From Wheaton to Rome: Why Evangelicals become Roman Catholic

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Sep 2002 by McKnight, Scot

The best approach to studying why evangelicals convert to Catholicism is to enter it through the stories of two of these key players, John Michael Talbot and Scott Hahn. So, to their stories I now turn before an analysis of the common experience is proposed.

III. TWO PROTO-TYPICAL STORIES

John Michael Talbot told his story to Dan O'Neill in a book justly called Troubadour for the Lord, and that is what John Michael is-and he is so for me. For more than ten years I have had, nearly every day, one of his albums playing next to me as I read and write, and often when I commute to school, and when my children and wife tolerate it, in the car when we travel. His music leads me to worship; I remain grateful to this troubadour.

In a nutshell, here is his story:21 John was a talented musician, and he, his brother Terry, his sister Tanni, and some others, with Tanni eventually dropping out, marketed themselves into a crowd-pleasing, money-making southern folk band called Mason Proffit-"Mason" because it was southern, "Proffit" because Frank Proffit sang "Tom Dooley." John distinguished himself as a major vocalist and extremely talented banjo picker, guitar player, and anything else that would make people enjoy the gigs and encourage political activism and protest. They opened for the Youngbloods, and bands of that level, and once John Denver opened for them. But John (not Denver) found the rock 'n roll world filled with hypocrisy, sought for deeper meaning and, in a moment of intense prayer, had a vision of Jesus Christ that revolutionized his life. Married at 17, John returned home to be a Christian, and a Christian did he become-of a Fundamentalist, condemnatory sort. He was a Bible-thumping, unloving, and unhappy man when he returned from a last-ditch effort to resurrect Mason Proffit only to find that his wife wanted to leave him. He found little consolation or guidance in the fundamentalism of Indianapolis and so sought out Father Martin of Alverna, a Franciscan retreat center. Father Martin became not only John's father confessor, but also his counselor and theological mentor. The story can be shortened now: John, as a result of a virtual hermetic existence of study and music, converted to Catholicism. His first album, following this conversion, remains a spell-binding set of words and harmonistic music called The Lord's Supper. From that time on John Michael's music has captured the heart of much of contemporary American Christian music.

With my wife and a former student, I once attended one of his concerts, at a small monastery in Wisconsin. John Michael walked in with a background vocalist, took a seat on a stool, tuned his guitar quickly, closed his eyes, sang his songs for 1 hour and 45 minutes, stood up and said, "May the peace of the Lord be with you!" The more liturgically-trained, and we were not among them, knew what to say next. He then exited the front. I have never been in a more worshipful setting. John Michael now directs Little Portion Community in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, on land he purchased during a major Mason Proffit concert. He is known for his ecumenical efforts, his fund-raising for social justice, as well as his many books and albums.