What to Say and How to Say It, Volume III: Even More Ways to Discuss Your Faith with Clarity and Confidence

by Brandon Vogt

Overview

It’s not uncommon for someone who doesn’t understand the Catholic faith to question believers on hot-button topics such as contraception and Church scandals. Are you confident in your responses or do you try to avoid the conversation because you don’t know if you’ll get it right?

In What to Say and How to Say It, Volume 3, Brandon Vogt—bestselling and award-winning author and senior publishing director of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries—tackles these critical issues, as well as salvation, the Bible, miracles, the Mass, and end-of-life concerns, to give you the tools you need to be clear and convincing as you share your convictions with those around you.

Each chapter offers an overview of the topic and a straightforward explanation of what the Church teaches. Then you’ll learn about the most common contemporary arguments against the Church’s teachings followed by step-by-step instructions for responding intelligently and confidently. Vogt also shares interviews with experts on each topic, including Christopher West, Mike Aquilina, Stephanie Gray Connors, and Karlo Broussard.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781646801619
Publisher:	Ave Maria Press
Publication date:	10/14/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Brandon Vogt is a bestselling and award-winning author of ten books, including Why I Am Catholic (and You Should Be Too) and What to Say and How to Say It, volumes I and II. He is the founder of ClaritasU, which trains Catholics in how to talk about their faith, especially hot-button issues. He works as the senior publishing director for Bishop Robert Barron’s Word on Fire Catholic Ministries.

Vogt is the cohost of The Word on Fire Show with Bishop Barron, and The Burrowshire Podcast with Fr. Blake Britton. Vogt runs several websites including StrangeNotions.com, the largest site of dialogue between Catholics and atheists, and ChurchFathers.org, the go-to resource for people wondering what the earliest Christians believed.

Vogt's work has been featured by media outlets including NPR, Fox News, CBS, EWTN, America magazine, Vatican Radio, Our Sunday Visitor, National Review, and Christianity Today.

Vogt has served as a consultant to the US Conference of Catholic Bishop’s Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis and on the board of the Society of G.K. Chesterton. He serves as president of the Central Florida Chesterton Society and founder of Chesterton Academy of Orlando, a new classical high school.

Along with his wife and children, he lives on Burrowshire, a small farm outside Orlando, Florida.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

1 Understanding the Bible 1

The Most Important Key to Understanding the Bible 2

Four Ways to Interpret the Bible 6

Expert Interview with Dr. Mark Giszczak 10

The Dark Passages of the Bible 11

Answering the Big Objections 16

Talking Tips and Strategies 20

Recommended Books, For Reflection and Discussion, For Practice 24

2 Salvation 29

The Catholic View of Salvation 29

Catholics and Justification 30

Are You Saved? 34

Faith versus Works 37

The "Faith Alone" Dispute 39

Expert Interview with Jimmy Akin 40

Who Can Be Saved? 42

Answering the Big Objections 43

Talking Tips and Strategies 46

Recommended Books, For Reflection and Discussion, For Practice 49

3 The Mass 53

What Actually Happens at Mass? 53

The Mass in the Early Church 56

The Mass versus Protestant Worship Services 58

Expert Interview with Mike Aquilina 62

Talking Tips and Strategies 63

Recommended Books, For Reflection and Discussion, For Practice 65

4 Contraception 69

A Brief History of Contraception 69

The Nonreligious Case against Contraception 73

The Natural Alternative 79

Five Reasons NFP Is a Better Alternative 80

Expert Interview with Christopher West 84

Answering the Big Objections 85

Talking Tips and Strategies 90

Recommended Books, For Reflection and Discussion, For Practice 92

5 End-of-Life Issues 95

Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide 95

Why We Shouldn't Kill the Elderly or the Sick 99

When a Loved One Wants to Die 103

Expert Interview with Stephanie Gray Connors 107

Answering the Big Objections 108

Talking Tips and Strategies 112

Recommended Books, For Reflection and Discussion, For Practice 115

6 Church Scandals 119

How Can You Still Remain Catholic? 119

The Sexual Abuse Scandal 123

How to Personally Address Scandal 127

Expert Interview with Fr. Thomas Berg 131

Helping a Scandalized Loved One 133

Talking Tips and Strategies 136

Recommended Books, For Reflection and Discussion, For Practice 138

7 Miracles 143

Why Miracles Matter 144

Why People Doubt Miracles 147

Miracles and Science 152

Expert Interview with Karlo Broussard 155

How the Church Investigates Miracles 157

Answering the Big Objections 161

Talking Tips and Strategies 164

Recommended Books, For Reflection and Discussion, For Practice 167

Conclusion 171

Acknowledgments 173

Notes 175

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Vogt has given us practical, rational, and compassionate responses to the most challenging arguments against Catholic teachings. Each chapter is laid out to make even the most daunting questions easily answerable, and it’s not just what to say and how to say it but also why we should and when we should. The answer to who should say it: everyone. Everyone should be ready with these responses. Everyone should read this book.” —Rachel Bulman, contributor to Word on Fire Catholic Ministries

“If you’ve ever wanted to speak up for your faith at the water cooler or on the airplane but got tongue tied this is the book for you! Brandon Vogt, a master communicator, tackles the tough questions that many Catholics are embarrassed to discuss. You’ll get the tools you need to explain your faith with confidence!” —John Bergsma, author of Bible Basics for Catholics

“This book is the perfect catechetical and apologetic tool for anyone seeking to understand the Church’s teaching on key contemporary issues. With his usual clarity, Brandon Vogt offers yet another concise and formative series of reflections that strike all the right notes.” —Fr. Blake Britton, contributor to Word on Fire Catholic Ministries