Nowadays Catholic are often confused by problems they do not understand, or by questions they do not know how to answer. Especially when one has to face the aggressive sectarians, who are "expert" in asking embarrassing questions, though they never answer when present by the others to reason about their tenets. It is therefore very necessary to be able to give meaningful answer to those who question our faith. Here is a book which can very useful for such purposes. 

Peter Kreeft is a professor of Philosophy at Boston College and very good teacher indeed. His style is lively, interesting, enriching. This book is written in the form of a dialogue between a Christian (Chris) and a non‑believer (Sal). The questions and answer follow smoothly in a very natural way; it follows the so‑called Socratic way: a question leads to another and the corresponding answers. 

The author was prompted to compose this book when he realized the effect of Religious Education among his, students: many abandoned Church and Faith, despite the fact that they had "studied" it. Why? He was amazed at the style of the textbooks of Religion, so dulled and so irrelevant for the students. The author says: This is the only honest reason why anyone should ever believe Christianity, or anything else: because it is true. it may also be helpful, comforting, challenging, relevant, responsible, creative, or dozens of other things; but they are not the first reason why an honest person believes it. They are the bloom or the rose of truth, the icing on the cake of truth. Too many books are all icing". Kreeft's book provides not only the "cream" on the cake but solid food, solid content, which he calls "the beef" of Christianity. 

The author writes ‑ as he puts it ‑ not what is new or nice or whatever, but first of all what is true. There are nineteen dialogues, dealing with basic problems like God's existence, the problem of evil, science and religion, miracles, resurrection, the truth of the Bible, the longing for heaven, the nature of hell, the value of other religions. All subjects are treated with full honesty. At the end, the books adds a list of recommended readings on each dialogue, very useful for those who would like to use this book for group discussion, or just for deepening each topic. 

The book wants to offer not only what all other book give, namely the common of Christianity, what all accept, what all take for granted; but also the difficult exigencies and demands of our Religion, that which makes Christianity different, that which God revealed to us, in a very American word: the meaning of "the greatest story ever told". The book is written with enthusiasm and brings enthusiasm to the reader, it gives a "vision" which guides the Christians in this unfriendly society, so secularized and secularizing. The reader will find a text full of wit and "juicy" truth. It makes the Christian feel happy, liberated from complexes and fears, because Christ is our both our God and Brother. 

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