Nudging Conversions: A Practical Guide to Bringing Those You Love Back to the Church

by Carrie Gress

We all know someone—a parent, sibling, aunt or uncle, coworker, grandparent, child, neighbor, or friend—who has either left the Church or never discovered it. We want them to know the joy and peace we’ve discovered, but the last thing we want to do is to force our faith on them. So how can we bring our loved ones back to the Church? Jesus was the first and greatest evangelizer. As his disciples, we’re called to share in his mission—to spread his message to others. But going outside your comfort zone to engage the disengaged in meaningful conversations about Catholicism can be overwhelming. Fortunately there are common patterns that are easy to follow once you recognize them. In Nudging Conversions, Carrie Gress unveils those common patterns and offers a practical roadmap for reaching out to friends and family. You’ll learn the art of asking questions, when to speak and when to keep quiet, basic tools for talking to others about Jesus, how to answer questions about the faith, and more. Conversion doesn’t happen overnight—sometimes all it takes is a little “nudge.”

Genres: Catholic, Faith, Religion

115 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 15, 2015

About the author

Carrie Gress is a Fellow at the Washington, D.C.-based think-tank, Ethics and Public Policy Center and a Scholar at the Institute for Human Ecology at Catholic University of America.

Carrie Gress has a doctorate in philosophy from the Catholic University of America and was the Rome bureau chief of Zenit's English edition. She is the co-author with George Weigel of City of Saints: A Pilgrimage to John Paul II s Krakow and the author of Nudging Conversions, published by Beacon Publishing in 2015.

A mother of four, she and her family live in Virginia.

Reviews

[Philip Lopresto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice simple read. Not a lot of new information, but a lot of good quotes from the last the popes on evangelization.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gentle ideas, being grounded in your own beliefs. No check list of how to do this, yet worth contemplating. Best quote on p 83, "Culture is God's love made visible." Thus attraction by admiration.

[Laura L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Small book and beautifully written. I will read it again, to let the ideas root in my mind. Hopefully then I can have a discussion with those who have left the church. The author offers good suggestions in conversing in a non-judgmental manner, basically letting them ponder, to soak up the information.

[Rebecca The Files of Mrs. E, · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great little book! Not only did it give great advice for encouraging conversions in those around you and offer support as you struggle with those you love who might have left the church, but it also rejuvenated my own faith and reminds you what is important. It just refreshed my faith.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read. Solid and practical.

[Mesavoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christmas 2016