Atheists attack Catholics from all different angles, so here are some other recommended books for defense of the Faith (I would provide a different reading list for defending the Catholic Faith against other religions. There is some crossover (anti-Catholic Protestants and Atheists like to use some, but not all, of the same arguments)):
Not specifically Catholic (but not anti-Catholic), Dinesh D-Souza’s “What’s So Great About Christianity” - good 1 volume work defending against Common atheist tropes.
“College Apologetics: Proof of the Truth of the Catholic Faith” by Fr. Anthony F. Alexander - originally written in 1954 to help college students to defend against ignorant attacks, great for anyone. Out of print, but you can find used copies very inexpensively on Amazon. You realize how long a lot of the “New Atheist” arguments have been around when you read older Apologetics works.
“Greater Than You Think” by Fr. Thomas D. Williams - Very easy to read, specifically refutes most of the claims of the new atheists, including Hitchens.
“Beyond Reasonable Doubt” by Fr. G.H. Duggan - another very good, very readable overview of apologetics subjects. Chapters cover the history of apologetics, the immortality of the human soul, the existence of God, the historicity of the New Testament, the witness of Jesus regarding himself, the Resurrection of Jesus, the Church, and the Primacy of the Pope.
“The Irrational Atheist” by Vox Day - Day is an Evangelical libertarian author and videogame designer. Not written from a Catholic perspective (although he tends to be respectful of Catholics and not misrepresent their history or doctrine), but if you like take-no-prisoner, no-holds-barred assaults on the New Atheist writers, this very well-researched book may be your Guilty Pleasure.
“7 Lies About Catholic History” by Diane Moczar - short, very readable defense of Church history on issues such as the Crusade, the Inquisition, the Middle Ages, Galileo, etc.
“The Devil’s Delusion” by David Berlinski. Berlinksi, who describes himself as a secular Jew, is enormously intelligent and also has a take-no-prisoners attitude to the New Atheists. He is the only debater whom I ever saw make Christopher Hitchens so mad he was near apoplectic. Very good at pointing out the excesses of multiverse theory, the moral vacuum of atheism, etc.
“The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Bible” by Robert J. Hutchinson - not specifically Catholic, but respectful of Catholic beliefs and a good and enjoyable guide to defend against secular attacks on the Bible.
“Radio Replies” Vol 1 through 3 by Frs. Rumble and Carty - The good fathers ran a pre-Vatican II call-in radio show in Australia for decades defending the Church against all comers. These 3 thick volumes, sorted by subject and well-indexed, clearly provide explanations for a host of arguments raised. You can find these volumes inexpensively on Amazon, and they are also available on-line at
radioreplies.info/, which is very handy for the search feature.
“Why Catholics Are Right” by Michael Koren - Despite a somewhat triumphalist title, a good explanation of social and liturgical issues that are often used to attack the church - the ordination of women, celibacy, the abuse scandal, historical issues, etc.
“Answering the New Atheism: Dismantling Dawkin’s Case Against God” by Scott Hahn and Benjamin Wiker - A very good Catholic dismantling of Richard Dawkins, the source of arguments for most young “New Atheists.”
“New Proofs for the Existence of God: Contributions of Contemporary Physics and Philosophy” by Fr. Robertt J. Spitzer - a new and very good argument on cosmological arguments scientific issues
“How the Church Built Western Civilization” by Thomas E. Wood, Jr. - essential not only for disproving attacks on the Church for its supposed historical misdeeds, but also for showing the majesty of its achievements in science, education, art, law, etc.
