7. Apologetics & Explaining the Faith

A Map of Life by Sheed, F.J.

John Bergsma’s popular Bible Basics for Catholics, which has sold more than 60,000 copies, offers readers an accessible vision of salvation history as it unfolds in the Bible, showing readers how the Bible points us to the saving life and work of Jesus. This new edition includes an additional chapter on covenant fulfillment in the Book of Revelation. Bergsma brings to his theology a combination of academic expertise, pastoral wisdom, and unique playfulness. Bible Basics for Catholics is based on Bergsma’s popular Introduction to Theology course at Steubenville. As a teacher, Bergsma has an uncanny ability to make complex ideas understandable and faith-inspiring while staying true to both Catholic teaching and biblical scholarship. Readers will begin to see the Christian understanding of salvation by walking through the Old Testament, going through the great stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, the great kings and prophets of Israel, and culminating in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Page numbers: 224

Captive Flames by Ronald Knox

Is it possible to transform the world to make it more in line with God's dreams? For Mariano Fazio the task of contributing to the building up of society is an exciting apostolic project, which Christians must carry out with the help of the Lord's grace. "To recompose what we have broken with sin, to contribute to building up the kingdom of God (...), a kingdom of truth and life, of holiness and grace, of justice, love and peace. The Lord calls us to all this. This book clarifies the role of Christians in today's society and how they must act to transform it from within, as Jesus Christ did.

We all agree that modern society needs change: from the economy, to public morality, to laws protecting marriage and the unborn. But what will the new society look like, exactly? The opponents of Christianity often conjure dark images (mostly mythical) of theocracies, complete with witch-hunts, conversions-at-the-sword, and forced morality. But this is obviously not the change that the Church seeks. On the other hand, how can there be a re-Christianization of society in an age of tolerance and plurality? Renowned theologian Martin Rhonheimer tackles these questions head-on as he explains the message of Opus Dei, placing it in a historical context that illuminates its radical implications for modern Christians. He relates this message to broader developments within the Catholic Church, particularly since Vatican II, that will have vital importance for the future: the relationship of Church and State, the importance of religious liberty as a basic human right, and the role of the laity in the evangelization of culture. These insights, sometimes surprising, will help all Christians to bring Christ to the public forum transforming the world from within.

Project Gutenberg - Confessions of a Convert by R.H. Benson

You can't keep the faith unless you give it away. That's a fact. To be a Christian is to be an evangelizer. When the Catholic Church calls us to a "New Evangelization," that's simply a reminder to us of what has always been true. The good news is: you can do it - you can evangelize - and Scott Hahn shows you how. In this this very practical "mission manual" Dr. Hahn equips you with: A guide to understanding what the New Evangelization is, and who it's really for A roadmap that leads you to where it all happens (hint: it's closer than you think) A simple, beautiful message to share - in words and actions You don't need esoteric knowledge. You don't need to master a new set of skills. Evangelization, for Catholics, is simply friendship raised up to the highest level. Enter a deeper friendship with Christ, and you'll want to share his companionship more and more with a wider circle of friends. Page numbers: 119

The extraordinary vision and panache of Scott Hahn’s books have made Catholic theology thrilling and accessible for millions of readers inside and far beyond the boundaries of the Church. In First Comes Love, he not only reflects on the nitty-gritty of life, love, relationships, marriage and family but shows how the family draws us into the mystery of God. In recent years we have seen the family, as an institution, in decline, often portrayed as a place of repression and fear rather than of openness and love. Most marriages end, bitterly, in divorce. Yet, argues Hahn, our only hope of regaining happiness and wholeness lies not in attacking the family but in a recovery of our understanding of the family as the heart of God’s plan for creation. Theology and biblical interpretation take on the excitement of an adventure story is this irresistible and often moving reflection on love, the family, the Trinity, and the Church. This new edition includes a new chapter by the author. Page numbers: 224

From Christendom to Apostolic Mission: Pastoral Strategies for an Apostolic Age by Msgr. James Shea examines the cultural shift from a society that broadly supported Christian beliefs and practices to one in which faith can no longer be assumed or inherited. Shea argues that the Church must recognise that many people now encounter Christianity as something unfamiliar rather than as the cultural norm. Drawing on the experience of the early Church, he proposes a renewed missionary approach focused on personal conversion, intentional discipleship, evangelisation, and forming vibrant Christian communities capable of presenting the Gospel convincingly in a post-Christian world. The book challenges Catholics to move from maintaining existing structures to embracing an apostolic mindset centred on inviting others into a living relationship with Christ.

Behold, I make all things new. Revelation 21:5 It does us all good to refresh, renew, and rediscover what it means to be human, to be a child of God. In Home Again by Fr. John Henry Hanson, he desires to lead you " home" through a prayerful revitalization of your faith in God' s plan for you-- your story-- by recalling its incredible beauty and depth. He reminds you that your identity as a Christian is strengthened through the sacraments-- gifts of the Church that accompany and enrich you through life. " Change without grace, renovation without interior renewal, is spiritually worthless. The thing remodeled, so to speak, remains what it always was. The most important kind of regeneration isn' t outward or skin-deep but takes places in the hidden depths of the soul." Allow yourself to be reminded that God is a lover whose very desires for you will lead you directly to fulfillment and everlasting joy. The author hopes for you to live the resounding cry: " My story must flow from him, and return to him."

As Catholics, we believe in the resurrection of the body. We profess it in our creed. We’re taught that to bury and pray for the dead are corporal and spiritual works of mercy. We honor the dead in our Liturgy through the Rite of Christian burial. We do all of this, and more, because when Jesus Christ took on flesh for the salvation of our souls he also bestowed great dignity on our bodies. In Hope to Die: The Christian Meaning of Death and the Resurrection of the Body, Scott Hahn explores the significance of death and burial from a Catholic perspective. The promise of the bodily resurrection brings into focus the need for the dignified care of our bodies at the hour of death. Unpacking both Scripture and Catholic teaching, Hope to Die reminds us that we are destined for glorification on the last day. Our bodies have been made by a God who loves us. Even in death, those bodies point to the mystery of our salvation. Page numbers: 148

“Brant Pitre is one of the most compelling theological writers on the scene today.” –Bishop Robert Barron Bestselling author of Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist casts new light on the Virgin Mary, illuminating her role in the Old and New Testaments. Are Catholic teachings on Mary really biblical? Or are they the "traditions of men"? Should she be called the "Mother of God," or just the mother of Jesus? Did she actually remain a virgin her whole life or do the "brothers of Jesus" refer to her other children? By praying to Mary, are Catholics worshipping her? And what does Mary have to do with the quest to understand Jesus? In Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary, Dr. Pitre takes readers step-by-step from the Garden of Eden to the Book of Revelation to reveal how deeply biblical Catholic beliefs about Mary really are. Dr. Pitre uses the Old Testament and Ancient Judaism to unlock how the Bible itself teaches that Mary is in fact the new Eve, the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven and Earth, and the new Ark of the Covenant. Page numbers: 242

Bestselling author Hahn, a convert to Catholicism, explains the "how and why" of the Catholic faith--through Scripture, his own struggles and questions, and through the experiences of everyday life as well as natural science. Page numbers: 250

At a time when so many people are spiritually disillusioned and searching for ways to live, love, work, and play that nurture the soul rather than destroy it, Matthew Kelly once again delivers a powerful book that encourages us in our weariness, challenges us in our comfort, and invites us to rediscover the beautiful possibilities God places before us daily.Rediscover Jesus is a profound invitation to seek deeply personal answers to our deeply personal questions. Each page seems to effortlessly reach into every aspect our lives, providing spiritual wisdom and practical insights that help us to know both Jesus and ourselves in a new way.Some books find us at just the right time, and those books change our lives forever. Rediscover Jesus is one of those books. Page numbers: 187

The persecution of Catholics began in 16th century England and tested the Church for over 250 years. Penal laws labeled Catholic believers as traitors and brought fines, imprisonment, and even execution. Prominent persons such as Thomas More, Edmund Campion, and Margaret Clitherow were martyred, while others quietly endured suspicion or harassment to teach and pass on their faith to others, but died peacefully in their beds. Page numbers: 209

St. Justin Martyr's The Apologies (comprising the First Apology addressed to Emperor Antoninus Pius and the Second Apology to the Roman Senate) is a defense of Christianity against pagan accusations of atheism, immorality, and disloyalty to the empire. It explains Christian beliefs, worship practices like the Eucharist, and moral teachings, while refuting misunderstandings through philosophical reasoning and appeals to justice and reason. Theologically, it holds significance as one of the earliest systematic apologetics, affirming Christ's divinity, the resurrection, and the compatibility of faith with Roman law, influencing later patristic defenses of the faith.

The Belief of Catholics by Knox, R.

Big Questions Deserve Good Answers. What do you say when your child asks, "How do we know God exists?" or "Why do Catholics believe in the Eucharist?" or "Isn't science enough?" For decades, Catholic educator and parent Steven R. Hemler has been writing summaries to help answer the big faith questions young people ask— and this book is the fruit of that work. A practical, easy-to-use resource, anyone entrusted with nurturing the faith of the next generation— including parents, grandparents, godparents, Confirmation sponsors, catechists, and teachers— will find this book invaluable. With short, standalone chapters written in plain, engaging language, Hemler offers solid, theologically sound answers to the real questions Catholics face today. Inside you'll find: Bite-sized, compelling explanations of core Catholic beliefs Faith-building responses to tough questions about science, suffering, morality, and more Encouragement and confidence for adults tasked with teaching the faith A helpful tool for campus ministers, youth leaders, and OCIA teams A great read for teens and young adults looking for honest, accessible answers. Page numbers: 187

“This book will prove to be a most effective weapon… against the debunking and skeptical attitudes toward the Gospels that are so prevalent, not only in academe, but also on the street, among young people who, sadly, are leaving the Churches in droves.” – Robert Barron, author of Catholicism For well over a hundred years now, many scholars have questioned the historical truth of the Gospels, claiming that they were originally anonymous. Others have even argued that Jesus of Nazareth did not think he was God and never claimed to be divine. In The Case for Jesus, Dr. Brant Pitre, the bestselling author of Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist, goes back to the sources—the biblical and historical evidence for Christ—in order to answer several key questions, including: • Were the four Gospels really anonymous? • Are the Gospels folklore? Or are they biographies? • Were the four Gospels written too late to be reliable? • What about the so-called “Lost Gospels,” such as “Q” and the Gospel of Thomas? • Did Jesus claim to be God? • Is Jesus divine in all four Gospels? Or only in John? • Did Jesus fulfill the Jewish prophecies of the Messiah? • Why was Jesus crucified? • What is the evidence for the Resurrection? As The Case for Jesus will show, recent discoveries in New Testament scholarship, as well as neglected evidence from ancient manuscripts and the early church fathers, together have the potential to pull the rug out from under a century of skepticism toward the traditional Gospels. Above all, Pitre shows how the divine claims of Jesus of Nazareth can only be understood by putting them in their ancient Jewish context. Page numbers: 258

The Faith Explained by Leo J. Trese

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.

As human beings we are constantly engaging and disengaging in everything we do. We engage and disengage at work, in marriage, as parents, in our quest for health and well-being, in personal finances, environmentally, politically, and, of course, we engage or disengage spiritually. If you walk into any Catholic church next Sunday and look around, you will discover that some people are highly engaged, others are massively disengaged, and the majority are somewhere in between. Why? What is the difference between highly engaged Catholics and disengaged Catholics? Answering this question is essential to the future of the Catholic Church. If we truly want to engage Catholics and reinvigorate parish life, we must first discover what drives engagement among Catholics. Matthew Kelly explores this question in his groundbreaking new book, and the simplicity of what he discovers will amaze you.

Guardini’s _The Lord_ is a Christ-centered meditation on Jesus Christ as the living “Logos”—not merely an idea, but a Person who can be encountered, addressed, loved, and who draws the human person into communion. It develops the theme that the human person is fulfilled in worship (adoration), which Guardini defines as the “obedience of being”—a humble recognition that we are not self-sufficient or autonomous. Across the book, truth and worship are treated as inseparable: seeking the truth ultimately finds its fulfillment in divine worship, so that faith is not an abstraction but a concrete encounter with Christ. Theologically, the book is significant because it supports a recovery of the primacy of logos over ethos—re-centering theology and Christian life on Christ Himself (the “Word”) so that Christian action flows from, and never replaces, encounter with God.

Justin Brierley is convinced that in our time we are witnessing a growing wave of faith. Famously described as the “long, withdrawing roar” of the “Sea of Faith,” the Christian narrative that shaped the West has been replaced by sweeping secularism. But is that the end of the story? It was a conversation with agnostic journalist Douglas Murray that led Brierley to investigate whether a change was on the horizon. Speaking of the “Sea of Faith,” Murray remarked that tides come back in again and that a number of his intelligent friends had converted to Christianity in recent years. Brierley was seeing a similar trend among the secular thinkers he had interviewed. Jordan Peterson, Tom Holland, Dave Rubin, and many others have found themselves surprised by the continuing resonance and relevance of Christianity, and they are joining in on conversations about faith. Readers will encounter Brierley’s discussion of cultural trends and concepts, including: The meaning crisis Public intellectuals embracing faith Why the Christianity story is ready to return And much more! In The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God, Brierley outlines the dramatic fall of New Atheism and the birth of a new conversation on whether God makes sense of science, history, culture, and the search for meaning. People are returning to Christianity―but is the church prepared to welcome a new wave of faith? There’s a new conversation building. The tide is coming.

While pontiff, Saint John Paul II brought forth an abundance of documents which will continue to be a permanent source of enrichment for the Church and society. This volume of summaries of the Pope's major documents, with questions for study, makes these invaluable writings more accessible to each of us, and emphasizes the aspects of his teachings of most interest and application to the lives of the laity. For personal, small group, or class enrichment, John Fagan' s summaries help expose and illuminate the heart and mind of one of the Church' s greatest figures in history. Page numbers: 226

Theology and Sanity by Sheed, F.J.

Theology for Beginners by Sheed, F.J.

To be a Christian today, to follow Our Lord and accept His call to discipleship, demands heroic courage. It takes deep faith to live the particular - special, unique - vocation that's yours alone. Heaven knows it isn't easy. St. Peter knows it, too. He's well aware that even the most enthusiastic and committed Christian can become frightened and unsure, can make mistakes and betray a loved one, can seek and receive forgiveness, can begin again and - with an even stronger faith - can go on to face life's most difficult challenges. To Whom Shall We Go? presents the words and actions of St. Peter as it clearly shows how his life - his strengths, weaknesses, joys, and sorrows - offers an example for all of us. How it offers hope for each of us.

The Good News of Jesus Christ is known as the kerygma, based on the Greek word kerysso, meaning "to herald" or "to proclaim". It is the core message of Christ that each of the Apostles, the original heralds of the Gospel, proclaimed to the world. It is Christ's answer to his own penetrating question, "What do you seek?" This is why the Catholic Church emphasizes the importance of what it calls the "First Proclamation": the core Gospel of God's love and the person and mission of Jesus Christ, which ideally we surrender ourselves to, so that a more in-depth, systematic presentation of the Faith can take deeper root in our soul. Unfortunately, many Catholics today might know facts about Jesus and the Gospel, but they do not know him and this story of his love in a way that shapes their entire lives. How about you? In What Do You Seek?, Scripture scholar Dr. Edward Sri helps us enter more deeply into the Gospel, to ponder the mysteries of God's love for us and his work of salvation, so that we can be transformed, and join in Christ's work of saving the world.

_Your Life Is Worth Living_ presents Fulton J. Sheen’s reflections meant to awaken confidence that Christ is alive, that the risen Lord is near even in sorrow or failure, and that the meaning of life is found in Him. In this light, Sheen emphasizes that human life reaches fulfillment in the life of the Holy Spirit—rooted in divine charity and expressed through human solidarity, offered as real salvation. The book’s central theme is that every person’s life has objective worth because human beings are God’s handiwork, entrusted to us to be preserved and not treated as something we “own” or dispose of at will. Theologically, it integrates the Church’s gospel of hope—grounded in Christ’s resurrection and the Easter victory—so that the dignity of the human person becomes not only a doctrine, but a lived reason to live, act, and hope in faith.