Apologetics

Answering Islam evaluates the claims of orthodox Islam from a Christian point of view, appealing especially to the Qur'an and the Bible. The authors, a Christian apologist and a former Muslim, provide apologetic answers to prepare Christians for ministry in the Islamic context. This second edition contains two new appendices, a new preface written in light of September 11, 2001, and updated information throughout.
"This book is a theological masterpiece, the most lucid and comprehensive theological analysis and critique of Islam from a Christian perspective I have ever seen. It is invaluable as a tool for understanding the most serious religious challenge to Christianity in the modern world." R. C. Sproul, Ligonier Ministries

"It is not the same thing to have known Jesus as not to have known him, not the same thing to walk with him as to walk blindly, not the same thing to hear his word as not to know it…. We know that with Jesus life becomes richer."-Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel

In her first book, Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus, Sherry Weddell, cofounder of the Catherine of Siena Institute, captured the attention of Catholics across the globe as she uncovered the life-changing power that accompanies the conscious decision to follow Jesus as his disciple.

Now, in the groundbreaking Becoming a Parish of Intentional Disciples, she has gathered together experienced leaders and collaborators whose exceptional field-tested wisdom and enthusiasm for transforming Catholic parishes into centers of discipleship and apostolic outreach is both inspiring and practical.

The authors consider:

• The role of intercessory prayer in parish transformation
• How "fireside chats" can help a pastor connect with his parishioners and call them to personal discipleship and mission
• The co-responsibility of lay people and pastors in the work of making disciples
• The revolutionary impact of a discipleship approach to youth ministry
• How one parish successfully fostered a culture of intentional discipleship, and much more

As Sherry asks in her own chapter, "Are we willing to answer the call and pay the price necessary to become a new generation of saints through which God can do extraordinary things in our time?"

In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, worldwide interest in Islam has reached an unprecedented peak. Thousands convert to Islam each year in the US alone, and sales of the Qur'an are very high.

What do Christians need to know about the Qur'an? Fr. Jacques Jomier, O.P., has written a scholarly yet readable work that details the profound differences between Christian scripture and the Islamic sacred texts, differences that are too often glossed over by the mainstream media. Topics addressed include: Islamic teaching on Jesus and Mary; the universal mission of the Muslim; Jews, Christians and Islamic law. This book is a necessity for those who wish to understand the highly charged religious elements of the current conflict in the Middle East.

Learn to "catch" people for the Lord using THE SEVEN PILLARS OF EFFECTIVE EVANGELIZATION, tested and proven principles that allow for effective evangelization, all modeled in the life of Jesus.

Classic Catholic Converts presents the compelling stories of over 25 well-known converts to Catholicism from the 19th and 20th centuries. It tells of powerful testimonials to God's grace, men and women from all walks of life in Europe and America whose search for the fullness of truth led them to the Catholic Church. It is the witness of brilliant intellectuals, social workers, scientists, authors, film producers, clergy, businessmen, artists and others who, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, studied and prayed their way into the Church.

Fr. Charles Connor writes insightful and wonderfully readable stories of a rich variety of converts who struggled greatly with many challenges as they embraced Catholicism, including rejection by loved ones, persecution from strangers, and misunderstanding by peers. But, once they responded to God's call, they experienced great inner peace, contentment and joy. Among the famous converts whose stories are told here include John Henry Newman, Edith Stein, Jacques Maritain, Dorothy Day, G.K. Chesterton, Elizabeth Seton, Karl Stern, Ronald Knox and many more.

Encountering Jesus presents New Testament figures in a new light and is perfect for both group study and personal reflection. Based on solid biblical scholarship, but retold in language accessible to all, these stories emphasize the way in which people come to faith and discover discipleship.
144-page paperback; 5-1/2 x 8-1/4

Fr. John McCloskey has become a famous "convert maker" in the power corridors close to the White House and various government agencies. Having run the well-known Catholic Information Center in the heart of Washington, DC since 1998 and ending in the beginning of 2004, brought McCloskey in direct contact with numerous well-known and lesser known Washington figures who have been directly instructed, encouraged and assisted into the Catholic Church by this priest-evangelist.

This work is a joint effort of McCloskey and Russell Shaw, a well-known Catholic author and speaker who also works in the DC area. Based on the great success and influence that Father McCloskey has had in helping instruct many converts to Catholicism, especially numerous high profile DC figures, this book is a powerful combination of the methods, theology, and theories that McCloskey uses in his evangelization efforts.

In addition to his compelling insights on how to teach or share the faith in a winning, inspiring way, this work includes the contributions of several dozen converts of Fr. McCloskey who give their own moving testimonies of why they converted to Catholicism, and how that life-changing journey happened for each of them. Many of their writings reveal extraordinary perception regarding the workings of grace and the dynamics of the spiritual life.

In his first full-length book since converting to Roman Catholicism over ten years ago, Thomas Howard presents his wonderful, refreshing insights on the "glad tidings" of the deeper meaning of Catholic piety, dogma, spirituality, vision and practice, rendered in his unique style of prose for which he is well-known. The book's chapters take the form of lay meditations on Catholic teaching and practice, opening up in practical and simple terms the richness at work in virtually every detail of Catholic prayer, piety, liturgy and experience.

For years studies have revealed the depressingly high numbers of inactive Catholics and Catholics who have left the Church for another denomination. Now Rev. Martin Pable, an award-winning and bestselling author, offers a series of practical solutions. Reclaim the Fire celebrates the great traditions of the Catholic Church yet also looks inward to provide concrete ideas to help churches fulfill their potential as engaging and inviting places of worship. It is a book that offers support, strength and hope.

Reclaim the Fire begins with a brief overview of the Catholic Church's historical efforts at evangelization. After revealing some of the reasons why Catholics have shifted away from evangelization in recent times, Pable moves on to offer a series of specific ideas on how the Church in the United States can become a vibrant, evangelizing force that energizes those already in the pews, draws back inactive Catholics, and attracts new parishioners, thus creating a self-sustaining and vital faith community that is better prepared to fulfill its Christian mission.

The Catholic Church has much to offer the wider culture. Reclaim the Fire shows how parishes can play an integral role in spreading the gospel message with enthusiasm. This is an essential resource that no parish staff or leader should be without.

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"Already the most discussed and most important religious book of the decade." --David Brooks

In this controversial bestseller, Rod Dreher calls on American Christians to prepare for the coming Dark Age by embracing an ancient Christian way of life.

From the inside, American churches have been hollowed out by the departure of young people and by an insipid pseudo-Christianity. From the outside, they are beset by challenges to religious liberty in a rapidly secularizing culture. Keeping Hillary Clinton out of the White House may have bought a brief reprieve from the state's assault, but it will not stop the West's slide into decadence and dissolution.

Rod Dreher argues that the way forward is actu-ally the way back--all the way to St. Benedict of Nur-sia. This sixth-century monk, horrified by the moral chaos following Rome's fall, retreated to the forest and created a new way of life for Christians. He built enduring communities based on principles of order, hospitality, stability, and prayer. His spiritual centers of hope were strongholds of light throughout the Dark Ages, and saved not just Christianity but Western civilization.

Today, a new form of barbarism reigns. Many believers are blind to it, and their churches are too weak to resist. Politics offers little help in this spiritual crisis. What is needed is the Benedict Option, a strategy that draws on the authority of Scripture and the wisdom of the ancient church. The goal: to embrace exile from mainstream culture and construct a resilient counterculture.

The Benedict Option is both manifesto and rallying cry for Christians who, if they are not to be conquered, must learn how to fight on culture war battlefields like none the West has seen for fifteen hundred years. It's for all mere Chris-tians--Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox--who can read the signs of the times. Neither false optimism nor fatalistic despair will do. Only faith, hope, and love, embodied in a renewed church, can sustain believers in the dark age that has overtaken us. These are the days for building strong arks for the long journey across a sea of night.

Using the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Sr. Theresa Noble, a formerly fallen-away Catholic, gently covers the necessary elements of approaching those who have left the Church. She encourages you to meet them where they are while emphasizing the importance of the faith. With her gentle encouragement, she will lead you to continue to hope for their conversion, so that you might share the joy of the Father when The Prodigal You Love returns home.