What would you recommend?

[sullivansoul]

Alright, here’s a question I’m sure we all have an opinion on. After all of your experience with dealing/learning about Catholicism, how would you advise a novice to become a world renowned Apologist? Assume he/she is starting from a BASIC knowledge/understanding of the Bible.

Recommendations? Love to hear what you think.

 

[T.A.Stobie_SFO]

**The Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Bible should be your foundation. ** You need to be very familiar with both in understanding what they say. It is not necessary to be able to quote, but rather to locate information quickly in either.

 

[threej_lc]

Start listening to Catholic Answers Live, duh.

Read other’s conversion stories, like Scott Hahn and James Akin.

Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth is a really good quip to start with as well.

Josh

 

[Apologia100]

1. Get a copy of the Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition (also called the Ignatius Bible). This should be your cornerstone copy of scripture.
2. Get a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
3. Read the Gospels first, then the Pauline Epistles, then the General Epistles. Read through Psalms, Proverbs, and the Major Prophets. I would read through Sirach as well, because there is tremendous moral teaching in it. Make it a daily habit to read scripture.
4. Get the Begining Apologetics series from Catholic Answers.

There is a start for a beginner. After that, there is much more you can read, but at some point you are going to have to engage what you learn with pepole who don’t believe as you do. It is the only way you can test your ability to be an apologist. The apologists workplace is with the masses who don’t believe as you do. If you don’t want to engage in apologetic discussions with other people, you are just a theologian.

 

[squirt]

IMO, it is necessary to know your audience, too. You probably would want to take a different tack if you’re talking to a Hindu vs an Atheist vs a Seventh Day Adventist. If you have no idea of what their mindset / view of the world is, you probably will just end up talking past each other with neither really ‘getting’ what the other is saying.

 

[Chuck]

To me the critical move is to begin witnessing to others as often as circumstances are appropriate. Tell your personal faith story and relate the strength and peace Holy Spirit provides.

You will always need to know more - but trust in the Holy Spirit to guide you in your words and He will massage the hearts of the hearers.

Remember, God is working through you - NOW THAT’S POWER!



Chuck

 

[larryo]

1. Get a copy of the Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition (also called the Ignatius Bible). This should be your cornerstone copy of scripture.

1. Get a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
2. Read the Gospels first, then the Pauline Epistles, then the General Epistles. Read through Psalms, Proverbs, and the Major Prophets. I would read through Sirach as well, because there is tremendous moral teaching in it. Make it a daily habit to read scripture.
3. Get the Begining Apologetics series from Catholic Answers.

There is a start for a beginner. After that, there is much more you can read, but at some point you are going to have to engage what you learn with pepole who don’t believe as you do. It is the only way you can test your ability to be an apologist. The apologists workplace is with the masses who don’t believe as you do. If you don’t want to engage in apologetic discussions with other people, you are just a theologian.

This is excellent advice which I have put into practice myself. My next step is to study the New Testament in the original Greek. After that, I plan to tackle the Hebrew of the Old Testament. I think I’ll be busy for quite a while.

 

[Hananiah]

Write a thorough research paper on a subject which has not yet received such treatment. Then ask someone with a popular apologetics webite if they will post it. This is what I did, and I’ve been invited to speak at a conference on Catholic biblical scholarship because of it.

 

[space_ghost]

step away from these forums… throw the computer out the window… just kidding about the computer… for the first part… heh…?

 

[Fidelis]

All the above is excellent advice. One thing I would add that helped me immensely is to try and get involved in something that gives you a chance to present the Faith out loud and to an audience. Volunteer to help out at CCD or RCIA, or get involved with a Catholic Evidence Guild if you are lucky enough to have one in your area. If you have at least one like-minded friend, that will work too.

You can have all the knowledge in the world but if you are not used to articulating it, you won’t be able to maximize your opportunities when they arise. So, find a friendly audience–even if it’s just your dog!

 

[theMutant]

**The Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Bible should be your foundation. ** You need to be very familiar with both in understanding what they say. It is not necessary to be able to quote, but rather to locate information quickly in either.

To go along with Stobie’s recommendation, I recommend “A Textual Concordance of the Holy Scriptures” which is a handy reference that categorizes scripture passages according to moral and doctrinal teachings. AFTER you have done what Stobie recommends, I would recommend getting a reference of early Church teachings like “The Faith of the Early Fathers” by William Jurgens.

When you start actually practicing the art of apologetics, don’t be afraid to say when you don’t know something for certain. Telling someone that you’ll look up the information and get back to them is ALWAYS better than to risk giving the wrong answer.

 

[Apolonio]

Go to

www.bringyou.to/apologetics

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

It has always been said that the best way to really learn something is to go teach it to someone else. As you learn to explain your beliefs to others you yourself become more solid in that belief.

 

[urquidi]

Now changing a bit the previous posts objective: what would you recommend someone who wants to make other believers get to know about apologetics in 4 sessions… what topics, how to apporach it? these people believe, theyve had a conversion, theyve met the Lord, but they dont know much about their religion…
thanks for your comments!
jose

 

[Strider]

All of the above, PLUS, go to www.biblechristiansociety.com and order ALL of John Marignoni’s tapes or CD’s FREE, print the accompanying study guides and srart to learn.
Also, listen to him Monday’s from 3:00 to 4:00 E.T. on EWTN
That same hour any day is an education

 

[serendipity]

sullivansoul:

Assume he/she is starting from a BASIC knowledge/understanding of the Bible.

Recommendations? Love to hear what you think.

Every one starts from the basics, so this should not be though of as a disadvantage. If you feel a genuine vocation towards this path in life, by all means, proceed.

 

[mercygate]

Pray for the grace of wisdom and for a passionate heart, on fire for love of souls. Pray for patience and for understanding. Pray the Scriptures.

 

[Kevin_Walker]

Start with the most updated Catechism.

Then a Douay-Rheims bible.

Then read everything on the New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia.

Then read everything on the Vatican website.

Learn Latin, Greek, and Hebrew.

Start debating as many heretics as you can.

Study philosopy and theology.

 

[amarischuk]

Do you want to be a world renowned apologist, or a world forgotten great thinker? The two are not the same.

I began with a profound enjoyment of apologetics but eventually true scholarship replaced my polemical approach (not that I am a scholar, only that I began to read more scholarly books and less internet chatrooms).

I would suggest a profound knowledge of the fathers and the Middle Ages. Put down Hilaire Belloc and read Etienne Gilson, Marie-Dominique Chenu, Charles Homer Haskins, Dom David Knowles, Jacques Maritain, R.W. Southern, Josef Andreas Jungmann, Theodor Klauser, Karl Rahner, Eduard Schillibeeckx, Henri de Lubac, Yves Congar, Stanley Jaki, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Norris Clarke, Louis Olivier Duschenes.

Of course you should still read Chesterton, Waugh, and Greene.

But you might be surprised where this leads you.

Adam

 

[Absalom]

Strider:

All of the above, PLUS, go to www.biblechristiansociety.com and order ALL of John Marignoni’s tapes or CD’s FREE, print the accompanying study guides and srart to learn.
Also, listen to him Monday’s from 3:00 to 4:00 E.T. on EWTN
That same hour any day is an education

I highly reccomend this guy, also. I’ve been through almost all of his cds, and they’re superb.

You can’t be an apologist w/out knowing the scriptures. If a protestant realizes you don’t know your way around the Bible, they’ll eat you for lunch (no offense to my Protestant brethren! Just a figure of speech.)

And, uh, well . . . www.catholic.com?