First of all, I love Imitation of Christ by Kempis. My daughter used one of the chapters in this book as a reading at her wedding a few months ago.
However, I would like to advise the OP that if he/she is from an evangelical background, you will find the book hard to take at first and possibly find it upsetting. It may even scare you away from Catholicism. It has a lot of practices of theology in it that are so totally opposite of what you were raised with. he very idea of totally disregarding all earthly things is very, very difficult for the evangelical mind to grasp, as we were taught to use all things to God’s Glory. Also, a reader has to keep in mind that the book was written for monks and other religious, not people who live and work in the secular realm. Sometimes it’s a little difficult to apply the advice in the book to a busy 21st Century lifestyle.
I really love The Heart and Soul of Imitating Christ–A Fresh Look at the Thomas a Kempis Classic, by Mitch Finley. This book brings everything up to date and helps a modern person understand how the principles in Imitation of Christ can be applied to our lives today.
Also, some of the books that the posters are recommending are indeed fine. But they present Catholicism to those who are already committed Catholics, and may scare you a little if you are truly new to the faith.
I know that some of you will disagree with me for making such a statement. But remember, I am a convert. Are you? If you grew up Catholic, you will not necessarily understand what I am trying to say here.
Compare it to swimming. Some people say that the best way to learn to swim is just to plunge into the deep water. I say that’s a good way for most people to drown, although some people can handle it. Maybe if you were a convert, you were one of those people who plunged right in and immediately rose to the top triumphantly.
But I say that most people who learn to swim learn by starting out in the shallow end learning how to do the breathing technique first, then add the kicks and the stroking and floating, and finally venture into the deep end to put it all together.
Same for Catholicism. I think it’s good to start out with the elementary things and then move on to the heavy stuff. Maybe that’s not your style, and maybe it’s not the OPs style. But I think it’s a wise way to do things for most people who are considering converting to Catholicism.
So to the OP, if you are looking for more modern books that present Catholic apologetics and spirituality in an easily-usable format, then I highly recommend Scott Hahn’s great books. He is a convert from Presbyterianism and now teaches at Franciscan University at Steubenville.
Another great read is Evangelical Is Not Enough by Thomas Howard. LOVE THIS BOOK–it was definitely the key book that helped me decide once and for all to become Catholic.
And a Protestant book that helped me decide to become Catholic is Chuck Colson’s Being the Body. Yes, Protestant! If you are evangelical Protestant, you know who Chuck Colson is. This book is fantastic–I recommend it to Catholics, too. To this day, I feel that Mr. Colson has written the BEST and most glorious description of how Pope John Paul II helped to bring about the fall of Communism in Europe. There is also a touching passage describing a friendship between him and a nun, and how he came to the conclusion that using the Sign of the Cross in prayer is a GOOD thing! I pray that Mr. Colson will one day become Catholic. He has such an amazing mind.
