Classical Apologetic Works

[Madaglan]

Recently I’ve purchased the pamphlets of St. Francis de Sales, collected together into the work, The Catholic Controversy. It is a great read, and, to tell you the truth, I find it more helpful than many modern Catholic apologetic works. Does anyone know of some other classical apologetic works, especially from the 16th and 17th century, when religious controversy was still intense between Catholics and Protestants?

 

[Fidelis]

I don’t know of any others *that * old, but a couple of older one’s that are powerful are “Faith Of Our Fathers” written by Cardinal Gibbon late in the 1800’s and the three volume “Radio Replies” written by Frs. Rumble and Carty in the early 1900’s. No holds barred stuff, I guarentee it.

 

[John_Russell_Jr]

I have a 3 book package- the faith of the early fathers. Very good for proving that Catholics have the same faith as the first Christians.
Also there is " The Faith Explained" by Leo Trese. Very good at explaining the faith in laymans terms, and showing how reasonable it is. And how it all gels together with no contradictions etc. It’s useful to give to people who are fairly intelligent, as a work of apostolate.
I think books on apologetics by 16th and 17th century writers would not be any better than modern orthodox apologists. And you will get the answers you need from the latter , to deal with todays heresies etc.

 

[Contarini]

John Eck’s Enchridion (one of the earliest systematic refutations of Protestantism) exists in a (rather bad) translation by Ford Lewis Battles, but it’s hard to get a hold of. And it isn’t very good, in my opinion–Eck was not the most profound Catholic theologian of the 16th century by long shot. It’s interesting in that it tries to grapple with Protestant interpretations of Scripture, but I don’t find it very convincing.

Cardinal Bellarmine’s Controversies are excellent reading IMHO, though I’ve only read bits of them. (They are extremely thorough and thus extremely lengthy.) However, I don’t know if they exist in English translation, so if you don’t read Latin . . . .

In Christ,

Edwin

 

[Carl]

G.K. Chesterton’s 1925 classic The Everlasting Man is surely the classic apologetic volume of the 20th century. It helped swing C.S. Lewis into the Christian fold (no mean accomplishment, since if anyone could have beaten off Chesterton’s influence it would have been Lewis.

This book is not apologetics in the usual sense. It is less an arsenal of arguments to use against Protestants but more so a mighty array of answers to atheists, secularists and people of religion outside the Christian fold.

 

[puzzleannie]

I have checked out some of the 16th & 17th c stuff in seminary libraries, but I confess I find it nearly unreadable. I had to get a modern translation of St Francis de Sales. guess I am getting old, at your age I could do this stuff. This Rock entire new issue devoted to book reviews, with recommendations from all our favorite apologists on 5 most important books for apologists, each list is different, very interesting.

 

[Maccabees]

Contarini:

John Eck’s Enchridion (one of the earliest systematic refutations of Protestantism) exists in a (rather bad) translation by Ford Lewis Battles, but it’s hard to get a hold of. And it isn’t very good, in my opinion–Eck was not the most profound Catholic theologian of the 16th century by long shot. It’s interesting in that it tries to grapple with Protestant interpretations of Scripture, but I don’t find it very convincing.

Cardinal Bellarmine’s Controversies are excellent reading IMHO, though I’ve only read bits of them. (They are extremely thorough and thus extremely lengthy.) However, I don’t know if they exist in English translation, so if you don’t read Latin . . . .

In Christ,

Edwin

The medioce Eck battled the very charismatic Luther. No wonder there was a reformation with apologist like these you don’t need protestors. If St. Francis de Sales battled Luther who knows if protestantism would have broken out as birg as it did under Luther. If the best the midevil church could do was Eck it gives you a hint of how shallow the church was in its theologians of that day. Fortunately guys like Ignaitus of Loyola nd St. Francis de Sales were coming soon down the pipeline. THese men saved the church from a protestant takeover.

 

[Chesster]

You might want to check out works by Jacques-Benigne Bossuet, particularly, History of the Variations of the Protestant Churches, that was a good read but was difficult to plow through in some parts.

I’m not sure who else from the 16th and 17th century you could look for. St. Bellarmine’s Controversies was never translated into English but I hear that it was good. Of course in the 18th century you’ve got St. Alphonsus Liguori who wrote The History of Heresies and Their Refutation and Dogmatic Work (which was an exposition & defense of the Council of Trent), both of which are very good.