What does apologetics mean? It is a theological discipline concerned with the defense of the Christian Faith. One who is an apologist is one who speaks or writes on behalf of the teachings of the Church. St. Jerome tells us that 'one who is well grounded in the testimonies of the Scripture is the bulwark of the Church.'

As a Catholic, one should prepare themselves for basic questions about the Faith. Not that you must be a theologian, but we should understand some important basic teachings of the Church. Many non-Catholics (and even many Catholics) unfortunately have a misguided view about what the Catholic Church actually teaches, but when someone has been given a clear explanation about what She really teaches, one may realize that what the Church teaches verses what one thought the Church teaches often differ in substance!


These tracts are provided by http://www.catholic.com/ and they contain some of the best explanations of important Church teachings, and they are concise and extremely reader friendly!


God & Christ

The Divinity of Christ

The Eternal Sonship of Christ

Filioque

God Has No Body

God in Three Persons

The One True God

The Trinity


Scripture & Tradition

Apostolic Tradition

The Old Testament Canon


Church & Papacy

Apostolic Succession

The Authority of the Pope Part 1

The Authority of the Pope Part 2

Origins of Peter as Pope

Peter's Primacy

Peter's Roman Residency

Peter's Successors



Mary & Saints

The Intercession of the Saints

Mary: Ever Virgin

Mary: Full of Grace

Mary: Mother of God

Private Revelation


Faith & Science

Creation and Genesis

Creation Out of Nothing

Do Miracles Still Occur?


Morality & Ethics

Abortion

Contraception and Sterilization

Early Teachings on Homosexuality


Sacraments

The Real Presence

Baptismal Grace

Bishop, Priest, and Deacon

Born Again in Baptism

Confession

Confirmation

The Permanence of Matrimony

Early Teachings of Infant Baptism

The Sacrifice of the Mass

Trinitarian_Baptism

Women and the Priesthood


Salvation

Mortal Sin

The Necessity of Baptism

Reward and Merit

Salvation Outside the Church


Last Things

The Antichrist

The Hell There Is!

Resurrection of the Body

The Roots of Purgatory


Non-Catholic groups

Astrology

Reincarnation

Sabbath or Sunday


Practical Apologetics

What "Catholic" Means