Best Books to Refer/Give to Win Converts?

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What books do you recommend or give people that you think are most effective at bringing them closer to the Catholic faith, or for starters, back to Christianity/religion in general for the atheists?

Preferably short but powerful! I gave the Screwtape Letters to my roommate to read, and I think it is doing well.

edit: Also, have you found any movies to be effective in this realm?

thanks!
 
That’s a really good question. I have heard of many sources but don’t know which are good for conversion. I like to point people to books because I am not good at explaining religion.

I am in the middle of reading Mere Christianity and the whole time I am thinking of a friend of ours that is agnostic or atheist or just plain angry and thinking he should read it.
 
Also, what about benign books that would not appear as an attempt to convert if suggested or given?

The Lord of the Rings is probably one of these; quietly espousing Catholic principles but in a way that an atheist will not realize at first, so he will continue to read. (although maybe this particular work of literature actually does it a little too quietly)
 
The Surprised By Truth series. These books did it for me. I love personal testimonial stories, and they pushed me further along the path God had started me on. I think Surprised by Truth 2 was the best one.
 
I’d recommend St. Alphonsus de Liguiri’s treaties called, “Uniformity to God’s Will” It’s short, easy to understand and life changing, at least it was for me.

I’m not sure where you can find it in book form but you can find an electronic version of it on the internet. That’s how I was able to read it, just print it out.
 
Danny_OC said:
What books do you recommend or give people that you think are most effective at bringing them closer to the Catholic faith, or for starters, back to Christianity/religion in general for the atheists?

Preferably short but powerful! I gave the Screwtape Letters to my roommate to read, and I think it is doing well.

edit: Also, have you found any movies to be effective in this realm?

thanks!
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What book could possibly be more effective than the Gospel?
 
Danny_OC said:
Perhaps one that is easier to convince someone to read.
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Not everybody is ready to receive the Gospel. If they have to read some book to convince them, then they’re not ready.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, not convincing them through other books.
 
Danny_OC said:
What books do you recommend or give people that you think are most effective at bringing them closer to the Catholic faith, or for starters, back to Christianity/religion in general for the atheists?

Preferably short but powerful! I gave the Screwtape Letters to my roommate to read, and I think it is doing well.

edit: Also, have you found any movies to be effective in this realm?

thanks!
Click to expand...
This may not be the most basic, but I’ll throw out a plug for “Four Witnesses” which tells the story of four Early Church fathers, with extensive quotes from their writings. It reads pretty easy and is a good introduction to how the Church developed from the 1st and 2nd Generation Christians.

Peac
James
 
someotherguy said:
Not everybody is ready to receive the Gospel. If they have to read some book to convince them, then they’re not ready.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, not convincing them through other books.
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God calls many people home in many ways.
Blesse be the many wonderess ways of God

Peace
James
 
JRKH said:
God calls many people home in many ways.
Blesse be the many wonderess ways of God

Peace
James
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I can’t find anything in scripture that suggests that God “calls people home” in any way other than the preaching of the Gospel.
 
someotherguy said:
I can’t find anything in scripture that suggests that God “calls people home” in any way other than the preaching of the Gospel.
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Be patient.
As your faith matures, you will gain the insight and understanding. This will help you see that God works in everything and everwhere, and not just in the pages of this one volume.

Peace
James
 
JRKH said:
Be patient.
As your faith matures, you will gain the insight and understanding. This will help you see that God works in everything and everwhere, and not just in the pages of this one volume.
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First of all, I believe that I’ve shown in my life that my faith has matured.

Second, time does not change the word of God.
 
someotherguy said:
Not everybody is ready to receive the Gospel. If they have to read some book to convince them, then they’re not ready.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, not convincing them through other books.
Click to expand...
Ok… then what is the best way to GET them ready? Indifference? No thanks.
 
someotherguy said:
I can’t find anything in scripture that suggests that God “calls people home” in any way other than the preaching of the Gospel.
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Looks like we have a “sola scriptura” thing going on here.

Praise God that He brought me back to the Church through an entirely bizarre work of fiction called “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” I would never recommend this as a book for anyone to read. It’s all about a Catholic family that defies most of the Church’s teachings. I only offer this as an example of how God works in mysterious ways! It’s too complicated to explain why this book brought me back to God, but it did. After that I went back to reading the Bible and praying.
 
AnotherChance said:
Looks like we have a “sola scriptura” thing going on here.

Praise God that He brought me back to the Church through an entirely bizarre work of fiction called “The Time Traveler’s Wife.”
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Right. “The church” (ie. the Roman Catholic church).

But I’m not talking about the church. I’m talking about the Gospel of salvation.
 
someotherguy said:
Share the Gospel with him.
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So we aren’t allowed to use any other methods? We aren’t allowed to recommend the works of great Christians?

I don’t recall ever reading in the Bible that the Bible is the only book you are allowed to read and recommend to other people, nor do I recall it saying that wisdom (which does not contradict scripture) cannot be found in other places

Stop hijacking my threads.
 
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