Apologetics

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 He's Catholic, but he sees the Church as unsteady, outdated, obsessive.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.

Why were the early Christians willing to die to protect a single iota of the creed? Why have the Judeans, Romans, and Persiansamong othersseen the Christian creed as a threat to the established social order? In The Creed: Professing the Faith Through the Ages, bestselling author Dr. Scott Hahn recovers and conveys the creed's revolutionary character. Tracing the development of the first formulations of faith in the early Church through later ecumenical councils, The Creed tells the story of how the very profession of our belief in Christ fashions us for heavenly life as we live out our earthly days.

Stephen K. Ray was raised in a devout, loving Baptist family. His father was a deacon and led Bible studies. Steve himself was very involved in the Baptist Church as a teacher of Biblical studies, and he lectured on a wide range of topics. When a best friend, an Evangelical pastor, converted to the Catholic Church, Steve and his wife Janet decided to investigate the claims of the Catholic Church, taking a thrilling journey back in time that would eventually change their lives forever. After hundreds of hours studying the Bible and the writings of the early Church, they were convinced that the Roman Catholic Church was the Church founded by Christ, and they were received into the Church on Pentecost Sunday in 1994. In this book, with no rancor toward his Evangelical roots, Ray shares with the reader their exhilarating discoveries. He traces their initial hostility toward the Catholic Church, their passionate research and the discovery of the historical Church, quietly waiting to be rediscovered. He convincingly lays out the issues that carried them over the "uncrossable chasm" into the Catholic Church. Thoroughly documented with over 400 footnotes, Crossing the Tiber contains an extensive compilation of biblical and patristic quotations and commentary on the issues of Baptism and the Eucharist, as well as a thorough analysis of Sola Scriptura and Tradition. Ray takes you back to the first four centuries of the Church to discover the early Church - was it like today's Protestantism in theology and practice, or was it Catholic? Discover the unbiblical and unhistorical nature of the "Bible-only" argument. Discover the uniform consistency of the Catholic teaching on Baptism and the Eucharistfrom Scriptures and the Church Fathers.

A storm has been brewing in society and its treatment, views, and activities toward the Catholic Faith.

Some are subtle, others are more brazen -- New Age thought, questionable spirituality, "creedless" Christianity, relativism, scientific skepticism, the triumph of technology, and even the self-styled spirituality of Oprah Winfrey.

All these masquerade as "truth," making it tough for the average Catholic to know how to resist, let alone respond.

No one is more qualified to pull back the curtain on the challenges the Catholic Church faces today than Al Kresta, popular Catholic author, speaker, and radio show host. A revert to Catholicism, Kresta is well known for his rigorous examination of topics in art, religion, academia, and business.

Dangers to the Faith: Recognizing Catholicism's 21st Century Opponents is the perfect springboard for discussing the new world in which the Catholic Church exists today. Learn how to better carry out the missionary mandate of the Church. The question isn't whether you will be a witness to Christ, but whether you will be an effective witness.

Major feature films such The Passion of the Christ and Risen, and books such as Bill O'Reilly's Killing Jesus raise many questions about one of the greatest controversies in history--what really happened to the crucified body of Jesus of Nazareth.

Using a popular question-and-answer format, this book examines the historical evidence concerning the fate of Jesus. Did Jesus really die on the cross? If so, what became of his body? Was it stolen? Misplaced? Is the resurrection a cleverly devised plot to found a new religion? Did the disciples of Jesus hallucinate? Is the Resurrection of Jesus a myth developed decades later, after the original disciples' experience of Jesus was distorted by a subsequent generation? Or did Jesus rise from the dead, as he promised and as his disciples came to believe and sacrifice their lives to proclaim?

Carl Olson carefully weighs the evidence with in-depth analysis. Whether you are a believer, a skeptic, or something in between, be prepared to have your thinking challenged by this provocative and insightful book.

Where Will You Spend Eternity? The drama of salvation involves every man, woman, and child on earth. In this life, all of us are suspended between heaven and hell. Few people understand what Jesus did or how it affects us. Worse yet, there are endless squabbles between Christians of different persuasions, leading to confusion on a massive scale. In this book, Jimmy Akin uses his expertise in Scripture and Church teaching to cut through the confusion and provide clear answers on important issues like: What we need to do to be saved Whether salvation is a one-time event or a process Whether penance is part of God's plan What indulgences are How faith and works relate What the Church teaches about justification How far apart Protestants and Catholics are on this question Whether you have to be a Catholic (or a Christian) to be saved No other book takes on these questions with the clarity and precision that Akin brings to them and the answer will affect you and those you love . . . forever.

Socrates once said that a good person does not worry much about the little things, like whether he lives or dies, but only about the one big thing: whether he is a good person or a bad one.

In Ethics for Beginners, celebrated philosopher Peter Kreeft reclaims the importance of ethical study in answering life's big questions: What is the meaning of life? How should I live? How should I treat other people? Unlike many modern texts on the subject, this one asserts that ethics is real, that good and evil are knowable, and that we can learn to act well and so become better and happier people.

Surveying the "big ideas" of the thirty-two most important ethical philosophers, Ethics for Beginners is an apprenticeship to the greatest minds in history. With expert analysis and reflection from Kreeft, it offers a challenging and unforgettable treatment that is suitable for classroom and individual use alike.

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.

Hahn explores the "covenant love" God reveals to us through the Scriptures and explains how God patiently reaches out to us--despite our faults and shortcomings--to restore us into relationship with his divine family. Join Hahn as he follows the high adventure of God's plan for the ages, beginning with Adam and Eve and continuing down through the generations to the coming of Christ and the birth of the Church. You'll discover how the patient love of the Father revealed in the Bible is the same persistent love he has for you. A Servant Book.

The audio edition of this book can be downloaded via Audible.

The book created to address the countless questions asked over the years! There are hosts of books and resources on the Flood and Noah's ark in the creation movement. But there has been a glaring problem in this area for 50 years. There isn't one basic laymen book on the Flood and ark to give answers to those questions asked all the time. Most books are too shallow, too specific, or too technical for the average Christian to read or get much from. Most people in pews could use a book like this to give them the basic answers they need about the Flood and the ark, then they will be prepared to go into further technical books or specific books from there.

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:

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.

With over one hundred books to his name, Peter Kreeft is the most prolific Catholic author of his generation. He's also one of the most loved, having influenced countless Catholics in the U.S. and beyond. But who, exactly, is the man behind the books? In this new autobiography, Kreeft finally tells readers his own story, including the encounters, people, and ideas that led him to the Catholic Church as a young man.

With his signature insight and sharp wit, Kreeft takes readers through his childhood in midcentury New Jersey, where his family attended a Dutch Reformed church and anti-Catholicism was a given, to his undergraduate years at Calvin College, where he studied philosophy and found himself on the road to Rome. From there, we follow him to Fordham and Yale, where he finally crossed the Tiber in 1960--with his future wife, Maria, as godmother. Finally, he reflects on his post conversion years, distilling the central insights from a long and fruitful life in the Catholic Church.

Replete with delightful anecdotes and bearing the stamp of Kreeft's wry sense of humor, this autobiography is a human look at one of the great Catholic apologists of our time: a philosopher, a man of letters, and above all, of man of faith.

God's love is the subject of Peter Kreeft's imaginative and thoughtful book (a revised and updated version of his book Knowing the Truth of God's Love). With unusual clarity, Kreeft points out that the man or woman who begins to glimpse the God who is Creator, Redeemer, and Lover of our souls, will never be the same. He describes Scripture as God's love story and then tells why divine love is the answer to our deepest problems and the fulfillment of our deepest desires.

Posing the hard questions about love that rankle the heart, Peter Kreeft never settles for easy answers. He exposes today's superficial attitudes about love to lead people to a deeper understanding of what it means to be loved by God, addressing these issues and many more.

"It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo," says Samwise Gamgee. "Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going, because they were holding on to something. That there is some good in this world, and it's worth fighting for."

Many have likened the past few years to a dystopian novel or a thriller movie due to unprecedented oppression, violence, loss of rights, and weaponization of science and technology at the hands of powerful people with dark intentions. It's coming into ever-clearer focus that the unified, global pandemic response -- the forced lockdowns, vaccine and mask mandates, fear-filled media coverage, and restrictions on public worship -- stripped citizens of their civil liberties and transformed our society.

Leaving no stone unturned, award-winning film producer and human rights activist Jason Jones incisively lays out a full-scale campaign against this "Great Reset" to help equip you with the armor to protect and defend yourself, your loved ones, and all those vulnerable to the antihuman designs of global elites who have demonstrated a propensity for trampling basic human rights to achieve their one-world vision. Jones exposes the stealth tactics of the Great Reset leaders and reveals what they really mean by their "build back better" and "you'll own nothing and like it" slogans. Reflecting on historical precedents dating back to biblical times, Jones sounds a red alert and offers a plan for pushing back against the political, Church, and corporate apostasy still unfolding around us.

The incessant fear-mongering and propagandizing by the radical reformers, Jones explains, is undermining the health of the nation and robbing young people of their ability to reason and experience authentic love. But we can reverse course, he argues, and the time to do so is now.

In this prescient work, you will find examples of people -- past and present -- who heroically model ways to overcome the mightiest walls of resistance. You will learn:

The five "ideologies of evil" that constitute a genuine pandemic (You will be shocked!)

Three forgotten aspects of piety that need restoration

How Victimism is used to gain wealth, power and totalitarian control of the entire planet

The secret to living the gospel and avoiding cooperating with evil

Practical ways to strengthen families and communities through subsidiarity

Why the right to private property is essential to preserving human dignity

Through the lens of the Gospels and classical thinking, Jones challenges readers to reclaim reverence for life and prescribes the "emergency medicine" we need to apply to revive and renew our Church, our nation, and our world.