How do I get started studying apologetics?

I’d start with the basics and know them like the back of your hand: the New Testament and the Catechism. If you know these sources by heart, you will be able to field the majority of basic questions and even critical arguments made against the Catholic faith.

After that, you should move on to learning about various topics within apologetics and read extensively about one of them over a week or two. Don’t expect to master the topic, just become more familiar with it. Once you’ve studied a decent amount, talk about the subject with non-Catholic friends or family members. The early-twentieth-century apologist Frank Sheed required the members of his Catholic Evidence Guild to do just that, except they were asked to engage strangers in dialogue in London’s Hyde Park. If you want a similar experience, contact a local affiliate of St. Paul’s Street Evangelization (streetevangelization.com). Its members set out tables with Catholic literature and talk to people about the Faith in parks or other public venues.

Finally, please consult my “Ultimate Apologist’s Reading List” available at catholic.com if you’d like recommendations on book that will help you defend your faith.