STEUBENVILLE, OH —The Franciscan University of Steubenville Defending the Faith Conference, July 25-27, will equip Catholics with the knowledge and inspiration they need to bring the teachings of the Church to the world.

With 14 speakers and 19 talks, there are many opportunities to embrace the conference’s theme, “Holy and Heroic: The Courage to Be Catholic.” Conference planners say the focus will be on “how to win souls, not just arguments.” Topics will include Islam, Mormonism, the Crusades, atheism, the Christian meaning of marriage, and other apologetics and evangelization talks.

“We are living in a culture marked by hedonism and relativism, and now we are seeing a resurgence in atheism,” said John Beaulieu of the Christian Outreach Office. “For Catholics to be able to know and defend the faith, we need not only the grace of the Holy Spirit, but solid teaching and formation. Participants will be taught by some of the best theologians, apologists, and pastors in our Church today.”

Featured speakers include Tim Staples, director of Apologetics and Evangelization at Catholic Answers, who will speak on “Catholics and the Culture War”; Jeff Cavins, author of the Bible study program The Great Adventure: A Journey Through the Bible, who will address “From Envy to Contentment: Conquering What Is Not True!”; and Dr. Scott Hahn, the Father Michael Scanlan, TOR, Professor of Biblical Theology and the New Evangelization at Franciscan University, who will speak on “Saints and Angels: Holy and Heroic Help.”

On Sunday morning, Dr. Ian Murphy will give a testimony on his journey to Catholicism in his talk, “From Agnostic to Baptist to Catholic: The ABC’s of Conversion.” Murphy was the head pastor of a Baptist church before entering the Catholic Church in 2004. He is now a speaker and staff theologian for the Apostolate for Family Consecration in Bloomingdale, Ohio.

Other speakers and homilists include Patrick Madrid, Dr. Paul Crawford, Kimberly Hahn, Dr. Donald Asci, Father David Meconi, SJ, Dr. Alan Schreck, Bishop Jeffrey Monforton of Steubenville, Franciscan University President Father Sean O. Sheridan, TOR, and Dr. Benjamin Wiker.

To register or for more information, go to the Steubenville Conferences website at www.steubenvilleconferences.com/adult or call the Christian Outreach Office at 800-437-8368.