Resources (esp online) to help a (Turkish) Muslim to understand Catholic Christianity

[The_Reginator]

Hello, for the first time since I stopped following CAF sometime in 2020.

I have a Muslim coworker who cannot speak English that is expressing some interest in learning about Christianity.
As of Ash Wednesday I have been wearing my crucifix outside of my shirt. He admires it greatly and has been asking questions, and has been trying to understand concepts such as the Holy Trinity. All this through his translation app on his phone, since he only speaks Turkish.

Early on he asked me for some resources, online, that he could read to help him through his quest.
I have done a few quick searches on the Internet but I come up with sites trying to explain Islam to Christians.

Does anyone know of a website, or even a book in Turkish, that provides a somewhat simple overview of orthodox Catholic teachings for him?
He is heading back to Turkey in about a month and a half. At least I have him as a "friend" on Facebook and can message him that way.

(As I mentioned before, although he only speaks Turkish, with a small smattering of English, he communicates with a translation app on his phone.)

Thanks in advance for help anyone can provide.

Dominus vobiscum, Reg

 

[po18guy]

Very good to hear from you! We have been limping along here, waiting for the tide to come in. As to Turkey, Christianity is under fairly serious persecution, with some executions having occurred. Is he coming back? If so, I think it more prudent to wait until he returns, as he could read and study in a safer environment. There are archdioceses in Turkey, but it is unknown how much, if any, evangelization they can perform.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

Hello, for the first time since I stopped following CAF sometime in 2020.

I have a Muslim coworker who cannot speak English that is expressing some interest in learning about Christianity.
As of Ash Wednesday I have been wearing my crucifix outside of my shirt. He admires it greatly and has been asking questions, and has been trying to understand concepts such as the Holy Trinity. All this through his translation app on his phone, since he only speaks Turkish.

Early on he asked me for some resources, online, that he could read to help him through his quest.
I have done a few quick searches on the Internet but I come up with sites trying to explain Islam to Christians.

Does anyone know of a website, or even a book in Turkish, that provides a somewhat simple overview of orthodox Catholic teachings for him?
He is heading back to Turkey in about a month and a half. At least I have him as a "friend" on Facebook and can message him that way.

(As I mentioned before, although he only speaks Turkish, with a small smattering of English, he communicates with a translation app on his phone.)

Thanks in advance for help anyone can provide.

Dominus vobiscum, Reg

You might try this. Resources for Turkish Catholics seem to be few and far between:

https://www.bibleinmylanguage.com/i...-language-inaniyorum-kucuk-katolik-katekizmi/

I also found this, and was able to recognize "kitap" (with that funny thing they do with the letter "I", it takes two forms, one with a dot and one without, they're two separate letters), as being "book" or "writing", I guess they get that from the Arabic root k-t-b (yes, I know, Turks are not Arabs). I've even had to wonder if the last name of Egyptian-American TV personality Hoda Kotb (pronounced "cot-bee") comes from the same root. The amount of Turkish or Arabic I know could fit into a little thimble.

https://www.bibleinmylanguage.com/k...lps-tevrat-zebur-injil-kitab-mukaddes-irketi/

 

[The_Reginator]

Very good to hear from you! We have been limping along here, waiting for the tide to come in. As to Turkey, Christianity is under fairly serious persecution, with some executions having occurred. Is he coming back? If so, I think it more prudent to wait until he returns, as he could read and study in a safer environment. There are archdioceses in Turkey, but it is unknown how much, if any, evangelization they can perform.

Hey there po18guy! I haven't seen that username in many a year!
I'm afraid that this young man is very homesick and can't wait to get back, even though it will mean a few months of military service (which he hates). Shortly after I met him (a few months back) he already was telling me that the people he knows are interested in what the real beliefs are.

 

[The_Reginator]

You might try this. Resources for Turkish Catholics seem to be few and far between:

https://www.bibleinmylanguage.com/i...-language-inaniyorum-kucuk-katolik-katekizmi/

I also found this, and was able to recognize "kitap" (with that funny thing they do with the letter "I", it takes two forms, one with a dot and one without, they're two separate letters), as being "book" or "writing", I guess they get that from the Arabic root k-t-b (yes, I know, Turks are not Arabs). I've even had to wonder if the last name of Egyptian-American TV personality Hoda Kotb (pronounced "cot-bee") comes from the same root. The amount of Turkish or Arabic I know could fit into a little thimble.

https://www.bibleinmylanguage.com/k...lps-tevrat-zebur-injil-kitab-mukaddes-irketi/

Thanks for that HomeschoolDad! Judging by what po18guy has said about the hostile situation in Turkey I think it may be best for him to avoid hard copies. But I can show him these products and he can decide for himself.

 

[po18guy]

The threat seems to emanate from within the young, radicalized male population in Turkey. The Ataturk days are long gone it seems.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

Thanks for that HomeschoolDad! Judging by what po18guy has said about the hostile situation in Turkey I think it may be best for him to avoid hard copies. But I can show him these products and he can decide for himself.

I hate to think of directing him to a Church other than the Catholic Church, but I wonder if he would have any easier time of it, obtaining Orthodox Christian resources. At least he could get a Turkish Bible published under Orthodox auspices (assuming there is such a thing), if nothing else. Commentaries from the Fathers of the Church (which Orthodoxy strongly emphasizes) seem harmless. Istanbul (Constantinople) does have an Orthodox Patriarch, so maybe Turkey is a bit more tolerant of Orthodoxy.

Other Orthodox spiritual works would have to be approached with much caution, as Orthodoxy denies the papacy in its present form, challenges the Catholic concept of purgatory, tolerates remarriage after divorce, and some Orthodox teachers approve of contraception in some circumstances. As to the Filioque, that has been beaten so back-and-forth due to, if you ask me, the Orthodox entirely overthinking the matter. (I've wondered if we could recast it as per filium and be done with the dispute once and for all.)

 

[blackforest]

Weighing in late but I think it's fantastic that you're assisting this man in his faith journey! Especially where resources appear to be scant, do not underestimate the power of face-to-face, mind-to-mind, heart-to-heart conversations. Lean on your own knowledge of the faith - something all of us should be continually expanding - and avail yourself to answer questions and provide insights. Above all, pray for God's guidance through all of this.