Today I bring to you a totally awesome source for catechesis and apologetics.
I present to you C.R. Publications Catholicism & Reason: The Creed and Apologetics. I have only finished the first six chapters and I am already blown away with the content of what I have read. I started just a few days ago going chapter by chapter and following up with the Leader's Manual to see what additional insights or clarifications can be made about the chapter. It has definitely been a time of great gains of knowledge. The first three chapters alone astound me with the proof for the existence of God, the need for religion, and proving the Scriptures as authentic and valid. Each one uses a series of logic and reasoning, each building up on the knowledge attained from the previous chapter. It is simply something I have never been presented with before in all my religious education and I am slightly disappointed that I never had the chance to learn about all this ever before.The book itself is meant to be taught or discussed with a high school or older age group. The leader's manual is well laid out and gives tips for classes/meetings to discuss the topics/chapters in the book. Each chapter comes with a brief summary of what the book says along with some things that ought to be pointed out and terms that ought to be defined. It gives answers to some questions commonly asked when the topic is brought up and also will list if there are other chapters in the book that ought to be read along with the chapter for further understanding or in case questions related to both chapters come up in discussion. It provides some questions for discussion along with possible ideas for projects to help get more 'into' the topic and discussion. What I think is even most amazing is that at the end of each chapter, there is a list of references which includes the Catechism of the Catholic Church, several Church documents as they pertain to the topic along with several other books about the topic of the chapter. The list for some chapters is quite extensive, and usually includes the books that are suggested to have by the leader/catechist.
Now, the book itself is not boring and I never want to put it down, and when I have some free time away from classes and the work associated with that, I always want to continue reading, underlining, highlighting, and learning! It is very much like a great bedtime story that is just too good to stop, even though you know you need to get to bed! It is a very engaging read and full of useful knowledge. The publishers themselves had this to say about the book:
The most readable apologetics book on the market today, Catholicism and Reason offers a systematic presentation of Catholic beliefs that will prepare the reader to be a knowledgeable and articulate defender of the Catholic Faith. The book focuses on such topics as the existence of God, the historical reliability of the Gospels, the humanity and divinity of Christ, proofs for the resurrection, the founding of the Catholic Church on Peter, and the signs or marks that point to the Church of Jesus Christ today. Also discussed are infallibility, ecumenism, the Blessed Trinity, original and actual sin, grace and the virtues, heaven, hell, and purgatory, and the Blessed Virgin Mary.I can't wait to read some more, though it is already late and I may only get through most of a chapter. What makes this even better I think is that the chapters are quite short and perfect for taking up parts at a time, although it is better to read from front to back so the logic is able to build upon itself. Well, I ought to quit raving about this book, so I will leave you further information about the publishers. God bless you all abundantly!
C.R. Publications Inc. was founded in 1995 to publish books about the Catholic religion that are faithful to the Magisterium or teaching office of the Church. James J. Drummey, the president of the company, is a family man who has been involved in the field of religious education for more than 30 years. He is editor of "Catholic Replies," a highly acclaimed weekly question-and-answer newspaper column on religious topics, and is also author of two books, Catholic Replies and Catholic Replies 2, with answers to over 1,600 questions about religious matters and a comprehensive index at the end of each book.
Also published by C.R. Publications is the five-volume Catholicism Series, which was co-authored by Mr. Drummey and two priests, Msgr. Paul J. Hayes and the late Fr. Edward J. Hayes. The Hayes brothers taught and wrote about the Catholic Faith all their priestly lives, while at the same time serving as pastors and chaplains and working in the communications field.
There are teacher's manuals available for each of the books in the Catholicism Series, which is being widely used in Catholic parishes, high schools, colleges, and adult education programs. A committee of Catholic bishops has found the series to be in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church and has highly commended the books for their strong emphasis on doctrine and their faithful adherence to the teaching authority of the Catholic Church.
Lord, Thy Will Be Done!
