There are few phenomena more nuanced and gradated than religious belief. Unlike many aspects of life which fall into a simple yes-no binary, one’s thoughts and feelings on God’s existence, man’s place in the world, and how one lives and sees the world are unique to each and every individual. Even those who ponder the question regularly will struggle articulating their faith at any given moment.
For this reason, many talented evangelizers and apologists will often speak past the audience most in need of their arguments. Rather, they will lavish their attention on the relatively small group of hardened atheists while the great mass of tepid theists are neglected. As a result, most of them stray from the faith because of some particular misunderstanding they never had resolved.
It is precisely for this group that writer and teacher David Bonagura, Jr. wrote his newest book, 100 Tough Questions for Catholics. As he declares in the first sentence of the book, “Studies show that the chief reason young people leave the Catholic Church is because their questions about their Faith are not answered.” Moreover, many of these questions have good answers to them, whether the issue is abortion, euthanasia, gender dysphoria, or what to think about other faiths.
In all but a few questions, many of Bonagura’s responses easily apply to all Christian denominations, so even most Protestant and Eastern Orthodox Christians can profit from reading the book and including it in their libraries. As a teacher with abundant experience, Bonagura understands all Christian communities are suffering an exodus of younger members primarily because this cohort has grown up in a culture that continually misinforms them about Christianity.
Besides answering questions that most religious authorities tend to overlook, Bonagura’s book is effective because of his emphasis on the “reasonableness of faith and a personal relationship with God in Christ.” At no point does Bonagura lazily resort to arguments that “the Bible says so,” nor does he squirm away from controversy by recommending a long list of books written by saints and philosophers. If he does quote scripture or recommend books, this is only after he lays the groundwork with a well-developed answer of his own.
As obvious as such an approach may seem, I can recall many instances in my own life as a young Catholic with plenty of questions growing up. I never really struggled with any serious doubts about God, Jesus, and the authority of the Bible, but there are a host of ancillary concepts, practices, and claims that required more elaboration than was typically given in religious education or the weekly homily.
When I asked the adults in charge of spiritual formation, they would regularly point me to the Catechism (a thick volume of Church teachings replete with scriptural and theological references), St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica (multiple thick volumes with hundreds of syllogisms that are also replete with scriptural and theological references), the Bible, or they would tell me to “offer it up to God” in prayer. Had I not had a natural interest in the subject, these responses would have put me off of religious belief altogether like they did with my peers.
During that time, I would have loved to have a book like Bonagura’s on hand to respond to people who attacked Catholics like myself for being homophobes who stupidly believe in a Sky Daddy. I could have explained the problems with using sexuality to define oneself, the need to regulate the sexual instinct, the purpose of chastity, and the overwhelming proofs for God. I could have been an effective voice for people with questions about life after death, natural law, and the nature of the clergy. Instead, my rebuttals were either incomplete or generally weak, leading me to avoid the subject of religion in my interactions with others.
In addition to his explanations on the usual objections to faith, Bonagura provides helpful explanations of the many elements of Christian worship, much of which can seem counterintuitive. He defines key ideas like what the sacraments are, why church attendance is essential, or God’s final judgment. More importantly, he also traces the sources of these concepts. In most cases, Christ Himself directs His disciples to do and believe these things, yet in some cases, it is scripture combined with tradition and common sense.
That said, the book is not without a few shortcomings. Even if Bonagura deserves credit for addressing these problematic issues, he doesn’t always provide an adequate defense of the Church’s teachings. This will likely not matter for the target audience of uninformed Catholics struggling to grasp the basics, but for Christians who are more conversant in these issues, they really will need to consult the usual references and prepare to read some difficult texts.
To his credit, Bonagura says as much in his conclusion, “More complete answers to these questions can be found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and in other teachings of the Church, especially as expressed by the writings of Pope St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.” At the very least, his book primes anyone who plans to pursue this course of study.
Overall, 100 Tough Questions for Catholics is an excellent resource for all Christians, particularly those interested in sharing the gospel with others. Christianity may have its fair share of mysteries, but nothing about it is so mysterious that it can’t be understood on a basic level. Everything and everyone in the Church has a reason to be there.