternoon [4-14-14; free audio file: see #15]

Why This “Jesus Freak” Became a Catholic [published at Catholic365 on 22 March 2015]

Here’s What I Discovered That Made Me Become Catholic [National Catholic Register, 9-29-16]

Dialogue with a Friendly Atheist #1: My Pagan / Occultic Period (+ Circumstances and Factors Regarding my Evangelical Conversion in 1977 at Age 18 and Catholic Conversion at Age 32) [8-3-17]

Todd Baker’s Exodus from Rome (Attack on My Conversion) [4-24-18]

30-Year Anniversary of the Beginning of My Conversion Odyssey to Catholicism [Facebook, 2-8-20]

“From Clueless Spiritual Curiosity to the Fullness of the Church” [Coming Home Newsletter, October 2025]

RIP John McAlpine (1946-2025): who had the most profound influence on my Catholic conversion, as a friend [Facebook, 11-12-25]

IV. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS AND INFORMATION

Catholic Conversion: Classic Analyses (Chesterton, Belloc, Pelikan) [1991]

Catholic Conversion: Random Thoughts & Reflections [5-13-03]

Catholic Converts’ Qualms: Mariology, Formal Worship, Etc. [2-11-04]

Conversion to Catholicism: Reflections on its Complexity [9-7-05]

Catholic Fundamentalism & “Insufficiently Converted Catholics” [2-21-06]

Potential Catholic Converts: My “Hands Off” Approach [7-1-06]

Christianity & Judaism, Messianic Jews, & Jewish Converts [12-4-07]

Vatican II on Effectively Sharing the Fullness of Catholic Faith [2-18-08]

Difficulty of Catholic-Protestant Marriage: Some Thoughts [5-7-08; rev. 4-25-18]

“Official” Catholic Use of “Convert” to Describe New Catholics [4-6-09]

Augustine’s Confessions: Model for Conversion Stories [6-10-09]

Dialogue: Do Vatican II & Ecumenism Discourage Converts? [Sep. 2009]

“Why Convince Protestants to Become Catholics?” [4-30-15]

Cardinal Newman on Catholic Conversion & Converts (Especially His Own & that of Anglicans Who Become Catholics) [May 2015]

Should Catholics Try to Persuade Protestants? [5-25-16]

Catholic Ecumenism + Apologetics (James Swan’s Cluelessness) [11-18-17]

Why Not Become a Protestant, Due to the Sex Scandals? [3-7-19]

Ironclad Rule #13 in Anti-Apologetics Rhetoric: “If such a screed goes on for more than ten seconds, the statistical probability of a disparaging remark about Scott Hahn approaches one.” / Cyclical History of Interest in Catholic Conversion Stories [Facebook, 7-1-19]

Fruit: 156 Reasons Why Catholic Apologetics is a Good Thing (Documented Conversions or Reversions in Part Due to My Work: Completely Caused by God’s Grace) [7-3-19]

“Jesus Revolution” Film & the Sacrament of Baptism [3-1-23]

V. C. S LEWIS AND CATHOLICISM

C. S. Lewis’ Views on Christian Unity & Ecumenism [6-16-03]

C. S. Lewis’ Childhood in Belfast & Contra-Catholicism (Biographers and/or Friends Kreeft, Pearce, Derrick, and Possibly Tolkien Think This is Why Lewis Never Became a Catholic) [6-26-12]

Why Didn’t C. S. Lewis Become a Catholic? [8-29-14]

Dialogue on Why C. S. Lewis Didn’t “Pope” [9-1-15]

C. S. Lewis vs. St. Paul on Future Binding Church Authority [National Catholic Register, 1-22-17]

Why C. S. Lewis Never Became a Catholic [National Catholic Register, 3-5-17]

C. S. Lewis on Catholicism (Correspondence: 1934-1947) [9-13-19]

VIDEO: C. S. Lewis On Why He Never Became a Catholic [+ transcript] [Lux Veritatis, 7 minutes, 5-12-25]

C. S. Lewis: More Evidences of Anti-Catholic Prejudice [12-3-25]

VI. PROTESTANT ANALYSES OF CATHOLIC CONVERSION (AND MY COUNTER-REPLIES)

Latest Anti-Catholic Theory on Catholic Converts: Filthy Lucre (Scott Hahn and Steve Ray Supposedly Were Motivated Primarily or Solely by Financial Gain, to Become Catholics?) [7-15-04; rev. 1-27-17]

Is Conversion to Catholicism Mainly Emotional or “Doctrinal”? [9-11-04]

Catholic Conversion: Some Silly Protestant “Analyses” [3-6-04, 3-30-04, and 9-26-05]

My Conversion: Not Due to Hostility to Evangelicalism [9-9-06]

James White’s Top Ten Questions for “Romanist” Converts Answered [9-4-07]

Am I a “Protestantizing” Catholic (Formerly “Catholicizing” Protestant)? [7-24-08]

Todd Baker’s Exodus from Rome (Attack on My Conversion) [4-24-18]

Why Not Become a Protestant, Due to the Sex Scandals? [3-7-19]

James Swan Foolishly Attacks Catholic Conversion Stories [11-25-19]

Lucas Banzoli on Catholic Converts, and My Reply [Facebook, 9-26-22]

Why Protestants Become Catholics (w Gavin Ortlund) [2-22-24]

James White’s Blast at Catholic Converts Contrary to My Initial Radical Conversion to Christ in 1977 [Facebook, 5-16-24]

Lutheran Dr. Jordan Cooper on the “Many” Conversions to Catholicism [Facebook, 8-6-24]

Gavin Ortlund Affirms That Many Protestants Are Anxious and Considering Conversion to Catholicism: So Much So That He Felt Led to Write a Book to Counter It [Facebook, 8-23-24]

On Protestant Explanations of Catholic Conversion [10-15-26]

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Practical Matters: This is the most comprehensive and multi-faceted Catholic apologetics blog: rated #1 for Christian sites by leading AI tool, ChatGPT. I offer more than 5,000 free online articles, fifty-nine books, and many scores of videos at the Catholic Bible Highlights YouTube channel (please subscribe!). If you believe my full-time apostolate is worth supporting, please seriously consider financially supporting it. PayPal donations are the easiest: just send to my email address: [email protected]. You’ll see the term “Dave Armstrong Bookstore”. To learn about the different methods of contributing (including Zelle and 100% tax-deductible donations if desired), see my page: About Catholic Apologist Dave Armstrong / Donation Information. Thanks a million!

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Last updated on 15 October 2026

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