Volume One is fascinating both as a work of apologetics and as an historical document. In terms of apologetics, Catholic positions are stated coherently, concisely, and consistently, with arguments appealing to reason as well as drawing heavily from Scripture. The overriding message is that the Catholic Church is alone the true church established by Christ, and this assertion is backed up with arguments that can not be easily dismissed.
The stridency of tone in this book will sound peculiar to many readers today. Historically, it is interesting to see how things have changed over the last seventy-odd years. Frs. Rumble and Carty speak often of man's duty to himself, to fellow man, and the necessity to submit totally to the will of God. Such talk is certainly not in vogue today. In the strongest language, the priests assert the Catholic's profound responsibility to attend Mass every Sunday, to abstain from meat on Friday, to refuse participation in other religious services, etc. Since Vatican II, many such strict guidelines have been loosened, and one wonders, when reading this, how beneficial that has been. The priests abhor a world of moral relativism, and attribute its development in part to Protestantism, with its ever-increasing theological fragmentation, its substitution of man-made law for God's law, and the crisis in faith and morals that result. (It is important to note the priests do not attack Protestants personally, their good will, or their good works; they object only to the underlying precepts of the movement itself.) When one looks at the moral chaos in our society today, the words of caution and dire predictions of "Radio Replies" seem at times prophetic.
One weakness in this volume-the vast majority of questions (over 1500 in Volume One) are posed by lay people who obviously have little understanding of Catholicism and a highly prejudiced attitude toward Catholic people and practices. The one- or two-line questions are basically softballs, which the priests easily hit clear out of the park. So although "Radio Replies" contains an enormous amount of indispensable information, it does not take on many intellectually rigorous challenges. That being said, "Radio Replies" provides incredibly clear insight on what the Catholic Church stands for, and why.
Every Catholic and non-Catholic, who really wants to learn the truths about what the Catholic Church teaches, needs all three Volumes in their library.