Well Done Basics: Tweeting With God by Michel Remery

Rose is teaching 5th grade Religious Education (Sunday School) which has led to a lot of conversation about how to answer questions about basics/hot button topics. That sent us to this book. It is great for getting a handle on simple, logical explanations that will resonate with secular folks (or can inform someone answering 5th graders' questions). I myself used it when heading a small group for RCIA.

I reviewed this in 2015 here it is again in case you missed it.

Tweeting with God: # Big Bang, Prayer, Bible, Sex, Crusades, Sin, Career . . . 

by Michel Remery

I'm a sucker for books about the basics. Even if I know a lot about something, there's always some new detail to learn. I also often find food for thought when something is expressed in a new, imaginative way. Best of all, it can give me simple ways to explain something I might know so much about that it's hard to remember what it felt like to just need the basic scoop.

That's why I like Tweeting with God.

It has simple explanations to questions young people have asked about the Catholic faith but includes enough detail to show that these aren't just knee-jerk answers. The part I like best is that all questions are welcome and no topic is taboo. I can't stress enough how important that has been to my own faith as well as in answering others' questions.

There are almost 200 questions, grouped into four sections ranging from God to the Church to personal (prayer, etc.) to ethics. It's got a vibrant, inviting design and each spread usually has a box with examples or additional information on a topic.

The book acknowledges that these aren't intended to be absolutely complete answers. They are intended to answer young people's questions. With that in mind, each question has references for further, deeper reading in the Catechism or YouCat.

I was happy to see that every touchy topic I read about was presented charitably, with understanding of outsiders' possible misconceptions, and fully in line with Church teachings. It has an imprimatur so I suppose I didn't need to worry but it never hurts to check up for yourself.

Here are a couple of pdfs you can check out. It should open up so you can look at the spread first but be sure to zoom in to read the pages and get a real feel for the writing.

• 1.3 Evolution or creation?
• 4.23 If the Church wants to protect life, why is it against condoms in Africa?

I picked a couple of controversial questions for samples. Rest assured, there are plenty of basic questions also. Just the other day we grabbed this book to look into exactly who the apostles are.

This is the perfect gift for those with questions, new Catholics, or people like me ... who spend a lot of time answering questions about the faith. In short, just about everyone!

UPDATE
The Curt Jester has a review up which covers some things that I didn't include since my post was getting so long. Check it out also.