At this week's session of Good Cheer on Wednesday, we were joined by Catholic convert and Ole Miss alum Josh Whelan who spoke about being ready to answer questions about our faith and about living our Catholic Christianity in the real world.
So, where do we find the answers that others ask about Catholicism. Well, first and foremost, you should make sure that you have the tools you need. Primarily, you need a good translation of the Bible. I recommend the Revised Standard Version and Ignatius Press puts out a great Bible with this translation.
You also need a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This volume contains a thorough compilation of the Church's official teachings on every conceivable topic. And, it has a handy-dandy index in the back to aid in looking up topics. It is super-footnoted with references to Scriptures, writings of Church Fathers and Doctors, and to the decisions of Church councils.
Finally, Josh recommended familiarizing yourself with Catholic authors who specialize in apologetics, or being able to defend your faith. He mentioned Scott Hahn who is a former Presbyterian minister and currently a professor at Franciscan University of Steubenville. His books are a must and one in particular (Rome Sweet Home, which he penned with his wife, Kimberly) is a great starting point in Catholic apologetics. I would add some other great Catholic apologists to the "must read" list, including: James Akin, Dave Armstrong, Jeff Cavins, David Currie, Karl Keating and Patrick Madrid.
