Apologetics the English Way

Can a reasonable case be made for Catholicism? Maybe even a compelling case? Or does the Catholic argument falter? Does it wilt before critiques from top-notch opponents? Judge for yourself. You don’t have to be Catholic or even religious to relish the intellectual sparring that goes on in these pages. Here is high-level controversial writing, culled from Karl Keating’s favorite books. Each selection is a forceful exposition of Catholic truth. Most are from the 1930s, all come from English Catholics, and all are aimed at a single antagonist, with the public invited to look over the writer’s shoulder. The reader can view the weaknesses and occasional mistakes even of his own champion.These pages are filled with vivid personalities. These were men who knew the Catholic faith and could explain it to others. The individuals against whom they wrote may not have been converted-one or two were, in the long run-but any number of readers of these little-known masterpieces must have found their faith bolstered and their doubts assuaged. The issues covered in these exchanges are still discussed today-but probably nowhere as in as glorious a style as here.