Book Reviews and More: 20 Answers Islam - Andrew Bieszad - 20 Answers Series from Catholic Answers

20 Answers - Islam
20 Answers Series from Catholic Answers Book
Andrew Bieszad
Catholic Answers Press
ISBN 9781941663295
eISBN 9781941663318
ASIN B01HC2U0E4

Fist I must state that writing this review will likely be the hardest of the 20 book in the series; in part because of walking a fine line between personal belief, and caution because of the current political climate. And in part because many people in today's culture see disagreement as criticism or attack. Andrew in the introduction to this booklet states:

"With more than a billion followers and fourteen centuries of history, Islam is one of the world's great religions. Among all the world's religions, however, no other has posed as great a challenge to the Catholic Faith. Muslims and Christians have attempted to convert and conquer each other since their first encounters more than a millennium ago, and in the present day Islamic militancy presents an ever-growing threat to Christians around the world.

Islam claims to be derived from the same Abrahamic faith tradition as Christianity, but in many ways the two religions are as different, and as incompatible, as oil and water. What are these differences? And how can we articulate them to others?

My goal in writing this book was to give Christians, and Catholics especially, a basic introduction to Islam: its beliefs, its practices, and its unique challenges to the Faith today. It is my hope this booklet will serve as a firm guide in learning more about this fascinating religion, and as a mission-challenge to the Church in the years to come."

And I believe he does a very good job of that. This past Lent I did the 20 Answers Challenge, read all 20 books in the Catholic Answers series. Currently you can get all 20 books for 50% off, an amazing deal, so get them while you can! They are some amazing reads. I rated 18 of the 20 with 5 out of 5 stars, and the other two got 4 stars. Holding a Religious Studies degree I have encountered Islam in a few courses during my undergraduate degree. And this booklet does a good job of being fair and objective about what Islam is, and how as Catholics we should interact with people of this faith. The 20 Questions that Andrew Answers are:

What is Islam?
Who was Muhammad?
What is the Quran, and how is it different from the Bible?
What are the "satanic verses?"
What are other sources of Islamic teaching?
What is the difference between the Sunni and Shia?
Do Muslims worship the same God as Christians?
What do Muslims believe about Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary?
What is the Islamic view of non-Muslims?
How did Islam spread?
What is sharia?
I have Muslim friends who are good and peaceful people. Doesn't that prove that Islam is a religion of peace and that Muslim terrorists are disobeying the teachings of Islam?
Isn't it unfair to criticize the Quran when the Bible also contains divine sanction of violence?
During the Crusades, didn't Christian armies once do the same kinds of things we criticize Muslim terrorists for today?
Is modern Islamic hostility towards the West a result of Muslim memory of the Crusades?
Doesn't Islam have a special relationship with Christianity and Judaism, because all three religions come from Abraham?
Aren't Muslims pro-life, and our allies in the fight against secularism?
Is Islam a threat to the Church?
How do you respond to people who claim that it's not tolerant, charitable, or even "Christian" to criticize Islam?
What's the right way for Catholics to dialogue with Muslims?

Of the 69 quotes used in this treatise about half are from the Quran, about a quarter are from the bible and the rest are from other supporting sources. Andrew does a great job of summarizing the history of Islam and specifically the drastic changes after the move from Mecca to Medina. He also clearly presents the 5 pillars of Islam. He also draws attention to the clear differences between the Bible and the Quran, and also the different views and approaches to Jesus and Mary.

This book is a challenging read, and as stated in the political climate will be even harder to practice. There will be many who read it and accept the politically correct or easy way out and just ignore it. Many will not even make the effort to read the book and be informed. But it is clearly and concisely written. Because of the size of the book can easily be read in 2 or three sittings by most adult readers. And will be a real challenge to both those who agree and disagree with Andre's answers.

This book is one of the few in the series with no overlap with any of the others. It really is a single point focus. With this being one of the more difficult topics in the 20 Answers Series, it must be stated that it is well worth the time to give it a read.

This is a good book in a great series, I highly recommend both.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!

Note 2: Currently this is an amazing series of books is being offered at a 50% discount so get it while you can. That is right you can get all 20 physical books or all 20 eBooks for just $34.95! If you want a way to go deeper this year give this series a try! #20AnswersChallenge

20 Answers: Relics & Sacramentals - Shaun McAfee

20 Answers: The Communion of Saints - Karlo Broussard

20 Answers Eastern Catholicism - Father Daniel Dozier

20 Answers Anti-Catholic Myths - Jimmy Akin

20 Answers The End Times - Jimmy Akin

20 Answers The Rosary - Tom Nash

20 Answers Seasons & Feasts – Michelle Arnold

20 Answers New Age - Michelle Arnold

20 Answers Catholic Social Teaching – Mark Brumley

20 Answers Prayer – Hugh Barbour O. Praem and Sebastian Walshe O. Praem

20 Answers Faith & Reason – Christopher Kaczor

20 Answers The New Testament – Jimmy Akin

20 Answers Protestantism – Jimmy Akin

20 Answers Marriage & Sex – Todd Aglialoro

20 Answers The Early Church – Jim Blackburn

20 Answers The Old Testament – Jimmy Akin

20 Answers Judaism – Michelle Arnold

20 Answers The Sacraments – Father Mike Driscoll

20 Answers St Thomas Aquinas - Dr. Kevin Vost

...

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Hard Sayings: A Catholic Approach to Answering Bible Difficulties - Trent Horn
A Daily Defense: Apologetics Lessons for Every Day - Jimmy Akin
The Apostasy That Wasn't: The Extraordinary Story of the Unbreakable Early Church - Rod Bennett
Answering Atheism - How to Make the Case for God with Logic and Charity - Trent Horn
Persuasive Pro Life: How to Talk About Our Culture's Toughest Issue - Trent Horn and Fr Frank Pavone
The Protestant's Dilemma: How the Reformation's Shocking Consequences Point to the Truth of Catholicism - Devin Rose
Behold Your Mother: A Biblical and Historical Defense of the Marian Doctrines - Tim Staples
Handed Down: The Catholic Faith of the Early Christians - James L. Papandrea
Demons, Deliverance, Discernment: Separating Fact from Fiction about the Spirit World - Fr. Mike Driscoll
Navigating the Tiber: How to Help Your Friends and Family Journey Toward the Catholic Faith - Devin Rose
100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura - Dave Armstrong
The Drama of Salvation: How God Rescues You from Your Sins and Brings You to Eternal Life - Jimmy Akin
The Truth is Out There (Brendan and Erc in Exile Book 1 - Brother Amadeus and Amadeus
...Memorize the Reasons! Defending the Faith with the Catholic Art of Memory - Kevin Vost
Marching Orders: A Tactical Plan for Converting the World to Christ - Dan McGuire
The Fathers Know Best - Jimmy Akin
Why We're Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love - Trent Horn
The Old Evangelization: How to Spread the Faith Like Jesus Did - Eric Sammons
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Friday, 21 April 2017

20 Answers Islam - Andrew Bieszad - 20 Answers Series from Catholic Answers

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