|
Reasons
to Believe - How to Understand, Explain, and Defend the Catholic Faith
Hardcover
196 pages
$21.95
Order
Now
Bestselling
author Scott Hahn, a convert to Catholicism, has experienced the doubts
that so often drive discussions about God and the Church. In the years
before his conversion, he was first a nonbeliever and then an
anti-Catholic clergyman. In Reasons to Believe, he encourages us to
follow the words of advice given by St. Peter:
| Always be prepared to
make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope
that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence" (I
Peter 3:15) |
In
order to help us form a strong defense Hahn explains the "how and why" of the
Catholic faith—drawing from Scripture, his own struggles and those of
other converts, as well as from everyday life and even natural science. He shows that reason and revelation, nature and the supernatural, are
not opposed to one another; rather they offer complementary evidence that
God exists. But He doesn't merely exist. He is someone, and He has a
personality, a personal style, that is discernible and knowable. Hahn
leads readers to see that God created the universe with a purpose and a
form—a form that can be found in the Book of Genesis and is there when
we view the natural world through a microscope, through a telescope, or
through our contact lenses. Through
Reasons to Believe, Hahn invites us into the world of apologetics. While
this world may seem daunting, it simply means learning "the art of
explaining and defending the faith" (Reasons 10). Knowledge of
apologetics can help us to form our thoughts based on solid reasoning and
steer us away from emotional reactions. It is often our emotions that turn
a discussion into a heated argument. Apologetics gives us the chance
to prove that Faith is based on Reason and the two can co-exist.
Hahn writes, "One of the great secrets of the universe is that reason
leans on faith every bit as much as faith leans on reason" (Reasons
25). He also reminds us that the keys to a strong defense are humility,
prayer, and love. The
book begins by first "sketching out some basics of reasoned faith -
giving "reasons to believe" for those who raise common
objections against theism and Catholicism" (Reasons 13). Next,
Hahn delves into our biblical foundations in order to give us a
"fully integrated" view of the faith. At
the heart of the book is Hahn's examination of the ten "keys to the
kingdom"- the characteristics of the Church clearly evident in the
Scriptures. As the story of creation discloses, the world is a house that
has a Father, a palace where the king is really present. God created the
cosmos to be a kingdom, and that kingdom is the universal Church, fully
revealed by Jesus Christ.
Through
the book he covers four points, "four propositions that are
universally accepted as true, and are effectively undeniable"
(Reasons 20):
| 1. The
principle of non-contradiction - simply, the idea that
something can not be both true and false at the same time.
2. The general reliability of
sense perception - senses give us a view of reality and we
rely on our reason for times when they are imperfect
3. The principle of causality
- every effect has a cause
4. The notion of
self-consciousness - the knowledge that we exist |
The
final chapter of the book is titled: "The Catholic Lifetime Readings
Plan". No, it is not a listing of excellent titles or authors,
instead it can be summed up with these words by Scott Hahn,
| "If I had to name
only one preparation for the work of apologetics, it would be
this: full, conscious, and active participation in the Holy Mass.
Go as often as you can...The Mass is ...the only place where the
whole Bible is proclaimed consistently and fully. For the Mass is
the culmination of the Bible's prophecy. The Bible is about the
Mass, and the Bible suffuses the Mass. (Reasons 194) |
|
Table of Contents
Natural Reasons
1. More Than a Feeling: On the Love of Learning and the Desire for
Dunking
2. Ours to Reason Why: On Seeing, Believing, and Flying
3. Natural Reasons: On the Persuasive Power of the Universe
4. Right and Wrong: On Doing and Denial
5. The Limits of Reason: On the Testimony of Miracles and Prophecy
Biblical Reasons
6. Bible Steady: On the Church as One Foundation
7. Saints Alive: On Love and the Limits of Human Fellowship
8. A Mass of Evidence: On the Eucharist and the Purifying Fire of
Sacrifice
9. Peace of the Rock: On the Papal Office and its Paper Trail
10. Reasons of the Kingdom: On Answering with Your Life
Royal Reasons
11. Created for the Kingdom
12. The Fleeting and Future Kingdom: The Difference David Made
13. The Kingdom Come: On Christ the King, the Son of David
14. When the Reign Comes: The Church is the Kingdom
15. The Catholic Lifetime Readings Plan: An Apologetic Exhortation |
|
Listen to an interview with
Scott Hahn about his new book Reasons to Believe. |
Catholic
Spotlight is your chance to hear from Catholic authors, Catholic musicians, and other
creative minds in the Catholic world. Tune in to find out what is hot and new
in the Catholic world. Visit CatholicSpotlight.com
to listen to the latest broadcast - an interview Scott Hahn about his
new book Reasons
to Believe. 
Subscribe to our RSS
feed or subscribe with ITunes.
About
the Author
Dr. Scott Hahn,
Ph.D. entered the Catholic Church at Easter 1986. He is a
former ordained Presbyterian minister with ten years of ministry
experience in Protestant congregations (in Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Massachusetts, Kansas and Virginia) and a former Professor of
Theology at Chesapeake Theological Seminary. He received his
Bachelor of Arts degree with a triple-major in Theology,
Philosophy and Economics from Grove City College, Pennsylvania, in
1979, his Masters of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological
Seminary in 1982, and his Ph.D. in Biblical Theology from
Marquette University in 1995. Dr. Hahn is married to
Kimberly Hahn, and has six children. An exceptionally popular
speaker and teacher, Dr. Hahn has delivered numerous talks
nationally and internationally on a wide variety of topics talks
related to Scripture and the Catholic faith. He has been a
Professor of Biblical Theology at Franciscan University of
Steubenville since 1990. He was recently appointed to the
Pope Benedict XVI Chair of Biblical Theology and Liturgical Proclamation
of Saint Vincent Seminary (Latrobe, Pennsylvania). Dr. Hahn is also the founder, director and president
of the Saint Paul Center for Biblical Theology. He is the author
of over a dozen books.
|
|
Top Selling
Books by Scott Hahn
|
|
See
all Scott Hahn Book and Audios
|
|
 The
Lamb's Supper - The Mass as Heaven on Earth
Order
Now
$21.95
Beautifully
written in clear, direct language, this book by bestselling Catholic
author Scott Hahn will help readers see the Mass with new eyes, pray the
liturgy with a renewed heart, and enter into the Mass more fully,
enthusiastically, intelligently, and powerfully than ever before.
|
|
 Rome
Sweet Home
Order
Now
$14.95
Written
with simplicity, charity, grace and wit, Scott and Kimberly Hahns' deep
love and knowledge of Christ and of Scripture is evident and contagious
throughout their story. Their love of truth and of neighbor is equally
evident and will be a source of inspiration for all readers.
|
|
 Ordinary
Work, Extraordinary Grace: My Spiritual Journey in Opus Dei
Order
Now
$19.95
Hahn
recounts the invaluable part Opus Dei played in his conversion from
Evangelical Christianity to Catholicism and explains why its teachings
remain at the center of his life. Through stories about his job, his
marriage, his role as a parent, and his community activities, Hahn shows
how Opus Dei’s spirituality enriches the meaning of daily tasks and
transforms ordinary relationships.
|
|
 Catholic
For A Reason - Scripture and the Mystery of the Family of God
Order
Now
$15.95
Imagine
today’s top Catholic authors, apologists, and theologians. Now imagine
12 of them collaborating on a book that answers common questions about,
and challenges to, the teachings and doctrines of the Catholic Church.
Imagine no more, it’s a reality. This best-selling book will help
Catholics and non-Catholics alike develop a better understanding of the
Church. See also Catholic
For A Reason 3-Book Set.
|
|
 Save
15% when you buy the Scott Hahn Complete Set
Order
Now
was $150.60, now
$128.00
This
set is comprised of both hardcover and softcover books. The hardcover
titles include: Swear to God, The Lamb's Supper, Lord
Have Mercy, Letter and Spirit, Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace, and
Reasons to Believe. The
softcover titles are Hail Holy Queen and First Comes Love. Titles
also sold separately.
|
|
 Save
15% when you buy the complete
Ignatius Catholic Study Bible Set
Order
Now
was $99.50,
now $84.58
This
set includes the following Ignatius Catholic Study Bibles: Gospel of Luke,
The Acts of the Apostles, The Gospel of John, The Gospel of Mark, and The
Gospel of Matthew, The Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans, The First and
Second Letters of St. Paul to the Corinthians, The Letters of St. Paul to
the Galatians & Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon, and
Thessalonians, Timothy, and Titus. Titles also sold separately.
|
|
