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Why Believe?: Answers to Life's Questions
A New Curriculum for the New Evangelization
The New Evangelization requires a new apologetics, that is, a defense of the faith that responds to the questions that believers and non-believers alike are asking today with philosophical and theological arguments rooted in Sacred Scripture, Catholic Tradition, and the best philosophical reflection available. Why Believe? offers just such a new apologetics and in a format that appeals to our contemporary desire for beauty.
A year-long apologetics course, Why Believe? is intended for the use in the senior year of Catholic and independent high schools as well as by home educators and in home-school cooperatives. The curriculum consists
- A two-volume textbook set
- 60 short-form videos produced by the award-winning Augustine Institute Studios (available at formed.org/whybelieve).
- A Teacher s Manual
The textbooks and videos are marked by significant works of art, literature, and Sacred Scripture, offering teachers the opportunity to enliven the student's experience of the apologetic material.
The Curriculum
The Why Believe? curriculum is composed of a two-volume textbook set along with 60 short-form videos produced by the award-winning Augustine Institute Studios.
Today's Catholic high-school students daily confront the implicit claim that our secular culture provides fully for human happiness. Why Believe? responds directly to that claim by a compelling argument that faith in Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son of God, is the only adequate answer to the human heart's desire for happiness. That argument unfolds over the 30 chapters of the two-volume textbook and is supplemented by two short-form videos per chapter. A significant feature of the Why Believe? textbooks is their beauty. Throughout the two volumes are dozens of high-quality photographic reproductions of significant artistic works. One of the series of videos provided on formed.org/whybelieve consists of commentaries on some of those artistic works. Teachers use the images in the text as the basis for their own expositions of the beauty of Catholic culture. The Why Believe? textbooks also include numerous discussions of significant works of literature (e.g. The Lord of the Rings, Macbeth, Pride & Prejudice ), compelling passages from Sacred Scripture (e.g., the Parable of the Prodigal Son and the Bread of Life Discourse from John 6), and the lives of Catholic witnesses and saints (e.g. St. Dismas, St. Polycarp, St. Augustine, Caryll Houselander, Fr. Walter Ciszek).
The New Evangelization requires a new apologetics, that is, a defense of the faith that responds to the questions that believers and non-believers alike are asking today with philosophical and theological arguments rooted in Sacred Scripture, Catholic Tradition, and the best philosophical reflection available. Why Believe? offers just such a new apologetics and in a format that appeals to our contemporary desire for beauty.
A year-long apologetics course, Why Believe? is intended for the use in the senior year of Catholic and independent high schools as well as by home educators and in home-school cooperatives. The curriculum consists
- A two-volume textbook set
- 60 short-form videos produced by the award-winning Augustine Institute Studios (available at formed.org/whybelieve).
- A Teacher s Manual
The textbooks and videos are marked by significant works of art, literature, and Sacred Scripture, offering teachers the opportunity to enliven the student's experience of the apologetic material.
The Curriculum
The Why Believe? curriculum is composed of a two-volume textbook set along with 60 short-form videos produced by the award-winning Augustine Institute Studios.
Today's Catholic high-school students daily confront the implicit claim that our secular culture provides fully for human happiness. Why Believe? responds directly to that claim by a compelling argument that faith in Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son of God, is the only adequate answer to the human heart's desire for happiness. That argument unfolds over the 30 chapters of the two-volume textbook and is supplemented by two short-form videos per chapter. A significant feature of the Why Believe? textbooks is their beauty. Throughout the two volumes are dozens of high-quality photographic reproductions of significant artistic works. One of the series of videos provided on formed.org/whybelieve consists of commentaries on some of those artistic works. Teachers use the images in the text as the basis for their own expositions of the beauty of Catholic culture. The Why Believe? textbooks also include numerous discussions of significant works of literature (e.g. The Lord of the Rings, Macbeth, Pride & Prejudice ), compelling passages from Sacred Scripture (e.g., the Parable of the Prodigal Son and the Bread of Life Discourse from John 6), and the lives of Catholic witnesses and saints (e.g. St. Dismas, St. Polycarp, St. Augustine, Caryll Houselander, Fr. Walter Ciszek).
283 pages, Paperback
Published May 14, 2019
About the author
Tim Gray
64 books38 followersDr. Timothy Gray is President and Associate Professor of Sacred Scripture at The Augustine Institute.
He received an MA from Franciscan University of Steubenville, ThM from Duke University, and PhD in Biblical Studies from Catholic University of America.
Under Dr. Gray’s guidance, the Augustine Institute has created Symbolon, a comprehensive program of faith formation for adults, YDisciple, to inform and inspire youth to deepen their relationship with Christ, Beloved, a twelve part series that explores the mystery and meaning of marriage for marriage enrichment and marriage prep programs, and Lectio an innovative series of Bible studies exploring topics through the lens of Scripture, Tradition and Art.
Tim and his wife Kris, and son Joseph, live in Littleton, Colorado.
He received an MA from Franciscan University of Steubenville, ThM from Duke University, and PhD in Biblical Studies from Catholic University of America.
Under Dr. Gray’s guidance, the Augustine Institute has created Symbolon, a comprehensive program of faith formation for adults, YDisciple, to inform and inspire youth to deepen their relationship with Christ, Beloved, a twelve part series that explores the mystery and meaning of marriage for marriage enrichment and marriage prep programs, and Lectio an innovative series of Bible studies exploring topics through the lens of Scripture, Tradition and Art.
Tim and his wife Kris, and son Joseph, live in Littleton, Colorado.
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April 10, 2021
I teach High School PSR for my parish and used this book as my curriculum. This is a very ambitious curriculum that the Augustine institute puts out for catholic high schools. I only have four students and have them for just one hour a week and had to adapt the curriculum to these limitations. The proof that it worked is the fact that all four of my students came regularly. The handbook for teachers was very helpful. In addition to the curriculum the Augustine Institute through its Formed websites provides several short videos for each chapter. The majority of these videos were also helpful. My only criticism of the curriculum and why I did not give it five stars is that some of the examples it used; for example, I think that there are more imaginative and relevant examples that the authors could have used which would more probably capture the imagination of today’s high school students. For example the curriculum used St.Polycarp as an example of a martyr. I would use St. Isaac Joguues, S.J. and the North American Martyrs.
Displaying 1 of 1 review