Jim Blackburn is the Founder and President of Catholic Questions. He is a popular apologist, author, and speaker. Jim holds a Masters Degree in Theology from John Paul the Great Catholic University and is the author of several books including 101 Quick Questions With Catholic Answers: Marriage, Divorce, and Annulment, 20 Answers: Scripture and Tradition, 20 Answers: The Papacy, 20 Answers: Divorce & Remarriage, 20 Answers: Homosexuality, and 20 Answers: The Early Church. Jim supervised the one-on-one apologetics Q&A department during his tenure with Catholic Answers where he also contributed dozens of articles to Catholic Answers Magazine and has been a regular guest on the Catholic Answers Live radio program for more than 15 years.
Talk Topics:
Q&A Open Forum: Just Like on Catholic Answers Live!
Always a favorite—just like on Catholic Answers Live—Jim takes questions from the audience and provides lively, thoughtful, and often entertaining answers that are always faithful to the magisterial teaching of the Catholic Church. Perfect for ministry leaders, religious educators, catechists, RCIA, Confirmation students, men's groups, women's groups--you name it. If you enjoy Catholic Answers Live, this talk is a must!
The Early Church: One Faith Handed Down in Truth
How did the Church begin and spread? Why is it important to learn about early Christianity? Who were the successors of the apostles and other leaders of the early Church? Were the doctrines and sacraments of the early Church different from those of the Catholic Church today?
As Catholics we can’t truly know who we are without knowing where we came from—those earliest Christians who, succeeding Jesus and the apostles, codified and built upon the teachings they inherited. The Early Church: One Faith Handed Down in Truth reveals the legacy of our forefathers in the Faith, showing how they lived and what they believed. And perhaps most importantly, how the Church they governed, guarded, and preached was the same Church that Jesus founded and the same Church that we have inherited almost two millennia later.
Scripture and Tradition: A Twinfold Source of Truth
In what forms does the word of God come to us? How do we know that the Bible is inspired, inerrant, and complete? Did the Catholic Church add extra books and “traditions of men” to God’s revelation in Scripture?
In Scripture and Tradition you'll find smart, solid answers to these questions and many more. It examines the first and most important issue in the Christian faith: the manner in which God has communicated to us the saving truths of the gospel. Only with a confident understanding of authority—sure knowledge of what is revealed truth and what isn’t—can we be certain that we are truly following Christ.
The Papacy: Upon This Rock
Where is a “pope” mentioned in the Bible? Why do we need a mere man to lead the Church—can’t we all just follow Jesus? Did the early Christians recognize that Peter and his successors possessed special authority? What do Catholics mean when they say the pope is “infallible”? Haven’t there been many bad and sinful popes throughout history?
In The Papacy you’ll find smart, solid answers to these questions and many more. The Papacy examines the evidence for the Petrine office found in Scripture, early Christian writings, and the Church’s long practice. It explains in clear and friendly language how the papacy is not only biblical and historical, but essentialfor preserving Christian unity of belief.
Homosexuality: Toward a Chaste Ordering of Desires
What does the Church actually teach about same-sex attraction? If God created certain people gay, how can we say that it’s sinful for them to live that way? Why should we listen to the Old Testament’s condemnation of homosexuality when Jesus never said anything about it? How can we build authentic bridges of understanding with friends and family members who experience same-sex attraction?
In an age where marriage and the family are being redefined and traditional Christian moral norms recast as “hate,” it’s more important than ever to understand and be able to defend those things. Homosexuality provides a faithful look at what the Bible, the Church, the natural law, and science have to say about same-sex attraction, and how we as Catholics and as a culture can respond with undiluted truth and compassionate love.
Marriage, Divorce, Annulment, & Remarriage: What God Has Joined
What is the meaning of marriage? What conditions can make a marriage invalid? Is a divorced Catholic allowed to receive Holy Communion? Why is it necessary to go through the annulment process before I can be remarried?
For Catholics, marriage isn’t just an institution: It’s a sacrament. In fact, almost 10 percent of the Code of Canon Law covers issues pertaining to marriage. But even if you don’t have the time to study all 111 marriage-related canons in the Church’s law books, you can still learn the ropes without getting tangled in them. In Marriage, Divorce, Annulment, & Remarriage you’ll learn about the sacrament of marriage as one of the holiest things instituted by Christ—a lifelong sign of the love between the Church and himself. But although marriage is by its nature a faithful and permanent union, because of human sin it sometimes fails to live up to that sign. Marriage, Divorce, Annulment, & Remarriage explains Church teaching on the indissolubility of marriage, and examines the pastoral and canonical realities for Catholics who wish to end their common life and marry another. Also learn the dos and don’ts of both Catholic and non-Catholic weddings, The truth about prenuptial agreements, The Church’s prudential teachings on mixed marriages, The distinctions between a valid marriage and a sacramental marriage, The proper context of human sexuality and procreation (otherwise known as marriage), The clear distinction between divorce and annulment. And much more. Participants will more fully understand the Catholic Church’s teaching and laws concerning marriage so that they can be assured of always treating marriage with the dignity and respect that God originally intended for this sacred institution.
