Young man 16 years old is looking to learn about our faith

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This guy is bright but unchurched. He needs a beginner book on the faith. Something that will draw him in!
 
Catholicism for Dummies is a great book by two priests, fun, interesting, and easy to follow. (Of course, “for dummies” doesn’t actually mean for dumb people; it is part of the series of books by that name for beginners on a variety of topics, with which you are probably familiar.)
 
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Not Catholic, but The Screwtape Letters is excellent. The narrative (about a demon writing letters on how best to corrupt a human) is fun to read, and it’s a little less dry then normal ‘teaching’ books about religion.
 
So is the youcat book, that was the first book that I was handed and got told by the priest that wad a good book to start with.
 
PatK63 said:
This guy is bright but unchurched. He needs a beginner book on the faith. Something that will draw him in!
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Back in the day, we were beginner versed in Catechesis by the age of 7 and better versed by 12

16? Bright?
Odd as it might sound to some moderns
I suggest a Prayerful reading of the New Testament - beginning with Matthew…
for the purpose of getting to Know our Lord Jesus - as best as he can…
 
If he’s bright, I’d give him Mere Christianity before the Screwtape Letters (though they are often sold as a pair).
 
I was debating between suggesting Mere Christianity or the Screwtape Letters. Both are excellent, but I decided on the latter since it’s a bit more narrative based, so I figured it feel less like reading a ‘religious’ book and more like a story, which a young person might respond better to. You can’t go wrong with either though.
 
PatK63 said:
This guy is bright but unchurched. He needs a beginner book on the faith. Something that will draw him in!
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Unless he specifically asked you for a particular book, chances that he will read any book you might give him are extremely remote. You are better off making several recommendations, and then asking him if he would like you to buy him one.
 
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That is likely too many books for someone completely new to Christianity, though many of those are good. Most people will not read that many books; it is better to give him one book (maybe two) that gives a solid basic yet thorough introduction. If he reads that and wants more, then there is no shortage of things for him to read. 🙂
 
I would say if he wants to learn the Faith a Catechism would be good, if you want to show him a person who came to the Faith and practiced it to the max give him Confessions by Saint Augustine.
 
I still say JESUS -

Get to know Him as if you were a 16 year old Jewish boy
who encountered Him in the days of yore
in the Flesh and Heard His Teachings.,

No other book can surpass that.

_)
 
Something Other Than God by Jennifer Fulwiler…biographical story of an atheist’s journey to the Catholic Church.
 
I don’t think so. He is searching and wants to study all religions. I suggested he start with Christianity!
I feel the Holy Sprit will guide him.
 
PatK63 said:
I don’t think so. He is searching and wants to study all religions. I suggested he start with Christianity!
I feel the Holy Sprit will guide him.
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Exactly…

I suggest starting with the Gospels - so as to get as directly close to Jesus the Christ as one can
 
You could try a biography of Pope John Paul II. He would absorb a good deal of Catholic theology, but structured around the narrative of an individual life as well as some of the most interesting episodes in the history of the 20th century. If he is searching for something, a biography would perhaps be more accessible than an abstract primer on theology.
 
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