Book Reviews and More: 20 Answers The Communion of Saints - Karlo Broussard

20 Answers: The Communion of Saints

20 Answers Series from Catholic Answers

Karlo Broussard

Catholic Answers Press
ISBN 9781683572367

eISBN 9781683572381

eISBN 9781683572374

ASIN B096H8L743

I have read and I have read books in the 20 Answers series over 30 times. A few years ago I started with the 20 Answers Challenge when there were just 20 books in the series, at the time. I have benefited from each that I have read in the series, and have recommended many to friends and family. And each one has been educational, informative and has encouraged my faith. I have a Religious Studies Degree with a specialization in Roman Catholic Thought. I would have loved to have had these books as resources back then. They are great reads, and this is an excellent offering from Karlo Broussard. The description of the volume is:

“Doesn’t the Bible say we’re all saints?

How can the saints possibly hear the prayers of everyone on earth?

Isn’t praying to dead saints not only idolatrous but also the unbiblical practice of necromancy?

If Jesus is the “one mediator between God and men” (1 Tim. 2:5), isn’t it wrong to ask the saints to mediate for us with God?

Catholics believe that the souls of those who were saved by Jesus not only live forever in his presence, but that we who are still on earth have fellowship with them. This sense of solidarity with all those who live in Christ is ancient and unbroken—but it’s also a source of confusion and sometimes even hostility for non-Catholic Christians. 20 Answers: The Communion of Saints explains this beautiful Catholic teaching in a way that’s easy to understand and share, with solid biblical arguments dispelling many myths about our belief and practice regarding the saints.”

The description of the series is:

“The 20 Answers Series from Catholic Answers offers hard facts, powerful arguments, and clear explanations of the most important topics facing the Church and the world—all in a compact, easy-to-read package. Check out dozens of other topics in the 20 Answers Series of booklets published by Catholic Answers Press.”

The questions answered in this volume are:

1. Doesn’t the Bible say all Christians are saints?

2. How does someone become a saint?

3. Can someone stop being a saint?

4. Are there non-Catholic saints?

5. Doesn’t praying to saints make gods out of them?

6. Doesn’t the Catholic practice of asking the saints to pray for us contradict 1 Timothy 2:5?

7. Why would we seek the help of saints when we can go straight to Jesus?

8. What about Deuteronomy 18:10–12, which forbids communicating with the dead?

9. How can the saints in heaven intercede for us when the Bible says in Ecclesiastes that they aren’t conscious or don’t know anything?

10. How can the saints in heaven intercede for us when the Bible says God alone knows the hearts of men?

11. Why should we believe that the saints are aware of our prayers when they don’t do anything to save us from harm in our lives?

12. Is there any evidence in the Bible that the saints pray for us?

13. Does the Bible ever instruct us to pray to the saints?

14. Do early Christian sources outside the New Testament affirm the intercession of the saints?

15. How can the Catholic Church approve of having statues when the Bible forbids graven images in Exodus 20:4–6?

16. What about bowing in front of statues?

17. Is the Catholic Church’s veneration of relics from the saints nothing but superstition?

18. What is the biblical basis for the distinction between dulia and latria?

19. Do I have to believe what a saint says in his writings or private revelations?

20. Must I have a devotion to the saints?

The beginning of the introduction to this volume states:

“After the doctrines surrounding the Virgin Mary, the Catholic doctrine of the intercession of the saints may elicit more challenges from Protestants than any other topic. These tend to be of two types.

Some challenges are based on the idea that it’s not appropriate for Christians to request that the saints pray for them: either it takes away from the uniqueness of Jesus’ mediation or God outright forbids it as an “abominable practice” (Deut. 18:12). Other challenges are more practical: some Protestants may think that, in principle, requesting that the saints pray for us could be appropriate, but it’s just futile to do so because the souls in heaven aren’t able to intercede for us.”

And further on it states:

“It’s important that we have adequate answers to queries from Catholics as well. Catholics need to know the truth about the saints, and all Catholics have been called by Christ to experience the graces that can flow from having healthy relationships with those fellow Christians who are perfected in him. They are our brothers and sisters. Together, we are the “household of God” (1 Tim. 3:15). I pray that this booklet will help you enjoy more fully the blessings of this great family.”

When I was in university, I was involved with Campus Crusade for Christ, there was a series of booklets by the founder Bill Bright, called Transferable Concepts, and by reading them many times you could almost memorize them and the message so that you could share it. This book and this series are along those lines. You can easily work through this book in a couple of short sessions. And you could work through it a few times. And solidify the teaching in your own mind and heart. And thus be able to answer questions from non-Christians, non-Catholics and even other Catholics.

Over the last few years I have read many biographies of saints, most from the Catholic Truth Society. And I benefit from each of those books. This volume helped me solidify clearer answers for friends and family who ask why I read so much about Saints.

I have benefited from all the books in this series that I have read. Karlo has done an excellent job with this topic, and I am certain all who read this book will come away with a clearer understanding of the churches view on Saints.

Another excellent volume a great read in a wonderful series!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2021 Catholic Reading Plan!

20 Answers Series:

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

...

Other Books from Catholic Answers:
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
What the Saints Never Said - Trent Horn
...

Saturday, 18 December 2021

20 Answers The Communion of Saints - Karlo Broussard - 20 Answers Series from Catholic Answers

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