Can Anyone Recommend some good books I can share with questioning, Protestant friend?

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By the way… one good thing is also to see… what kind of person is she?.. what is her faith back ground, her knowlege of the Bible and of religious argumentation as it is…
You need to meet people where they are and give them something that would interest them to read.
One example from my own life. After I became a Catholic and some time had passed I became aquinted with the Pentecostal church in all its splendor and fell madly in love with it. God had to shake me back to His Will for me by sending me an audio program by Alex Jones on the internet. Alex Jones was a former Pentecostal minister and someone to whose preaching I could say AMEN!
God hit the target with me brilliantly… 🙂

By the way… I think its great how the Lord has placed you right there where you are precisely for this task 👍
 
GraceDK said:
By the way… one good thing is also to see… what kind of person is she?.. what is her faith back ground, her knowlege of the Bible and of religious argumentation as it is…
You need to meet people where they are and give them something that would interest them to read.
One example from my own life. After I became a Catholic and some time had passed I became aquinted with the Pentecostal church in all its splendor and fell madly in love with it. God had to shake me back to His Will for me by sending me an audio program by Alex Jones on the internet. Alex Jones was a former Pentecostal minister and someone to whose preaching I could say AMEN!
God hit the target with me brilliantly… 🙂

By the way… I think its great how the Lord has placed you right there where you are precisely for this task 👍
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All good thoughts being expressed here… hmmm. I am fascinated with your story Grace - it sounds like charismatic expressions of the faith really “get you.” I guess I have to have confidence God will meet us where we’re at. In regards to my coworker’s background, she is very intellectual and knowledgeable about reformed Protestant Christianity (Calvinism etc), and has had little exposure to Catholicism. So it’s an odd mix of complete lack of knowledge with lots of knowledge. While I am tempted to hit her with the heavy stuff, I generally am a “heavy” person and so far, my in-depth explanations haven’t been as helpful as I’d hoped. So it’s possible she really does need the lighter basics before entering into these other conversations. I will keep Shea close at hand though, as I recall REALLY liking his writing style. I will say, this is fun for me (if a bit stressful :)) because her questions are genuine and respectful. I am thinking of pitching an idea to my boss too - on writing a series of articles explaining some basics of the faith for our evangelical audience, since such issues keep arising. I’ve already written one article on the Pope that was well-received, so maybe it’s time to step out of my comfort zone and tackle some other topics.
 
zaramarie81 said:
In regards to my coworker’s background, she is very intellectual and knowledgeable about reformed Protestant Christianity (Calvinism etc), and has had little exposure to Catholicism. So it’s an odd mix of complete lack of knowledge with lots of knowledge.

I will say, this is fun for me (if a bit stressful :)) because her questions are genuine and respectful.
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So, what you’re saying is that hitting her upside the head with a 1000 page catechism isn’t a good idea?😃 I’m kidding. This should make for good conversation once she gets an idea of the Church. I am glad that her questions are genuine and not snarky. At least you can have a productive talk over some issues. 👍
 
zaramarie81 said:
All good thoughts being expressed here… hmmm. I am fascinated with your story Grace - it sounds like charismatic expressions of the faith really “get you.” I guess I have to have confidence God will meet us where we’re at. In regards to my coworker’s background, she is very intellectual and knowledgeable about reformed Protestant Christianity (Calvinism etc), and has had little exposure to Catholicism. So it’s an odd mix of complete lack of knowledge with lots of knowledge. While I am tempted to hit her with the heavy stuff, I generally am a “heavy” person and so far, my in-depth explanations haven’t been as helpful as I’d hoped. So it’s possible she really does need the lighter basics before entering into these other conversations. I will keep Shea close at hand though, as I recall REALLY liking his writing style. I will say, this is fun for me (if a bit stressful :)) because her questions are genuine and respectful. I am thinking of pitching an idea to my boss too - on writing a series of articles explaining some basics of the faith for our evangelical audience, since such issues keep arising. I’ve already written one article on the Pope that was well-received, so maybe it’s time to step out of my comfort zone and tackle some other topics.
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Dear Zaramarie.
You are right… “charismatic expressions of the faith” do get me. I would rather call them confimations of the Gospel that we preach. This is what Our Lord called the signs and wonders. he said they would follow those who believe, precisely as a confirmation. You know the New Testament I am sure.
These “expressions” get me because they were closely linked with the ministry of Jesus. Eg. We hear that Jesus healed everyone… This is the way He chose.
It was not only a command that we, the church, preach the Gospel but also that we would practice these “expressions”. This is what He chose to do, and we were to imitate Him. Its my experience too that we need the confirmations no less than they needed them back then 2000 years ago. Wherever I see signs and wonders today, like healing, prophesy, tongues and other things, whether among Catholics or Protestants, I see a Church that is thriving and stands in awe, a Church that is growing and that does not become stagnant in rationalism and scepticism.

I warmly recommend the books by David du Plessis, a pentecostal ‘apostle’. A true brother of Catholics, he still has a powerful message to us today…

Sorry… I guess this is off topic…
 
Before offering her the Catechism, which can be cumbersome and intimidating to read straight thru, what about “Catholic Christianity” by Peter Kreeft. I thought it was an amazing book, and it was instrumental to my conversion.

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EmBee said:
Before offering her the Catechism, which can be cumbersome and intimidating to read straight thru, what about “Catholic Christianity” by Peter Kreeft. I thought it was an amazing book, and it was instrumental to my conversion.

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Oh!!! Yes, I really like Peter Kreeft! Here’s the deal - one reason I started this thread was because I “read my way” into Catholicism (thanks to my dad giving me stacks and stacks of books for Christmas!). Thing is, it’s now been almost a decade since those early days of picking up books and firing off questions, and most of my reading is for someone who has been Catholic for a while and wants to dig deep now. So, I know there are some fantastic books out there but… since my library has been in storage, I can’t even begin to remember which books my dad was handing to me (doesn’t help that there were so many!). That was one of them. Thank you!!
 
zaramarie81 said:
Hi y’all -

I work for a Christian media company, and lately we’ve been encountering some pretty intense anti-Catholic material. All of my coworkers are Protestant Christians. Naturally, the content we’ve been encountering has raised a lot of questions, and one coworker said she’d like me to find some books or resources that will help her learn what Catholics believe. Any suggestions?

She is a smart, devout young lady who comes from a Presbyterian background. Some of her questions have been:

What did the early church look like, and when did the Catholic heirarchy come about?

What happens at Mass? Are you crucifying Christ over and over again?

What is the rosary? What are your beliefs on Mary?

My goal is really to inform, not necessary to persuade (if that makes sense!).
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Hi, zaramarie:

If you’re still following this thread, I am a former Presbyterian who became a Catholic nearly 10 years ago. I read many of the books that have been suggested; however, the one that I consider the best, and that helped me to ‘turn the corner’ was “Catholic and Christian” by Alan Schreck.

This book addresses many of the common misconceptions held by protestants regarding the Catholic faith in an informative and non-threatening way, and was a good place to get ‘grounded’ before beginning more in-depth studies.

Personally, back then as a Presbyterian, I would have been very reluctant and skeptical about jumping right into the Catechism. (Now, of course, I am continually being impressed by what a gift it actually is.)

While “Catholic and Christian” might not totally convince your protestant friend(s) about the Truth of your Catholic Faith, it will *at least *show them that Catholic doctrines are as justifiable (if not more so) than protestant beliefs. Perhaps that will be good enough as a start.

rocketrob
 
rocketrob said:
Hi, zaramarie:

If you’re still following this thread, I am a former Presbyterian who became a Catholic nearly 10 years ago. I read many of the books that have been suggested; however, the one that I consider the best, and that helped me to ‘turn the corner’ was “Catholic and Christian” by Alan Schreck.

This book addresses many of the common misconceptions held by protestants regarding the Catholic faith in an informative and non-threatening way, and was a good place to get ‘grounded’ before beginning more in-depth studies.

Personally, back then as a Presbyterian, I would have been very reluctant and skeptical about jumping right into the Catechism. (Now, of course, I am continually being impressed by what a gift it actually is.)

While “Catholic and Christian” might not totally convince your protestant friend(s) about the Truth of your Catholic Faith, it will *at least *show them that Catholic doctrines are as justifiable (if not more so) than protestant beliefs. Perhaps that will be good enough as a start.

rocketrob
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Thanks! I will definitely add this to my list of future recommendations. Non-threatening but informative and truthful are great qualities in a book when approaching situations like this!
 
Prove It! Church By Amy Welbourne

Written for teens, quick read…
 
Scott Hahn is good 🙂

…btw… I hear you, it must be difficult working in a Protestant environment being the only Catholic… I have lots of Protestant friends and sometimes we do get into some rather interesting discussions 😉

God bless!
 
It really depends on your friend’s faith. But here are more good sources that worked on my reversion. The didache for example, Ignatius of Antioch, Iraneus, Clement of Rome, Justin Martyr, Oregen, Polycarp, etc. The learning bible helps to tie all of it together. Read you bible and Catechism. www.usccb.org If it’s rapture then “The Rapture Trap” is a good site. But you can find most of the arguemnts here on Catholic Answers, New Advent, EWTN, and some others. A lot of these new books are repackaged experiences from earlier renditions. Scott and Kimberly Hahn were devout Presbyterians. He was a Minister. Bruce Sullivan is good for Church of Christ. Pentecostal or Assembly of God would be Tim Staples, Mark Shea is another good convert. I like to approach people of other faiths from the perspective of people that never knew Catholicism, were active in their own faiths, were obviously knowledgeable in that faith and discovered the truth in the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

This is where I started…actually it was the bible. Where did we get the bible and why only those documents.
earlychristianwritings.com/churchfathers.html

Good luck!
 
The book, Why Do Catholics Do That? is a good one. My non-catholic husband is reading it right now.
 
Do recommend Catholicism for Dummies (yellow cover)!

Do not, under any circumstances, recommend Catholicism for Complete Idiots (orange cover). It should be called Catholicism ACCORDING TO Complete Idiots.

I know, I know, harsh. But it doesn’t faithfully represent the faith, it caused me scandal when I was a young Catholic and it makes me very angry that it ever went into a second edition. Just as bad, or perhaps worse is Lives of the Saints for Complete Idiots.
 
zaramarie81 said:
I am a bit torn because she is VERY smart and well-schooled. She went to Grove City College, etc.
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Grove City College caught my eye. I went and checked and sure enough, Scott and Kimberly Hahn went there. That is were they got their BA’s. So, maybe recommending them would not be such a bad thing after all.

I have started reading a book that may be just what you are looking for on the mass. It is Catholic for a Reason III Scripture and the Mystery of the Mass. amazon.com/Catholic-Reason-III-Scripture-Mystery/dp/1931018189/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234134490&sr=1-1
It has 11 different Catholic writers writing about the mass.

I, personally, love to read. I did not read myself into the church. That came later. I converted 14 years ago this Easter vigil. It has only been in the last couple of years that I have gotten interested in apologetics and why. So, I will give you my Catholic convert best loved books that I reference when dealing with friends and not so friendly people about the faith. First, don’t forget to direct questions to the Catholic.com website or ScriptureCatholic.com. They are both good resources. I especially like Scripture Catholics listing of scripture passages from the Septuagint in the New Testament.

Catholicism and Fundamentalism ( big book, but good for getting info for giving to others)

Rome Sweet Home by Scott & Kimberly Hahn ( Kimberly doesn’t hold her punches about her anti-Catholicism. It is a good jumping off point AND they went to the same college as your co-worker)

Surprised By Truth (there are 3 different ones of these. So, find the one that has people from the same faith background as your friend. I think I or II would be best.)

The Story of the Mass From the Last Supper to the Present Day By. Pierre Loret ( I found this at a parish book sale. This is a small book, 137pp. This might be the one to find for her on how the mass was in the beginning. It uses the Bible passages and apostolic writings to tell about the beginning. Then it gives writings of the early church fathers to tell how it was for them, etc.

A Biblical Defense of Catholicism by Dave Armstrong ( I have referenced this book many times.)
 
Monica4316 said:
Scott Hahn is good 🙂

…btw… I hear you, it must be difficult working in a Protestant environment being the only Catholic… I have lots of Protestant friends and sometimes we do get into some rather interesting discussions 😉

God bless!
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Hi Monica 👋 – I’d always recommend Scott Hahn to anyone. He has such a down to Earth approach in all his books. Another book I just saw in Barnes and Nobel within the past few days (although I haven’t gotten a copy yet) is Chicken Soup for a Catholic’s Soul. The Chicken Soup books are all good in their own way, but this one should be a good way to introduce the Catholic Church to someone in an warm and easy approach.

Kathy
 
Rocky8311 said:
Do recommend Catholicism for Dummies (yellow cover)!

Do not, under any circumstances, recommend Catholicism for Complete Idiots (orange cover). It should be called Catholicism ACCORDING TO Complete Idiots.
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I need to qualify my earlier statement. I heard a Catholic speaker mention offhand once that he tries to never recommend or gift books that he hasn’t read himself. I’ve been guilty of gifting books without knowing what was in them in the past and I don’t think they made effective gifts.

So I feel the need to say I haven’t fully read “Catholicism for Dummies” (the yellow book). I’ve HEARD that it is good, I liked what I saw in it as a reference book when I skimmed it, and I liked that it had a Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur unlike the orange book (which was awful). So the yellow book might be a good one to buy and then loan to the friend.

But having read the orange book from cover to cover, I warn against it knowing what I’ve read. I now return you to your regularly scheduled thread.
 
Some that were key in my conversion:

Catholicism and Fundamentalism by Karl Keating
“The Bible Alone?” cassette series by Scott Hahn
The Salvation Controversy by Jim Akin
Early Church Writings (Penguin Classics version is dirt cheap - or they’re all online for free)
 
Monica4316 said:
Scott Hahn is good 🙂

…btw… I hear you, it must be difficult working in a Protestant environment being the only Catholic… I have lots of Protestant friends and sometimes we do get into some rather interesting discussions 😉

God bless!
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Jesus of Nazareth by the pope, or almost anything by him. He does not write in cliches.
 
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