Apologetics
Surveys show that the leading cause of Catholics leaving the Church is not receiving solid, timely answers to questions about their Faith. Heightening this problem is a hostile secular culture that perceives faith as being at odds with science and the modern world.
In these incisive pages, David Bonagura directly answers one hundred hot-button questions about the supernatural life and Catholicism today. The questions, which were submitted anonymously by young adults in New York City, leave no controversial issue unaddressed.
This invaluable and easily digestible guidebook is cross-referenced and thoughtfully arranged to help you find answers to your most pressing questions. Bonagura provides straightforward reasoning, including:
The book offers ways to overcome feelings of doubt, tips for fortifying your prayer life, reasons for receiving Holy Communion frequently, and practical steps for growing closer to God. An ideal gift for those searching or struggling, it is a book for anyone looking to know God's love more deeply and be assured of His presence.
Here, Dr. Kevin Vost provides you with 12 essential life lessons, culled from the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas. Together these lessons will elevate your mind, enrich your spirit, and teach you how to participate fully in the universal vocation to holiness and happiness.
Distilling Thomas's timeless and unparalleled spiritual wisdom, Vost shows you:
These 12 Life Lessons from St. Thomas Aquinas will help you cultivate a rich, robust faith life that will bring you into closer communion with God and beckon others to follow. With the help of Vost and Thomas, you'll soon find yourself confidently and happily living in imitation of Our Lord, the Way, the Truth, and the Life for all men.
Good luck getting through an entire day without experiencing the impact of Catholicism. Woken up by an alarm or checked the time? The mechanical clock was invented in the tenth century by a monk who became pope. A bowl of cereal for breakfast? Your milk is safe thanks to Louis Pasteur, a devout Catholic whose research was driven by a love of God and humanity. Knock on wood? It's actually an ancient Catholic practice invoking the power of the Cross when facing trouble or danger.
Each entry in 150 People, Places, and Things You Never Knew Were Catholic is rich with detail and nuance. Here are Catholic stories full of drama, decisions, and inspiration.
The fruits of our Catholic Faith are all around us, and the ways in which the Church has shaped history and the secular world can be found in science, art, pop culture, sports, and more. Our most enduring (and endearing) customs, pastimes, practices, and institutions often can be traced back to an inventive, resourceful Catholic. You'll discover things you never knew -- and come away with inspiration for how you, too, can impact the world.
The First Apology was an early work of Christian apologetics addressed by Justin Martyr to the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius. In addition to arguing against the persecution of individuals solely for being Christian, Justin also provides the Emperor with a defense of the philosophy of Christianity and a detailed explanation of contemporary Christian practices and rituals. This work, along with the Second Apology, has been cited as one of the earliest examples of Christian apology, and many scholars attribute this work to creating a new genre of apology out of what was a typical Roman administrative procedure.
Popular author and TV and radio host John Martignoni has written a book that highlights the flaws in Protestant teaching -- using something that is in rather short supply in today's culture: common sense. He throws in a little simple logic too. He uses the Bible as the background for his plain yet provocative analysis of numerous underlying problems with Protestantism as a whole and then focuses on specific Bible passages to ask a number of tough questions regarding individual Protestant doctrines and dogmas.
Catholics can use this book not only to respond effectively to questions from family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and even strangers about why they believe what they believe but also to ask questions of their own -- questions that will leave the Protestants in their lives struggling to come up with logically and scripturally consistent answers and will, hopefully, led them to some serious introspection.
With simple, clear-cut explanations, Martignoni lays out the reasons why Protestantism, as a whole and in its individual parts, is illogical and lacking in both common sense and biblical sense. In page after page, you will find concise, candid, power-packed arguments from Scripture, history, and just plain rational thinking, along with thirty questions to ask Protestants about what they believe and why. This treasure trove of apologetics will teach you about:
Additionally, you will learn four reasons why the Catholic Church is indisputably the Church that Jesus founded, which beliefs are essential to authentic Christianity, and how to prove that Jesus is really present in the Holy Eucharist.
You will also discover insights into relevant and fascinating questions on faith and works, what the "Catechism of the Protestant Church" teaches, what is required to attain salvation, who wrote the Bible and decided which books to include, when the Church was founded, and much more.
Apologetics is the art of providing a reasoned explanation, or defence, for one's position or beliefs to critics or inquirers. For Christians, one of the original calls to engage in apologetics was made by St Peter the Apostle, who exhorted believers to "Always be prepared to make a defence to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you", adding further that we should do the same "with gentleness and reverence"(1Pet. 3:15).It was an apologetics closely allied to evangelisation. Apologetics has always had a place in the life of the Church. Many great Church Fathers, Doctors and Saints throughout history engaged in apologetics to defend Catholic teaching against challenges and attacks stemming from all quarters. Figures such as Sts Athanasius, Jerome and Augustine of Hippo initially come to mind. The English-speaking world has produced many fine apologists, including St John Henry Cardinal Newman, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, Hilaire Belloc, G. K. Chesterton, Frank Sheed, Frs Rumble and Carty, etc. Some of these were converts to Catholicism, some cradle Catholics. All, whether lay or clerical, loved the Catholic faith, knew its truthfulness and desired to share it with others. Their writings combined Scripture, reason, personal testimony, wit, and a bit of pugilistic flair. However, from the 1960s onwards interest in apologetics declined significantly. For many, it had become outdated, unfashionable and irrelevant. Arguing over religious beliefs was either bad manners, offensive, or both. It now seemed best to keep one's religious beliefs to oneself, for "your truth is as good as mine. "Apologetics would substantially disappear from the Catholic academy, the seminary and school curricula. Despite its decline, apologetics would eventually make a comeback, at least in part. It was never eschewed by Vatican II(Lumen Gentium10and 11, Dignitatis Humanae14, Apostolicam Actuositatem6) nor by post-Conciliar Popes. Pope St John Paul II would provide the 'magna carta' for a 'new apologetics', which in essence was a return to the Scripture injunction of St Peter: "... we need a new apologetic, geared to the needs of today, which keeps in mind that our task is not just to win arguments but to win souls, to engage not in ideological bickering but to vindicate and promote the Gospel...This new apologetic will also need to breathe a spirit of humanity, that compassionate humility which understands people's anxieties and questions and which is not quick to presume in them ill will or bad faith. "Any revival of apologetics should be welcomed, especially in view of the many new and rising challenges facing the Church and the world. The need for apologetics is most acute for the young, who are highly vulnerable to the growing influence of the 'new atheism', the post-modernist denial of objective truth, the sexual revolution, fundamentalist Christianity, and proselytising Islam.
In arguments both lucid and thorough, Benedictine Abbott Basil Christopher Butler shows why the Bible can never be the sole criterion of faith nor serve as a sufficient foundation for the full Christian life to which Jesus calls us.
Butler reminds us that Jesus did not reveal himself to us by means of any written documents whatsoever (the first inspired written texts -- all the books of the New Testament -- were penned decades after Jesus died).
For in His divine person, Jesus Himself was the final word of God's revelation: the living Jesus who walked among men and spoke to them -- the Jesus who, before He returned to the Father, established His Church, endowed it with authority, and implemented the Sacraments as the continuation of His living presence among men . . . a living presence that He has sustained down through the ages even unto today.
Butler affirms that the books of the Old and New Testament are inspired -- inspired but incomplete. A
Who is God? What is faith about? Does prayer make a difference? Does life make sense? Why should we care?
We all struggle with these issues. "Answering the Big Questions" helps us find our way towards answers that are rooted in both Christian tradition and the ups and downs of daily life. As we explore and wrestle with the answers, we begin to ask deeper questions, and become engaged in a dialogue with God in our quest for truth.
In this thoughtful volume, Shane Parker lights a path for people who are seeking a closer relationship with God and the world around them.
Questions about the Catholic faith deserve serious answers""especially when they are posed by children. In Ask the Bishop, Bishop Jeffrey Monforton thoughtfully responds to important questions asked by kindergarteners through high schoolers.
Bishop Monforton gives compelling answers that all curious Catholics will learn from. Ask the Bishop answers questions on
Catholic teaching
Friendship with Jesus
Prayer
Scripture
Sacraments
And so much more
Written in the welcoming style of a skilled teacher, Ask the Bishop proves that no one is too young to encounter the life-giving message of Jesus Christ.
Follow author Melanie Frei as she talks about her conversion story and helps answer some of the misconceptions many protestants have about the Catholic church.
In this newly updated, expanded version of his popular work of apologetics, Shea presents a lively and entertaining look at his conversion to Catholicism from Evangelicalism and his discovery of Christian tradition. As an Evangelical, Shea accepted the principle of "sola scriptura" (Scripture alone) as the basis of faith. Now as a Catholic convert, he skillfully explains how and why Sacred Tradition occupies a central role in Divine Revelation.
Tracing his own journey of intellectual and spiritual awakening, Shea begins by looking for a rejoinder to those modern-day false prophets who would claim that Scripture itself is not to be trusted, and ends with his conviction that tradition, as explained by the Catholic Church, is the only sure guarantee of the truth of the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Let's give socialism a fresh chance, they say. A democratic socialism this time, friendly to religion and ordered to the common good, as the Church says the economy should be.
In Can a Catholic Be a Socialist?, Trent Horn and Catherine R. Pakaluk refute this tempting but false notion. Drawing on Scripture, history, Catholic social teaching, and basic economic reality, they show beyond a doubt that Catholicism and socialism are utterly incompatible.
Along the way, they debunk many of the common claims used to keep afloat the fantasy of a Christian-socialist hybrid.
This is the most up-to-date, comprehensive, and thorough defense of the Catholic Church against Protestant objections in print. This book is especially relevant as the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation draws near and discussion of the arguments made against the Church during that time in history receive renewed interest.
The Case for Catholicism answers arguments put forward by early Reformers like Luther and Calvin as well as contemporary defenders of Protestantism like Norm Geisler and R.C. Sproul. It provides a meticulous defense of the biblical and historical nature of Catholic doctrines from Scripture and church history. Finally, in both answering Protestant objections to Catholicism and in providing evidence for the Faith, The Case for Catholicism cites modern Protestant scholars who question Reformation assumptions and show how evidence from Scripture and church history support aspects of Catholic theology.
This book is divided into four sections, with each answering a key question Christians have asked about the nature of their faith. Those key questions are:
The Case for Catholicism will become a reliable, resource for any Catholic who desires a well-researched, readable, and persuasive answer to Protestant arguments made against the Catholic faith.
John Hardon's comprehensive, one-volume work of reference defining the key
terms of Catholicism; updated to include the most recent developments in the
Catholic Church.
Finally, here is a book that provides brief teachings on the basics of the Faith for everyone. Quickly find answers you need to questions on faith, reason, Church governance, Christology, ecclesiology, Apostolic Succession, the Communion of Saints, the precepts of the Church, and much more.
You will learn--and be able to share--the meaning of the sacraments and the Sacred Liturgy, including the importance of Latin in the Mass, and aspects of the awesome mystery that is occurring. You will grow in reverence for the Holy Eucharist through the writings of saints such as Thomas Aquinas and the early Church Fathers.
Fr. Wade describes God's mercy in a relational way, noting that He manifests His mercy as a gift throughout our lifetime before the inevitability of His justice at our judgment. In addition, Fr. Wade addresses a wide variety of contemporary issues, including:
Which Church teachings apply to the many unhealthy beliefs promoted in our culture today
Points of confusion surrounding vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life
The definition of marriage and the vocation of parents
What the Church teaches about private revelation, the afterlife, and the Antichrist
Cultivating personal spirituality and virtues--regardless of your vocation
Modern dilemmas in moral theology, and much more!
The Shroud of Turin is celebrated as one of the holiest and most important relics of Christianity, with millions of pilgrims traveling to see the precious cloth in Italy on the rare occasions it has been displayed. Yet despite its enormous global popularity, the Shroud's authenticity is not without question.
To address lingering uncertainties head-on, celebrated Catholic scientist Dr. Gerard Verschuuren explores and synthesizes the various scientific studies conducted on the Shroud --including those analyzing DNA, blood, carbon, pollen, textile, and anatomical issues -- as well as its storied history.
He then scrutinizes the motives of the individual scientists performing these studies, the assumptions they employed to arrive at their conclusions, and the instances in which they veered into areas outside the competence of the sciences.
After this exhaustive and highly satisfying analysis, Dr. Verschuuren reveals the reasons why he believes the Shroud of T
Modernity, academia, and the media perceive and relentlessly advance a dichotomous, contradictory relationship between faith and science. However, from the time of Aristotle, it has been demonstrated that man is a rational being who reasons intellectually in a way that animals and technology cannot. Man is also a religious being, correlating himself to what is above and seeking answers to the ultimate questions of transcendence.
In his definitive book A Catholic Scientist Harmonizes Science and Faith, Dr. Gerard Verschuuren draws from the reflections of St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine, St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, Dr. Peter Kreeft, and numerous scientists, such as Albert Einstein and Gregor Mendel, who reveal the essential connection between reason and religion.
Dr. Verschuuren confirms the necessity of reasoning in scientific theory. Relying on true stories from scie
Challenging today's accepted "wisdom," Catholic scientist Gerard Verschuuren, Ph.D., here demonstrates that the question of whether God exists is not one science can answer. Indeed, that would be like expecting a microscope to reveal the square root of sixteen!
Verschuuren begins by explaining the five famous medieval proofs for the existence of God -- based on reason alone -- that have survived despite nearly a thousand years of efforts to refute them. With his wise help, you'll come to see that just as reason gives us access to the existence of numbers, so it is reason that gives us access to the existence of God. In fact, when we use our reason to investigate the existence of God, we encounter proofs that are more powerful, by far, than any that science could ever provide.
Yes, Verschuuren is a Catholic; but he's also a long-standing scientist, schooled in using reason alone to draw forth from evidence the proofs to which it nec
The Catholic Source Book is a comprehensive collection of information gathered to help people of faith learn, renew, teach, and live the risen life of Jesus Christ in the Catholic Church.
The ten chapters include:
New converts and cradle Catholics alike are often perplexed by the myriad of devotions, traditions, practices, and beliefs that the Catholic Church has accumulated over the past twenty centuries. Why pray to St. Anthony to find something lost? Why keep a St. Christopher medal in your car? Or why bury a statue of St. Joseph -- upside down! -- in your yard when selling your house?
In Helen Hoffner's lovingly-illustrated, encyclopedic Catholic Treasures and Traditions, you'll find succinct - and sometimes amusing - answers to these and hundreds of other questions. This delightful book explains the origin and nature of most of the common traditions of the Catholic Faith, as well as the source and meaning of many of the quaint and obscure ones.
From Forty Hours to First Fridays and from Holy Hours to Holy Days, you'll find in these pages an informative, delightful compendium of the Catholic way of life, including information about:
* Advent Calendars * Icons * Jesse Trees *
* Novenas * Penance * Prayers for the Dead *
* Crucifixes * House Blessings * Prayer Corners *
* Relics * Stations of the Cross * The Sacraments *
* Religious Orders * The Holy See * The Roman Curia *
* St. Francis Statues * Bathtub Madonnas * Holy Cards *
* The Sacred Heart * The Liturgical Year * Holy Days *
* First Fridays * Votive Candles * Religious Medals *
* Marian Apparitions * Vestments * Divine Mercy *
* The Divine Office * Holy Oils * Genuflecting *
* The Angelus * Litanies * Patron Saints *
and much more to acquaint you with the many wonderful treasures and traditions of the Catholic Faith!
Catholics & Fundamentalists clearly and concisely explains:
The origins of modern fundamentalism Fundamentalist interpretations of sacred texts Catholic and fundamentalist understandings of salvation Advice for how to respond to fundamentalism What to do when a loved one becomes a fundamentalist
This work analyzes how the three key elements of a democratic society--freedom, equality, and fraternity--have been misconstrued by intellectuals and policy makers who do not respect the limitations of the human condition. Their lack of common sense has resulted in social and cultural problems rather than solutions to them. By contrast, the social teachings of the Catholic Church mesh nicely with the demands of human nature, and as such they offer the right remedy to our cultural crisis.
Freedom defined as radical individualism has eclipsed the understanding that real rights are tethered to responsibilities. Equality defined as radical egalitarianism yields little in the way of equality and much in the way of state-sponsored social discord. And fraternity without the foundation of familial bonds and religious communities leaves people isolated and disoriented.
Catholic teaching offers much wisdom to remedy our insufficient understanding of the elements needed for a free and flourishing society. Its common sense is greatly needed to help modern Americans rediscover the true meaning of their highest ideals.
One day, philosopher Peter Kreeft reads an open letter published by a friend, Nat Whilk. He's Catholic, but he sees the Church as unsteady, outdated, obsessive. As a challenge to the "True Believers", Nat pens a twenty-point manifesto for "cafeteria Catholics", who pass up certain Church teachings and scoop up others like a diner in a buffet line."I find in [Catholicism] both much to accept and even love and also much to refuse and even despise", he asserts. "If you insist on tying God to the Church, you will make me an atheist."
Kreeft has an answer for Nat--one that spans over a hundred pages. The result is this book: a sharp, friendly, and funny debate between two honest thinkers trying to understand the Christian life. Nat "is the'cafeteria Catholic', "writes Kreeft,"and I am the 'eat all the food Mommy puts on your plate' Catholic." Taking on Nat's manifesto point by point, the Boston College philosopher builds his case for a full-package Catholicism, addressing the themes of authority, love, freedom, conscience, sex, abortion, social justice, science, and more. "Our hopes differ", he points out to his friend."Your hope is in man; mine is in God."
If, like Nat Whilk, you find yourself wondering why the Church asks for so much commitment, Confessions of a Cafeteria Catholic could be the book for you. This debate serves as a fun and accessible introduction to some of the knottiest aspects of Catholic doctrine. Readers of Peter Kreeft's apologetic works and his Socrates Meets dialogues will enjoy the latest venture by one of the most celebrated contemporary Catholic writers.
hile social norms and political movements are rapidly changing, the truth of the Catholic faith stands firm. In Cross-Examined: Catholic Responses to the World's Questions, readers are equipped to address even the most sensitive topics, from the existence of God to the existence of hell, from women's ordination to Marian devotion, from assisted suicide to transgenderism.
In Cross-Examined, Fr. Carter Griffin begins each discussion not with Catholic teaching but rather with its most common objections. Articulating these objections serves several purposes. First, it helps Catholics to respect those who do not share their beliefs by identifying intelligent grounds for disagreement. Pointing out objections also helps believers respond more persuasively in discussions with non-Catholic friends. Perhaps most importantly, knowing the common objects instills confidence that the Church is committed to the truth and unafraid to engage with those who dispute her teaching.
After identifying principal objections, each discussion continues with a brief summary of relevant Catholic teaching and then responds to each objection in turn.
In our shrill age that seems ever less capable of rational discourse, the method used in Cross-Examined can offer a way to remain faithful to our beliefs while acknowledging, respecting, and responding to alternative points of view.
2021
Because the Ten Commandments seem harsh and unyielding to modern ears, few today realize that they embody the most perfect expression of human freedom. Only by abiding by the Commandments can you have a fully human life and achieve union with God.
But you need more than a tenth-grade understanding of them to unleash their remarkable spiritual power in your daily life...which is why Fr. Brian Mullady has written this remarkable book that reveals the many often-overlooked, soul-nourishing elements and implications of each of the Commandments.
Here you'll come to understand how the Commandments are not just ten individual rules; they are an entire plan of life that draws you ever more into God and brings you enduring peace with others--and with yourself.
With the help of the wise Fr. Mullady, you'll soon come to see how the Commandments not only distill the teachings of Christ in the Beatitudes but are themselves fulfilled when you live in accordance with those Beatitudes.
You're sure to close the pages of this book with renewed gratitude for the incredible divine gift of the Commandments and with a greater resolve to believe in them, to meditate on them, and to strive ever to live in accordance with them.
From Fr. Mullady you'll learn:
Do you want to share your faith with others but think you might not know enough? Are you worried that conflicts will arise as you openly talk about and share the love of Christ?
In Everyday Witness, Sr. Theresa Rickard, O.P., president of RENEW International, offers seven simple habits to help fellow Catholics more comfortably talk about and model Christian faith in our everyday lives.
Most often people come to Christ because they've admired the words and actions of believers they respect. But talking about God and witnessing by our actions can be very difficult. In this primer for evangelizing witness, Sr. Theresa Rickard, O.P., presents inspirational stories and biblical reflections along with spiritual coaching and practical advice for Catholics who want to get better at sharing what they believe and how they came to believe it.
Rickard encourages us to adopt seven habits that will help us confidently share our faith in word and deed:
Each chapter includes Rickard's reflection on witnessing the faith in her own life, a brief survey of what the Bible says on the topic, and the story of an ordinary person who gives witness to their faith in an extraordinary way. Each chapter also offers self-reflection questions, simple ideas about how to grow the habit, and a closing prayer that gives us not only food for thought but also practical help for becoming better witnesses to our Catholic faith.
Increasingly, the future is becoming a theme for theological reflection. In the background we can detect a growing concern among many people for the future of faith.
How does the promise of an eternal future affect the present? How does faith, our hope for life in the future, affect the way we live and interact with the world today? In order to answer these questions, Joseph Ratzinger reflects on such questions as the following: What precisely is faith? What does it have to do with knowledge, modern philosophical trends, technology, and our modern world? What is faith's relationship to truth? And finally, what consequences do the answers to these questions have for the future of our world and our Church?
The problem of the future assails not only the believer. In the ever more rapidly advancing process of technological change, man is confronted with enormous opportunities, but also with colossal perils. For him, the future is not only promising but also a possible nightmare. He cannot avoid asking what part faith can play in building tomorrow's world.
Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, approaches the universal concern for the future from a variety of angles, bringing his deep personal faith and theological brilliance to bear on the serious questions facing mankind.
"It is precisely in times of vehement historical upheaval, when all the past seems to dissolve and completely new things seem to emerge, that men need to reflect upon history, which enables them to see the unreal exaggeration of the moment in the right perspective and integrates them again into a happening that never repeats itself but, on the other hand, never loses its unity and its context. . . . I maintain that reflection upon history, properly understood, embraces both looking back into the past and, with that as the starting point, reflecting on the possibilities and tasks of the future, which can only become clear if we survey a fairly long stretch of the road and do not naively shut ourselves up in the present."
-- Joseph Ratzinger
Increasingly, the future is becoming a theme for theological reflection. In the background we can detect a growing concern among many people for the future of faith.
How does the promise of an eternal future affect the present? How does faith, our hope for life in the future, affect the way we live and interact with the world today? In order to answer these questions, Joseph Ratzinger reflects on such questions as the following: What precisely is faith? What does it have to do with knowledge, modern philosophical trends, technology, and our modern world? What is faith's relationship to truth? And finally, what consequences do the answers to these questions have for the future of our world and our Church?
The problem of the future assails not only the believer. In the ever more rapidly advancing process of technological change, man is confronted with enormous opportunities, but also with colossal perils. For him, the future is not only promising but also a possible nightmare. He cannot avoid asking what part faith can play in building tomorrow's world.
Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, approaches the universal concern for the future from a variety of angles, bringing his deep personal faith and theological brilliance to bear on the serious questions facing mankind.
"It is precisely in times of vehement historical upheaval, when all the past seems to dissolve and completely new things seem to emerge, that men need to reflect upon history, which enables them to see the unreal exaggeration of the moment in the right perspective and integrates them again into a happening that never repeats itself but, on the other hand, never loses its unity and its context. . . . I maintain that reflection upon history, properly understood, embraces both looking back into the past and, with that as the starting point, reflecting on the possibilities and tasks of the future, which can only become clear if we survey a fairly long stretch of the road and do not naively shut ourselves up in the present."
— Joseph Ratzinger
Written in the same style and spirit as the classic best-seller The Faith Explained by Leo Trese, The Faith Explained Today by Joe Babendreier offers an explanation of the faith that is easily accessible to modern readers, especially students and young adults. This Christian faith book is in six parts and covers the full spectrum of Church teaching over the last 2,000 years. These parts include:
- What Christians Believe
- How God Reveals
- Morality
- The Way Christians Worship
- The Human Person
- Prayer
Complete with review questions at the end of each chapter and frequent use of writings from Sacred Scripture, the saints, spiritual writers, and the Magisterium, this book, The Faith Explained Today will help you understand what God revealed through Jesus Christ, as the Church has believed it, preserved it, and treasured it from the beginning.
Converts often bring to the Catholic Church an evangelical zeal that can renew and energize even the most tired and battle weary among us.
The Church is hurting for enthusiastic voices to proclaim her teachings on truth and morals. In these pages, Shaun McAfee, a convert from Evangelical Protestantism shows how we can take the best tools of evangelization and use them to reach countless souls with the fullness of the Christian Faith.
With Shaun's help, you'll learn simple ways you can make the visitor in your parish more at home, how to speak compellingly about the Faith, simple ways to integrate daily Scripture reading into your life, why small groups are important for spiritual enrichment, and how to communicate with souls who have never considered joining the Catholic Church.
The simple steps Shaun outlines in these pages will also show priests and lay leaders how to more effectively engage modern society with our Catholic Faith.
Our society is awash in se
Tired of being stumped when false claims are made about the Catholic Church? Want to be armed with knowledge that puts these mistruths to rest?
In these pages, veteran apologist Gerard Verschuuren provides thorough yet concise answers to forty of the most common -- and absurd -- lies about the Catholic Church.
With precision and charity, you'll soon be able to defend the Church when you're told that Catholics . . .
Relying on historical works and official Church documents, Vershuuren authoritatively proves that these and many other claims are simply caricatures or outright misrepresentations of the real beliefs of Catholics.
Read this book and you'll be armed with the knowledge and confidence you need to defend the Catholic Church from those who wrongly disparage her teachings. Better yet, you'll be equipped to proclaim the soul-saving truth of our Faith.
My title explains itself.
But it's misleading.
There are more than 40 reasons.
In fact, there are at least ten to the 82nd power, which, I am told, is the number of atoms in the universe. And that's just in ordinary matter, which makes up only 4.9% of the universe, the rest being dark matter and dark energy.
Each of my reasons is an independent point, so I have not organized this book by a succession of chapters or headings. After all, most readers only remember a few big ideas or separate points after reading a book. (I've never heard anyone say "Oh, that was a good continuous-process-of-logically-ordered-argumentation" but I've often heard people say, "Oh, that was a good point."
Which takes me back to my main point: "Why are you a Catholic?" is a good question.
A good question deserves a good answer.
Here are forty of mine.
Beloved spiritual master and psychologist Fr. Benedict Groeschel tackles an array of personal questions in his refreshingly frank, conversational way. With his characteristic wit and wisdom, Fr. Groeschel addresses everything from hot-button topics in the Church to ways to explain what Catholics believe to advice on increasing your devotion to our Eucharistic Lord.
In answering more than a hundred questions selected from Fr. Groeschel's epochal EWTN Sunday Night Live show, he candidly, concisely, and compassionately shares insights from his clinical and practical experiences about:
Interestingly, Fr. Groeschel also reveals what happened when he almost died and how you should approach the afterlife. He further explains the sacraments and the mystery of God's grace in your life. You will find tips on how to discern God's will, assess the value of literature and other media, and arm yourself against the devil's tactics.
You will also learn how to make better confessions (it's easier than you may think!), overcome grief, and hold on to hope in times of suffering and darkness. Fr. Groeschel discusses crises from liberalism to vocation shortages to abuse, and elucidates the mindset behind abortion, other life issues, and attacks against the Church.
Through examples of various saints' astounding confidence in God, Fr. Groeschel explains why you should trust in God's mercy. You will also learn the secret to keeping the Faith in a dying culture and how to win your loved ones back to the Faith (you will be surprised!).
Fr. Groeschel also breaks open Marian devotion, the roles of science and religion, and how to show in your daily living what it means to be a true Christian.
Beloved spiritual master and psychologist Fr. Benedict Groeschel tackles an array of personal questions in his refreshingly frank, conversational way. With his characteristic wit and wisdom, Fr. Groeschel addresses everything from hot-button topics in the Church to ways to explain what Catholics believe to advice on increasing your devotion to our Eucharistic Lord.
In answering more than a hundred questions selected from Fr. Groeschel’s epochal EWTN Sunday Night Live show, he candidly, concisely, and compassionately shares insights from his clinical and practical experiences about:
- Divorce, remarriage, and same-sex attraction
- Who is really allowed to receive Holy Communion at Mass
- What to do when you’re at your wits’ end over family discord
- How best to approach forgiveness ― of others and of self
- How you can help restore reverence and awe at Mass
- Depression and fruitful ways to combat it
Interestingly, Fr. Groeschel also reveals what happened when he almost died and how you should approach the afterlife. He further explains the sacraments and the mystery of God’s grace in your life. You will find tips on how to discern God’s will, assess the value of literature and other media, and arm yourself against the devil’s tactics.
You will also learn how to make better confessions (it’s easier than you may think!), overcome grief, and hold on to hope in times of suffering and darkness. Fr. Groeschel discusses crises from liberalism to vocation shortages to abuse, and elucidates the mindset behind abortion, other life issues, and attacks against the Church.
Through examples of various saints’ astounding confidence in God, Fr. Groeschel explains why you should trust in God’s mercy. You will also learn the secret to keeping the Faith in a dying culture and how to win your loved ones back to the Faith (you will be surprised!).
Fr. Groeschel also breaks open Marian devotion, the roles of science and religion, and how to show in your daily living what it means to be a true Christian.
NINE CONVERTS EXPLAIN THEIR JOURNEY HOME. This collection of testimonies by former atheists who've found new life in the Catholic Church is one of the most potent weapons for the Faith ever crafted! These authors don't just tell their stories--they also give you an insider's look into the fatal weaknesses of atheist thinking that lead people to deny the existence of God. Dramatic and thought-provoking, these personal stories explain virtually every objection that atheists have to God, as well as arguments that eventually led them into the Catholic Church. Paperback. 134 pages.
Have you ever been unable to explain the why of Catholic beliefs? Have you ever wondered why the Old Testament sounds so different from the New Testament? In the Old Testament, God began building a plan and laying a foundation for the beautiful traditions of the Catholic Faith. That plan was fulfilled by Jesus in the New Testament.
Fulfilled explores the biblical roots of the Catholic Faith. It uncovers God's consistent design for our worship of him and his relationship with us. Learn how the Old Testament Tabernacle can be used as a blueprint for the Catholic Faith and how Jesus fulfilled it in the New Testament.
This book is needed for two studies: Fulfilled: Part One and Fulfilled: Part Two. It may also be purchased separately.
This book will help you:
In this book of meditations, based on a series of meditations by the author shortly before he became Archbishop of Munich-Freising, in 1977, theologian Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) presents his profound thoughts on the nature and person of God, building a bridge between theology and spirituality as he makes wide use of the Sacred Scriptures to reveal the beauty and mystery of who God is. He writes about each of the three persons in the Holy Trinity, showing the different attributes of each person, and that "God is three and God is one."
God is - and the Christian faith adds: God is as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three and one. This is the very heart of Christianity, but it is so often shrouded in a silence born of perplexity. Has the Church perhaps gone one step too far here? Ought we not rather leave something so great and inaccessible as God in his inaccessibility? Can something like the Trinity have any real meaning for us? It is certainly true that the proposition that "God is three and God is one" is and remains the expression of his otherness, which is infinitely greater than us and transcends all our thinking and our existence.
But, as Joseph Ratzinger shows, if this proposition meant nothing to us, it would not have been revealed! And it could be clothed in human language only because it had already penetrated human thinking and living to some extent.
"Without Jesus, we do not know what 'Father' truly is. This becomes visible in his prayer, which is the foundation of his being. A Jesus who was not continuously absorbed in the Father, and was not in continuous intimate communication with him, would be a completely different being from the Jesus of the Bible, the real Jesus of history... In Jesus' prayer, the Father becomes visible and Jesus makes himself known as the Son. The unity which this reveals is the Trinity. Accordingly, becoming a Christian means sharing in Jesus' prayer, entering into the model provided by his life, i.e. the model of prayer. Becoming a Christian means saying 'Father' with Jesus."
-- Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI)
