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 Apologetics Foundations Track
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 This course of study is designed to give students a firm grounding in the biblical basis of Catholic beliefs and devotion.
Apologetics is the art and science of explaining and defending the Catholic faith.
Good apologetics requires confident knowledge of the core foundations of the faith, beginning with God’s plan for history and how that plan continues in the Catholic Church and its sacraments. It also requires a good grasp of the things that make Catholics different -- our belief in the Eucharist and the sacraments, our devotion to the Blessed Mother, and our confidence in the Church as the instrument of salvation on earth.
These three classes will give you the knowledge and confidence you need. When you've completed this track of study you'll have a great grasp of the key themes and issues that run through the Bible, and an excellent understanding of the "story" the Bible tells -- from its first page to its last.
You will gain a better knowledge and appreciation of who God is, and how He works in the world. You will gain a deeper awareness of the divine power of the Mass and the sacraments, and how the Mass we celebrate on earth is a participation in the liturgy of heaven. And you will come to a keener appreciation of Mary's pivotal role in God's plan of salvation as that plan continues to unfold in the Catholic Church.
Apologetics Foundations Track
Course One:
From Genesis to Jesus: A Journey Through Scripture
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- The basic Catholic principles for reading Scripture.
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- God's key covenants in the Bible, and their significance for reading and interpreting the Bible.
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- The broad outlines of the books of the Bible and their place in the story of salvation told in the Bible.
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- A sweeping, "big-picture" view of the Old and New Testaments, highlighting the love of God as expressed in His covenants with His human family.
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- "After spending a decade intensively studying Scripture, I had finally begun to see the 'big picture' of salvation history, and how all of the innumerable puzzle pieces fit together into a big, beautiful divine love story. . . . .Our Heavenly Father has been watching over us throughout all of history, saving us from destruction over and over again. He long to convince us of His passionate love for each one of us, that relentless mercy which calls -- and enables -- us to share His own divine life." -- from A Father Who Keeps His Promises.
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Apologetics Foundations Track
Course Two:
The Lamb's Supper: The Bible and the Mass
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- The meaning and purpose of the Bible and the Mass in God's plan of salvation.
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- How the death of Jesus Christ was a sacrifice to God, and how that sacrifice is re-presented in every Mass.
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- How the Mass we celebrate on earth is a participation in the liturgy of heaven.
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- Reveals how the Bible's Book of Revelation is the key to understanding the Mass.
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- "[The Mass] is . . . the event in which He seals His covenant with us and makes us His children. . . . In the Mass, you and I have heaven on earth. The evidence is overwhelming. The experience is a revelation." -- from The Lamb's Supper.
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Apologetics Foundations Track
Course Three:
Holy Queen: The Mother of God in the Word of God
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See how the Bible portrays Mary as the all-holy one who gave the Word flesh, the Mother of God, and the spiritual mother of all who live by faith in her Son.
Course Taught By Dr. Scott Hahn and David Scott |
| What you will learn: |
- The biblical basis for Catholic faith and devotion to Mary.
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- Mary's pivotal role in God's plan of salvation as that plan is presented in the Bible and Church teaching.
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- Mary's importance in the family of God, and in your life of prayer, devotion, and personal witness.
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- Explore the biblical foundations of Catholic belief in Mary’s immaculate conception, her perpetual virginity, her assumption into heaven, and her heavenly coronation.
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- "For Mary fills the pages of Scripture from the beginning of the first book through the end of the last. She was there, in God's plan, from the begining of time, just as the apostles were, and the Church, and the Savior, and she will be there at the moment everything is fulfilled. . . . Let's walk with God's people through the moments of creation and fall and the promise of redemption, from the giving of the Law to the establishment of a kingdom. At every turn we'll find the promise of a homeland, complete with a dazzling queen who is also a mother to her people. At every turn we'll also find the promise of a home, complete with a mother who is also a powerful intercessor for her children. At the most important stage, we will find a queen mother, who alone can complete Christ's kingdom and His home." -- from Hail, Holy, Queen.
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Apologetics Foundations Track
Books for Further Study:
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- 560-pages, lavishly illustrated, complete course of Bible study.
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- Guides readers through the Bible book-by-book, explaining key events, characters and difficult passages. Shows how each book "fits" into the grand story of salvation that is being unfolded in the pages of Scripture.
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- "This is perhaps my most important book. I hope this book will find its way into the hands of every Catholic -- especially high school students for whom it was principally written." -- Dr. Scott Hahn
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- 12 of the country's top apologists explore the biblical roots of the Mass and its power in our everyday lives.
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- Essays on the Mass as sacrifice; the Jewish roots of the Mass; the Eucharist in the early Church; and more.
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- "At the time, I did not know how to answer my friends' concerns about the Mass. But . . . I began to understand how biblical the Mass really is. I came to see how practically every prayer, hymn, response, and ritual action is saturated with images, themes, and quotes from sacred Scipture." -- from Catholic for a Reason III
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- Drawing from Scripture and the arts, literature and liturgy, history and spirituality, leads readers on an unforgettable journey into the heart of Catholicism.
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- Hundreds of quotations and stories -- from the Bible; from saints, mystics, spiritual masters, and martyrs; from hymns, novels, plays, and poems.
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- "This is a book about Catholics -- who we are, what we believe, and why we believe and do the things we do. . . . Whether or not you are Catholic, this book invites you to take another look at the Catholic faith. In this book you have the chance to enter into a conversation with Catholics from every continent and walk of life from the last two thousand years. It is a conversation about the biggest questions -- the only ones that matter, really: Who is Jesus? Who is God? Why do we need a church? Who are we, where do we come from, where are we going, and how do we get there?" -- from The Catholic Passion.
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