Upon this Rock: St. Peter and the Primacy of Rome in Scripture and the Early Church
Overview
Ray, a former Evangelical Protestant and Bible teacher, goes through the Scriptures and the first five centuries of church history to demonstrate that the early Christians had a clear understanding of the primacy of Peter in the See of Rome. He tackles the tough issues in an attempt to expose how the opposition is misunderstanding the Scriptures and history. He uses many well-known and respected scholars and historians to support the Catholic position. This volume has one of the largest citations of Scriptural and Patristic quotations on the primacy of Peter and the Papal office of any book available—with over 500 footnotes with supporting evidence from Catholic, Orthodox, Evangelical, and non-Christian authorities.
Top Highlights
“‘No other terms were in more constant use in Rabbinic canon-law than those of binding and loosing. They represented the legislative and judicial powers of the Rabbinic office.” (Page 270)
“John Henry Newman, a Protestant clergyman at the time, found as he studied the primitive Church. He concluded: ‘To be deep in history is to cease being a Protestant.’” (Pages 11–12)
“Authority has always been an object of distrust and, very often, defiance. The nation of Israel refused to hear authority: they rejected the authority of the prophets3 and rejected their Messiah sent by the Father.4 The apostles themselves were abused and rejected.5 Should it surprise us that many in our present day reject and demean the unifying authority God has ordained in his Church? In the primitive Church, as we learn from St. Irenaeus, the greatest theologian of the second century, many groups splintered off from the apostolic Church and ‘assembled in unauthorized meetings’.6 Rejecting the Church and spurning her shepherd is nothing new to our day.” (Page 14)
“In the Eastern kingdoms, the sovereign king of the realm would delegate the authority and administration of his kingdom to a steward, who managed the kingdom—virtually ruling for the king—especially in his absence.” (Page 266)
“Archeologists have discovered that the site of Peter’s home was venerated as early as the first century, and several churches were later built over the site in honor of St. Peter.” (Page 24)
Praise for the Print Edition
This book defends Catholic teaching against the opposition, using current Church teaching on the Old Testament foundation for the primacy and succession of Peter. A rich documentation, a fine study.
—Cardinal Christoph Schönborn
A veritable tour de force on behalf of the Petrine ministry, bringing together exegetes, the Fathers of the Church, the witness of history, and even Protestant scholars. The work is scholarly, objective, and accessible to all readers. Recommended wholeheartedly and unequivocally.
—Peter M.J. Stravinskas, professor of theology and education, St. John’s University and Seton Hall
About Steve Ray
Stephen K. Ray converted to the Catholic Church from a Baptist background in 1994, after an in-depth study of the writings of the Church Fathers. He is the host of the popular, award-winning film series on salvation history, The Footprints of God. Steve is the author of the bestselling books Crossing the Tiber, St. John’s Gospel, and Upon This Rock. He is a popular conference and retreat speaker, has been a guest radio speaker, and made appearances EWTN.