Dan Philpott and Jess Keating

The subject of the course is Catholic apologetics in the generation of millennials. Studies show that teens and young adults are leaving the Church in large numbers and that the ones who stay do not subscribe to Church teachings. Seeking to “meet them where they are,” the course begins with an examination of contemporary trends in the religious lives of millennials, with a particular focus on Catholics. It proceeds to examine the major reasons why millennials are leaving the Catholic Church and to engage students in arguments for and against the Church’s positions on: the rationality of God, science, sex and marriage, the Church’s role in historical injustices, and politics. In the final portion of the course, the syllabus pivots to a “positive apologetics” look at the case for the Church through beauty and the witness of the saints, modes of engagement that are said to appeal to the millennial generation. The course concludes with the case for the resurrection of Jesus.

• "Apologists, Catechists, Theologians: Wake Up!" by Bishop Robert Barron — After perusing the latest Pew Study on why young people are leaving the active practice of Christianity, I confess that I just sighed in exasperation. I don't doubt for a moment the sincerity of those who responded to the survey, but the reasons they offer for abandoning Christianity are just so uncompelling. That is to say, any theologian, apologist, or evangelist worth his salt should be able easily to answer them. And this led me (hence the sigh) to the conclusion that "we have met the enemy and it is us."
• Eden Invitation Homepage — Celebrating personal integration and promoting solidarity beyond the LGBT+ paradigm. Eden Invitation is rooted in the belief in everything contained in the word of God, whether written or handed down in Tradition, which the Church, either by solemn judgment or by the ordinary and universal Magisterium sets forth to be believed as divinely revealed. We firmly accept and hold each and everything definitively proposed by the Catholic Church regarding teaching on faith and morals.
• Webinar: Racism Is a Life Issue — A moderated discussion on racism and the culture of life with distinguished panelists G. Marcus Cole (Dean, Notre Dame Law School), Sen. Katrina Jackson (Louisiana State Senate), Ernest Morrell (University of Notre Dame), Gloria Purvis (EWTN Global Catholic Radio), Jacqueline Rivers (Harvard University), and Benjamin Watson (NFL Legend).
• Barron muses on evangelization, Bob Dylan and the infield fly rule — Barron is an endlessly smart, engaging, and articulate guy, and the fruits of our conversations are in the new book "To Light a Fire on the Earth: Proclaiming the Gospel in a Secular Age," published by Image Books and on-sale today.
• Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque