A Manual Of Catholic Apologetics

NEVER has the necessity of an intellectual defence of Catholic principles been more imperative and general than in our days, when every department of human knowledge is made to yield weapons for a concerted and systematic attack on the very foundations of supernatural belief. The front of the attack has broadened, for, it is no longer confined to the scientific world, but extends to popular literature. H'ence what was formerly the duty and privilege of the clergy becomes now the universal task of all educated Catholic laymen. Every reflecting Catholic must render to himself an account of the faith that is within him. None but an enlightened faith will be proof against the crafty and villainous onslaught of modern infidelity, which is magnificently equipped for its work of destruction. Ignorance of fundamental principles is the treacherous rock on which faith has frequently been wrecked. Many a man harbours in his heart a secret distrust of his most sacred convictions, because he has never taken the trouble to examine the strong foundation on which they rest. Thus a man owes it to himself to investigate the rational grounds of his faith and to study the motives which have prompted his firm assent to revealed truth. It will give him a peaceful sense of intellectual assurance when he finds that, in adhering to revelation, he does not abdicate reason, but elicits the most sublime act of enlightened reason. The little effort devoted to such studies will be amply rewarded by a deepening of religious convictions and a greater cheerfulness of faith. Particularly is it to be deplored that the clamorous methods of infidels so readily mislead the young, who do not realize the utter worthlessness and shallowness of their plausible objections. There is only one remedy, and that is a thorough knowledge of the intellectual basis of faith. It is most opportune to enable young men to justify their faith to themselves and to make them see that it is the infidel, and not the believer, who stands condemned by reason and common sense. Religious knowledge must keep pace with the general progress of one's education or else a weakening of the faith that seems discredited by the new information will be the inevitable result. From a serious inquiry into the impregnable foundations of divine truth a joyous faith will spring that glories in the consciousness of its strength and falters not in the presence of difficulties brought forth by infidelity and sectarianism. The Catholic Church has a right to expect that her sons be able to vindicate her claims against the arrogance of her enemies. The honour of the Church lies in the hands of her children. They should acquire such knowledge as will make it possible for them to refute the specious arguments of irreverent infidelity and to discover the flaws in the logic of heresy. Every man should make it his duty to come to the defence of the position and claims of his Church and by sound arguments to silence, if not to convince, her adversaries. It is also a duty of the more educated Catholics to come to the rescue of their less favoured brethren and to protect them by judicious instruction against the persistent attempts of unbelievers to undermine their simple faith. Here are lofty aims for our Catholic laymen, a splendid opportunity for the exercise of the lay apostolate.

Excerpt from A Manual of Apologetics The latter, however, reaches out farther. Besides malicious opponents of Christianity there are also (and I believe that they are the larger class) honest inquirers and earnest seekers after the truth. To whom should these look for information and guidance but to the. Educated Catholic layman with whom they come into daily contact through business or social relations? It is a great work of charity to remove the obstacles that beset the path of inquiry and to lead the seeking brother to the threshold of the saving fold. In our days, when religious matters are a frequent topic of discussion, the Catholic man unacquainted with the arguments that prove the divine character and eminent reasonableness of his faith is a sad and pathetic figure. Truly, apologetical knowledge is an imperative need. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Every Christian needs to know the reasons for their faith. In this classic work, F.J. Koch covers all of those reasons. Learn how we can know that God exists, the nature of God, God creation and how to handle objections against it, how we can know that God has revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ and how to know that the documents of the New Testament are historically reliable.

Recent popes have challenged all Catholics to participate in the New Evangelization. But most Catholics feel ill-equipped to take up the challenge. Terry Barber, founder of St. Joseph Communications, has written a practical guide that takes much of the pain and uncertainty out of sharing one's faith. Based on Barber's decades of personal experience as an effective evangelist and masterful communicator, and drawing on the perceptions, examples, and lessons of other great evangelists and apologists, How to Share Your Faith with Anyone informs, entertains, and inspires would-be, as well as, seasoned evangelists and teachers. Barber uses clear examples and insightful stories to explain such topics as: What evangelization isWhy Catholics often don't evangelizePreparing to be an evangelistThe eight laws of effectively sharing the faith with anyoneJesus the perfect EvangelizerThe heart of evangelizationHow to share your personal testimony Barber explains how to bring people to Christ and to his Church without compromise or conflict. This is a superb, easy-to-follow playbook for the New Evangelization.