I am still working my way through the 20 Answers Challenge from Catholic Answers. Since my last update, I have finished 4 more books.
Note
I have been working on writing slightly longer reviews on these books, and I will be sharing them in the coming weeks. I try to make it a point to balance book reviews with other content, so though the book reviews haven’t been published yet, they are written, and I’d love to answer any questions about the books I’ve read to date.
Overview
The books fall into an “opposing beliefs” category:
- Atheism by Matt Fradd (I know atheism is not believing in God, but sometimes, it almost feels like atheists try to religiously defend their lack of belief).
- Islam by Andrew Bieszad
- Mormonism by Trend Horn
-
Jehovah’s Witnesses by Trent Horn
I found these booklets to be particularly interesting. I believe that it is very important to understand what other religions believe and why they are wrong. These books were very well-done, and I hope Catholic Answers produces more on other religions.
As for my own reading plan, I think that it would’ve been better to read Atheism earlier in the challenge (perhaps around God), but it was nice to almost have it as a “refresher.”
Books
Atheism by Matt Fradd was by far the most entertaining book in 20 Answers series. He did an excellent job providing rational responses to atheist’s opposition to faith (book review here).
Islam by Andrew Bieszad was very enlightening. He did a great job explaining why Islam is not the true religion while also addressing some misconceptions people may have about Islam (book review here).
Mormonism by Trend Horn was well-written and supported. He did a very good job of giving a fair explanation to Mormon beliefs while also adequately explaining why they are wrong (book review here).
Jehovah’s Witnesses by Trent Horn was also a good resource. While I don’t think it was quite as good as Mormonism, I still think he did a solid job of explaining some Jehovah’s Witnesses beliefs and providing clear biblical evidence for why they are wrong (book review here).
Reflection
I have been sincerely enjoying this challenge. I have learned so much over the last few months, and I think the booklets are excellent. Though some books are certainly better than others, I think they all have been worth the read.
Though there are a few things I would change about the reading plan I created, I think it was still realistic, and the overall order has been helpful.
To be honest, I am looking forward to finishing this challenge. Again, I have loved learning so much and definitely feel like the time I spent has been worthwhile, but I think I need a break from reading apologetics. Between these books and some of the other books I’ve been reading to review, I haven’t had the time to read books that are more spiritually based. I’m looking forward to reading some writings from the saints/ about the saints and some spiritual memoirs. I have quite a few apologetics books sitting on my bookshelves that I’m excited to read, but those will be balanced with spiritual reading.
My final reflection is here.