Jason Stellman’s interview on The Journey Home
Dec 14th, 2013 | By Bryan Cross | Category: Blog PostsThis past Monday, EWTN broadcasted Marcus Grodi’s interview with Jason Stellman on The Journey Home. That video has been uploaded, and can be watched below. Those wanting to explore Jason’s story in more detail might be interested in the article he wrote last summer titled, “I Fought the Church and the Church Won,” and in my interview with him in November of 2012, available at “How the Church Won: An Interview with Jason Stellman.”
And at the 2013 Steubenville conference:
Jason,
As I wrote earlier on your site, I enjoyed watching, and was encouraged by, your appearance on “The Journey Home.” I’m also very glad that Bryan has posted your talk at the Steubenville conference, because I listened to it on Youtube last night and found it to be one of the most effective presentations for the truth of the Church (and her teachings) that I have ever heard. It’s Scriptural, logical, and deeply moving (and utterly hilarious in places too!). I give thanks to God for His very evident work in your life, brother.
Jason,
I remember pretty clearly when I realized you were “done for.” But at the same time I saw how much work you had to do. I appreciate your intellectual clarity, and your dedication to work so hard for the truth.
Peace in Christ,
Tom B.
Thanks so much, Christopher.
Tom: Yeah, I think there were two levels of “done for” for me. The first was relatively immediate in the whole process. It’s crazy, but I remember seeing the whole Catholic case fall into place from a bird’s-eye view almost from the very start (“If this, then that, and if that, then this other thing, in which case… oh NO!”).
But then it took me four years of trying to weasel out of it before I just had to give up and finally submit!
Jason (#4) –
Interesting – it was the same for me. On 22 September, 1993 – my 51st birthday! – I finished reading (on the same day) Newman’s Apologia and his Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine. I have really counted myself as being a Catholic from that point – but it was not until 29 July, 1994 – in a ‘plane returning home to Auckland from Wellington – I finished reading Ronald Knox’s The Belief of Catholics and I surrendered to God. I prayed, literally: “Lord, I’ll never be able to dot every ‘i’ or cross every ‘t’ – but I know that if You were to tell me I was to die tonight, I would want to see a priest. If You don’t stop me, I’m going to become a Catholic.”
But I think I knew from September, 1993 that I was ‘done for’ (to use Tom’s language).
jj
“But then it took me four years of trying to weasel out of it before I just had to give up and finally submit!”
Exactly. I had the same experience. It became for me the grueling process of watching the straw man get knocked down, all the while the Catholic man left standing.
Pax
I ditto Jason, John, and Brent. Once I took off my reformed lenses, and examined the Catholic claims on their own, I was done for. However, those first several months were awful. I was sickened physically, and a wreck emotionally as I realized what it all meant. I lost friends, and had family relations weakened. My wife took a slightly different route, with less pain, but we ended up entering the church and our kids were baptized this Easter last. Side note, I had the pleasure of hearing Jason’s talk at the conference in July and chatting him up at the book signing. Well done, Mr. Stellman!
When was I ‘done for….’
In 2006 we were expecting our first born and we were thinking about baptism. It didn’t take long for me to start thinking about ecclesiology as it relates to baptism. Which got me thinking about ecclesiology in general. Which got me thinking, ‘Why am I Presbyterian? Why not Baptist?’ etc. Which got me thinking about scripture and authority. Somewhere along the line I decided to look into the Catholic question as it relates to baptism and scripture and authority. I think the ‘done for’ moment came when I stumbled upon some Peter Kreeft lectures about authority and scripture. After listening I thought, “He is right. There is no legitimate rebuttal to anything he said.”
Sean, I don’t doubt that was your experience. However, not all of us are convinced by the claims of the RCC. We think there’s more work for her to do before we would find ourselves at home amongst Catholics. As an aside (if you’ll permit me here), it’s not a trite thing to say we can pray for further unity within the three major bracnhes we find in Christendom, as Psalm 133 is about as perspicuous as Scripture can be. At least, to this present protestant comboxxer.
Later.
“We think there is more work for her to do…”
There is more work for all of us to do. There will never be “not work” left to do. The question, instead, is whether or not She is the Church that Jesus Christ established. If She is, then it is best to get on the ship and…get to work. Grab a broom, there is a lot of work to do around these parts.
Peace to you on your journey,
Brent
Awesome testimony, Jason. As a former prosecutor myself, I appreciate the methodical way in which you tackled the issues. Would you be willing to share the substance of the “post-it note” you reference in your testimony which encapsulated the Church’s Gospel message? Much obliged, brother. God bless your work and calling.
Daniel
Thanks, Daniel.
The gospel-on-a-dime I arrived at from the NT (which, since it’s abbreviated, admittedly doesn’t say everything about everything, goes something like this:
“Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension inaugurated the New Covenant through which the Holy Spirit was given to God’s people, thereby enabling us to exhibit the love of God and neighbor that fulfills the law and graciously results in our eternal inheritance in the age to come.”
More could be said, but I believe that is the basic paradigm from which all the NT writers, including Jesus, were working. It makes the most sense out of the most data.
Dr Anders’ Q@A session on The Journey Home on 12/23, which I have just downloaded from EWTN’s website was also amazing. Over the span of just one hour, he was able to address a number of key topics frequently discussed also here at C2C. He has such a gift to answer even the fundamental questions with just a few clear-cut sentences.
Thanks Jan. Here’s the video, for those interested:
The video from David’s first appearance on The Journey Home three years ago is available here.
As a revert (and poorly catechized former altar boy) who spent a decade in the evangelical realm being told (and allowing myself to be convinced) that “the really smart Christians are Protestant,” I am simply in awe of the intelligence displayed by my Catholic brothers and sisters on this blog. I don’t consider myself an intellectual slouch, yet I’m often finding myself reading some of Bryan’s or David’s or now Jason’s comments and thinking: “wow, these guys are brilliant.” I’ve watched many Journey Home programs (on TV and the internet) and I’m often emotionally moved by these conversion stories. But it’s the really heady ones (like David Anders’ story and Jason’s journey) that resonate the most with me because I had to wrestle with God from an intellectual standpoint before I was ready to submit. However, I’m struggling a bit to achieve that emotional connection that I (at least subjectively) felt as an evangelical protestant in my relationship with Christ. Can Jason or Bryan or David (or anyone else who may have had the same struggle) speak to that issue and offer any words of encouragement, advice or strategy? Thank you and God Bless all of you faith-filled brainiacs.
Daniel
What was your relationship like with your Calvary Chapel friends and colleagues when you got back from Hungary? Did any of those relationships survive?
How easily did your wife make the “conversion” from Calvary Chapel to Reformed?
I enjoyed the interview and posted several comments on it at Old Life.