Apologetics

You Can Share the Faith

Author(s): 
Karen Edmisten
I highly recommend this terrific little book for everyone who wishes to share their faith with others – especially with their family and friends. Karen is an atheist-turned-Catholic (and Catholic homeschool mom, and contributor to this website) who shares in this book many common aspects of the conversion journey through her own experiences and those of a number of her friends. These stories are organized around a very practical set of “do’s” and “don’ts” that will help readers be better prepared to witness to and support those who are being drawn to the faith.

Meat & Potatoes Catholicism

Author(s): 
Rev. Joseph F. Classen
Are you malnourished? Many Catholics feel that they don’t know the faith, they are spiritually malnourished. To satisfy your hunger for the faith, Fr. Classen wants to feed you the fundamentals of your faith in Meat & Potatoes Catholicism. Determined to write a book that makes sense to those who sit in the pews, Fr. Classen has set out to educate you in the essentials of the faith.

Jesus of Nazareth

Author(s): 
Pope Benedict XVI
Translator(s): 
Adrian J. Walker
It's rather lovely, I think that the Pope uses in his own book a phrase (which he applies to the parables of Jesus) which aptly describes this fascinating book: "...it not only or even primarily adds to what we know, but it changes our lives." In Jesus of Nazareth, Our Holy Father presents a vision of primary events of the Gospels (this volume covers significant stories chronologically from the Baptism of Our Lord through the Transfiguration - a second volume is expected in the future).

The Dawkins Delusion?

Author(s): 
Alister McGrath
Joanna Collicutt McGrath
Cogent, concise, and coherent, that is The Dawkins Delusion. Written as a response to The God Delusion, Alister McGrath takes Richard Dawkins head on. A former atheist, Alister, along with his wife Joanna, convincingly demonstrate the errors of Richard Dawkins's atheism.

Envoy Magazine

Book cover: 'Envoy Magazine'
Author(s): 
Patrick Madrid (ed.)

A beautiful full-color glossy magazine on Catholic apologetics. The magazine is trendy in format (meant to appeal to teens and "Generation Xers") but orthodox in content. Although we don't subscribe to this magazine, I've seen a few issues and have been very impressed. Some articles I read included sample scenarios of how to explain Catholic teachings in particular situations. I thought this was a very helpful way of preparing people for apologetics. This magazine also includes Scott Hahn's newsletter Scripture Matters.

Peter: Keeper of the Keys

Cover: 'Peter: Keeper of the Keys'
Author(s): 
Steve Ray
This is a fascinating travel/apologetics documentary focusing on the story of Saint Peter as related in the New Testament. Apologist Steve Ray travels to Rome and many sites in the Holy Land to tell Peter's story. He provides fascinating details of the connections between particular places and important events in Peter's life. This would make a great supplement to a Bible study, an apologetics lesson on the Papacy, a geography unit on the Middle East or simply an important part of Church history.

Common Ground

This DVD presents an engaging dialogue (Question and Answer format) between a Catholic priest and a Protestant minister. Produced by a Protestant Church, it primarily consists of common Protestant Questions/Objections about the Catholic Faith that are answered by the priest. The priest's responses are succinct, respectful and quite insightful. Not only are they theologically solid, but they present creative and helpful ways of explaining authentic doctrine to others.

The One-Minute Apologist

Author(s): 
Dave Armstrong
The clever, user-friendly layout of this book makes it very practical! In the introduction, author Dave Armstrong explains that he hopes to empower Catholics to be able to defend their faith with the aid of this book: I believe the book is capable of doing just that! Starting a with a Protestant objection to a Catholic teaching, each double page provides a solid explanation of the problems with each objection, supported amply with bible verses.

A Philadelphia Catholic in King James's Court

Book cover: A Philadelphia Catholic in King James's Court
Author(s): 
Martin de Porres Kennedy

Plot overview: After the tragic death of Mick O'Shea, a Catholic fireman from Philadelphia, his widow Tammy and their children are invited to spend the summer at the Kentucky farm of Tammy's brother Les and his family. The catch? Les is the fundamentalist pastor of a small homegrown "Bible-only" church. He believes it is his duty to "save" his sister and her family from the Catholic Church. The story centers on 17-year-old Michael, who is chosen as the preferred point of contact.

Faith Charts: Catholicism at a Glance

Book cover: 'Faith charts: Catholicism at a Glance'
Author(s): 
Reverend Raymond Cleaveland
This is a really nifty overview of the faith organized into 16 segments over 6 pages: The Transmission of Divine Revelation The Blessed Trinity God the Father God the Son, Jesus Christ God the Holy Spirit Creation and the Fall, Redemption The Holy Catholic Church The Four Marks of the Church The Blessed Virgin and the Saints The Seven Sacraments Grace, Justification and Virtue Catholic Moral Teaching Sin The Commandments The Last Things Each segment gives a brief, but surprisingly complete, overview of Catholic teaching with references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Bible as

Pages