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What to Say and How to Say It

Discuss Your Catholic Faith with Clarity and Confidence
Author: Brandon Vogt
$17.95

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Format: Paperback

Publication date: May 8, 2020

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Description

Winner of a third-place award for popular presentation of the faith by the Catholic Media Association.

Brandon Vogt, bestselling author of Why I Am Catholic (and You Should Be Too), offers Catholics an indispensable resource for understanding and articulating the Church’s teaching on seven of the most critical issues Catholics face today as we dialogue with the secular culture and people of other religious backgrounds.

Based on the content of Vogt’s online community, ClaritasU, What to Say and How to Say It equips readers with the tools to intelligently discuss topics such as the Eucharist, same-sex marriage, and abortion, providing straightforward talking points to explain Catholic teaching.

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Product Details

Pages: 256

Trim size: 5.5 x 8.5 inches

ISBN: 9781594719592

Imprint: Ave Maria Press

Discuss Your Catholic Faith with Clarity and Confidence

To get clear on any particular issue, a Catholic just needs to master three things: first, the Catholic view of the topic; second, the best objections to the Catholic view; and third, how to answer those top objections. That’s it. When you’re clear about those three things—what you believe, the best objections to those beliefs, and how to answer those objections—you’re totally equipped and confident. Brandon Vogt follows this format in What to Say and How to Say It to help you learn how to discuss several tough issues. For each topic, in each chapter, you’ll first learn the Catholic view, then the best objections to that view (so you’re not surprised by them), and finally how to respond to those objections.

Topics Discussed in the Book:

Answering Atheism

You’ll learn the best strategies for talking with atheists, whether it’s children who claim they no longer believe in God, or friends who make fun of your religious beliefs. You’ll learn three simple arguments for God (and how to easily memorize them), as well as some tips for having more fruitful discussions with skeptics.

Evil and Suffering

You'll look at the problem of evil and suffering, the best objection to Christianity. Why is there so much suffering in the world? Why doesn’t God do anything about it? You’ll discover why this problem is actually three problems in one, and you’ll find out how to talk about each one effectively.

Trusting the Gospels

You'll focus on the Bible and why we can trust what it says about Jesus. Many skeptics today—I’m sure you know some—don’t just disagree with Jesus: they’re not convinced Jesus even existed, or that if he did, the Bible probably doesn’t accurately convey what he said and did. This chapter will give you simple ways to respond to these objections and teach you how to show why the Bible is deeply reliable, especially in what it says about Jesus.

Explaining the Eucharist

You'll get clear on the Eucharist. Another recent study from the Pew Research Center found that only one-third of US Catholics believe what the Church teaches about the Eucharist, that the Eucharist is truly the Body and Blood of Christ. The rest believe it’s just a symbol or something else. This survey affirms how desperately we need to get clear on what the Eucharist is and, just as important, how to explain it clearly to others—especially to non-Catholics. This chapter will show you how.

Abortion

You'll look at abortion. You’ll learn the one key question you should return to in every conversation about abortion, which will make your discussions so much easier. You’ll also discover how to talk about the so-called hard cases that abortion supporters bring up. If you’re terrified of discussing abortion, don’t worry: you’ll feel totally different after reading this chapter.

Same-Sex Marriage

You'll study same-sex marriage, an issue that has gone from obscurity to mainstream in just a handful of years. How do you respond to common same-sex marriage slogans? How do you defend the traditional view of marriage? How do you talk about these things without seeming to be rigid and judgmental? You’ll learn all that and more.

Transgenderism

You'll look at transgenderism, which has quickly become a central and divisive cultural issue. What are the key terms you need to know? What should you, as a Catholic, think of transgenderism? You’ll learn those facts, plus several good questions and talking points to help you stay in the driver’s seat when discussing the issue.

  • “Tackles even the most difficult issues with grace and kindness.”

    “Few people can explain Catholicism as well as Brandon Vogt. He fearlessly tackles even the most difficult issues, and does it with grace and kindness.”

    Jennifer Fulwiler
    Podcaster and author of Something Other Than God
     

  • “Easy-to-understand.”

    “Brandon Vogt is great at breaking down the defense of the faith into easy-to-understand lessons. This is a great starting point for anyone who wants to learn how to explain some of the most criticized aspects of our Catholic faith.”

    Trent Horn
    Author of Why We're Catholic

  • “Pure gold.”

    “What to Say and How to Say It is pure gold for anyone hoping to have better, more fruitful conversations about these vitally important issues.”

    Holly Ordway
    Author of Apologetics and the Christian Imagination 


  • “I highly recommend this book.”

    “With truth in charity, Brandon Vogt does a masterful job of handling many of today’s hot-button issues. From atheism to the Eucharist and from transgenderism to the problem of evil and suffering, the reader will be equipped with a clarity of thinking to help them know What to Say and How to Say it. I highly recommend this book!”

    Curtis Martin
    President and founder of FOCUS

  • “You won't find a better one than this.”

    “I know few Catholics who have studied the arguments for and against the existence of God more thoroughly than Brandon Vogt. If you're looking for a book of apologetics that is as practical as it is theoretical, you won't find a better one than this.”

    Matt Nelson
    Assistant director of the Word on Fire Institute

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