Books on the Catholic faith

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ashnicole

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Hey everyone,
I found this forum last night, and so far its a wonderful place! I’m learning a lot already. I am not Catholic, but for years I have been wanting to convert. I plan to start the RCIA classes this August. But until then I would like to learn as much as I can regarding the Catholic faith. I already do know a good deal from what I picked up over the years, but I was wondering if anyone has read any good books that they could recommend to me as far as traditions and practices go and so on. I went to the bookstore the other day (actually to get something else) and ended up in the religion isle, so I started to look for the Catechism. I found it but there were actually 3 different ones, one was called something along the lines of the Catholic Catechism for Adults (actually the words united states were in the title as well, I’m not sure of the exact title). So then I started wondering if all printed Catechisms were the same or not. So I guess that’s all my questions for now, I’m sure I’ll have more soon.🙂

thank you,
ashley
 
most catechisms are based on the council of trent which was in the 16th century. this is where the old Baltimore catechism came from. it is still valid and i would say much more approachable for beginners then the modern one. however the holy father pope john paul II in the early 90s decided that we should have a new catechism for the modern age. thats where we got The Catechism of the Catholic Church. this is the brand new catechism and when you go to rcia class is the one your going to get. so i would suggest that you get this one. if you would like you can still find the Baltimore catechism online i can’t remember the exact site but if you google Baltimore catechism you will find it.

Also there is a very good series by Father Corapi on the Catechism of the Catholic Church he goes through the whole thing and explains everything. you can get it from his website fathercorapi.com. however it is not cheap so if you can catch it in reruns on ewtn i would do that. any book that you find on ewtn religious catalog is good also i recommend a book called we believe that goes through all of the things that catholics believe.
 
Here is a link to the Catechism of the Catholic Church online. This is the full version released by the Vatican. It’s meant to be very elaborate and thorough, although some people may find it a bit heavy. It does, however, instruct that other groups can and should create their own, easier to understand versions of the Catechism off of this one.

vatican.va/archive/ccc/index.htm

Also included at this site is the Compendium to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which is the same material, presented in a question-and-answer format, which many people find easier.

Now, while the Catechism should always be your definitive resource about the faith, a really great and easy book to get is “Catholicism for Dummies”, by Fathers John Trigilio and Kenneth Brighenti. It’s easy to read and understand, but never short on real facts. It’s also surprisingly thorough. Even long time Catholics would probably learn something from it. As an aside, do NOT get the similarly named “Idiot’s Guide to Catholicism”, which is written from a very liberal slant and contains several serious outright factual errors.

Here’s a link to the book at Amazon.com:

amazon.com/Catholicism-Dummies-John-Trigilio/dp/0764553917/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241844630&sr=8-1
 
Ashley - As far as traditions and practices go, most “traditional” Catholics attend the pre-Vatican II Mass, also referred to as the “Tridentine” or “Latin Mass” or “Extraordinary” form of the Mass. Pope Benedict only recently liberalized the Latin Mass to make it more accessible to Catholics worldwide.

After Vatican II (1960’s), the liturgy was changed from Latin to the vernacular (English, for example). The new Mass was then called the “Novus Ordo” Mass.

In your research into traditions of the Church, you might want to see if any parishes in your area have a Tridentine Mass. If so, I would encourage you to attend if only as a learning experience. These Masses are longer, spoken entirely in Latin (aside from the homily, etc.), and usually have Gregorian Chant. Check your Archdiocese web site, or just use Google to find a Latin Mass near you.

Others prefer the Novus Ordo Mass, which is said in English, and is the most common liturgy today. The Masses differ, and each has its own positive attributes depending on your preference. Some prefer a more traditional Latin Mass, others prefer to hear the Mass in English only.

If you are looking for books on the traditions of the Catholic Church, you might try picking up a copy of the book, Christian Prayer, which is a shortened form of the 4 volume Liturgy of the Hours (“LOTH”). The LOTH is the modern day version of the “Divine Office” recited by devout Catholics daily worldwide. It is the prayer of the Church said daily, and consists of reciting the various Psalms and prayers.

Other books I would recommend: Thomas Kempis’ classic, The Imitation of Christ. I also like, *The Mystical City of God *in 4 volumes by Venerable Mary of Agreda.

My favorite book is the Roman Missal of 1962 by Baronius Press, which is used in the traditional Latin Mass. It has the entire Mass in Latin and English, and is a “must have” resource for traditional Catholics. There are also plenty of traditional Catholic prayers in this book as well. Leaflet Missal has these on their web site.

Lastly, pick up a copy of The Raccolta by Rev. Joseph P. Christopher. It has a very extensive collection of official Catholic prayers. These books should be enough to get you started.

You might also try Leaflet Missal at www.leafletonline.com for book ideas.
 
This site has many catechisms of the Catholic Church all together to read. They all answer questions about the faith. The Baltimore Catechism is very good because it is very clear. 🙂

To learn about the faith you should read the writings of the saints.

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori is a great bishop and Doctor of the Church who quotes many of the saints in his writings. You should read his books, and St. Francis de Sales’ works as well.

These are saints that are very helpful in explaining the Faith. Later you will enjoy mystical theology, like St. John of the Cross’s writings.

You can buy their books and find some of them online for free by using a search engine. 🙂

I recommend looking for a parish that celebrates the Latin mass in your area, as these parishes not just because of the Latin, but because they are traditional are more likely to give you a good catechesis to enter the Church with, rather than one that may be misguiding because of the personal preferences of the people involved, Catholic education today often does not, sadly, live up to its proper standards.

Because of that you have to be careful to study what the Church teaches for yourself on important questions as well as ask questions at your parish – you study through read the writing of the Church’s authorities and saints and you make certain you speak to those who are not going to change the Church’s teachings to be popular with the world but instead give you the authentic teachings of Christ. 🙂

Deo gratias! 🙂
 
I second the “Catholicism for Dummies” recommendation. I’ve read it once and I plan on reading it again real soon. When I first read it, I knew nothing about Catholicism and it gave me a great deal of information. Now that I’m a (new) Catholic, I want to reread it to see if there’s anything I can learn from it again.

I just read the Compendium to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and I have to say, it wasn’t for me. Some of the answers were very vague. It is a great reference point because it does direct you to the relevant area of the Catechism, but I just thought it could be a little more in-depth. I would still recommend it as a good reference or a way to find an answer to your questions quickly.

I did enjoy the United States Catechism for Adults also. Each chapter starts with a story about a particular person that was influential in Catholic history, and then uses that story to teach about different areas of Catholicism. I highly recommend this book.

Have you been to Mass? If not, go (just don’t receive Holy Communion)! And while you’re there, look at the reading materials located in the back of the parish. You should find some good stuff; my parish has a small missal that has prayers and daily readings in it.

Best of luck to you and welcome to the forums.
 
^ yes I’ve been to Mass a good number of times. It was actually during the comformation process into my old church that I went to my first Mass. One of our lessons was to attend a different form of worship and compare it to ours, so I went to Mass with my mentor and one of my friends, and actually really liked what I saw. Growing up I wasn’t very religious, and I had a really hard time at my church (fitting in, and what not, but that’s a long story). The only reason I went through the process of joining was because my mom forced me, and only being 13 I didn’t have much say in the matter. But the first time I went to Mass I actually felt like that was where I belonged.

StGerardMajella- I’m really curious to go to a Latin Mass now. I was looking online at the church’s website (the church that I’m thinking about doing my RCIA classes at) and I think they have a Latin Mass stanthonylancaster.com/ that’s the site…am I right? It says Latin Mass next to one of the times anyway. Hopefully it is, as I have off work tonite (and I rarely manage that) and would love to go.

And as far as the book Catholicism for Dummies goes, I actually bought that about 3-4 years ago. I didn’t get around to reading all of it, and part of me always wondered if it was
something beneficial to be reading. But I’m glad to see so many people recommended it, I’ll go pull it back out and finish reading it.

Thanks for all of the book recommendations, they all sound wonderful. Hopefully I’ll be able to find some around here. Do you think Barnes and Noble’s would have any of them? We also have a Christian bookstore, but I don’t know if I’ll have any luck there, as I was in there last night to get something for my mom’s sunday school, and I was looking for the New American Bible but I didn’t see any at all. There is a small Catholic store in downtown, that does have a few books, so maybe I’ll be lucky and find something there. Thanks for all the replies…and keep the book recommendations coming (i just got my wisdom teeth pulled so I have a nice week to do nothing but relax and read 🙂 )
 
ashnicole said:
^ yes I’ve been to Mass a good number of times. It was actually during the comformation process into my old church that I went to my first Mass. One of our lessons was to attend a different form of worship and compare it to ours, so I went to Mass with my mentor and one of my friends, and actually really liked what I saw. Growing up I wasn’t very religious, and I had a really hard time at my church (fitting in, and what not, but that’s a long story). The only reason I went through the process of joining was because my mom forced me, and only being 13 I didn’t have much say in the matter. But the first time I went to Mass I actually felt like that was where I belonged.

StGerardMajella- I’m really curious to go to a Latin Mass now. I was looking online at the church’s website (the church that I’m thinking about doing my RCIA classes at) and I think they have a Latin Mass stanthonylancaster.com/ that’s the site…am I right? It says Latin Mass next to one of the times anyway. Hopefully it is, as I have off work tonite (and I rarely manage that) and would love to go.

And as far as the book Catholicism for Dummies goes, I actually bought that about 3-4 years ago. I didn’t get around to reading all of it, and part of me always wondered if it was
something beneficial to be reading. But I’m glad to see so many people recommended it, I’ll go pull it back out and finish reading it.

Thanks for all of the book recommendations, they all sound wonderful. Hopefully I’ll be able to find some around here. Do you think Barnes and Noble’s would have any of them? We also have a Christian bookstore, but I don’t know if I’ll have any luck there, as I was in there last night to get something for my mom’s sunday school, and I was looking for the New American Bible but I didn’t see any at all. There is a small Catholic store in downtown, that does have a few books, so maybe I’ll be lucky and find something there. Thanks for all the replies…and keep the book recommendations coming (i just got my wisdom teeth pulled so I have a nice week to do nothing but relax and read 🙂 )
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Definitely Barnes & Nobles will have them, Amazon too online. Also seriously consider Tan Books, you can order through their online bookstore for Catholics too, and they have a great selection of good books. I like supporting booksellers that don’t also stock bad books when I have a choice.

I wouldn’t recommend the NAB’s commentary or footnotes as they are very revisionist, going too far – if you use the NAB to study the faith be very careful of the footnotes. A Douay-Rheims Bible is a very good choice though, generally for both the words and the commentary being accurate. 🙂
 
I was gonna ask about bibles in another post, but since I brought it up… I only said the NAB because that was the one that my old roommate in college had at one point, and I don’t know what other translations Catholics use. Since I am planning on converting, I am assuming that I should purchase a new Bible. The one that I currently own I received back when I was starting middle school and if I remember correctly its the NIV. So thanks for the suggestion, and I’ll go look into that Bible.

And I was looking around on the Tan website, it turns out that the Abbey store (the little Catholic store I mentioned earlier), actually carries books from Tan and can order from them. So I think I’m going make a stop there on Monday, and see what they have in stock/order some things. The Barnes and Noble near me didn’t have really anything in stock. And well I like to support local business when I can.

Thanks! 🙂
ash
 
ashnicole said:
I was gonna ask about bibles in another post, but since I brought it up… I only said the NAB because that was the one that my old roommate in college had at one point, and I don’t know what other translations Catholics use. Since I am planning on converting, I am assuming that I should purchase a new Bible. The one that I currently own I received back when I was starting middle school and if I remember correctly its the NIV. So thanks for the suggestion, and I’ll go look into that Bible.

And I was looking around on the Tan website, it turns out that the Abbey store (the little Catholic store I mentioned earlier), actually carries books from Tan and can order from them. So I think I’m going make a stop there on Monday, and see what they have in stock/order some things. The Barnes and Noble near me didn’t have really anything in stock. And well I like to support local business when I can.

Thanks! 🙂
ash
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You can’t go wrong with anything from TAN. They sell the Douay-Rheims translation of the Holy Bible and they also have the best Catechetical book a new convert can read in my opinion:

tanbooks.com/index.php/page/shop:flypage/product_id/537/keywords/faith/
 
Ashley - Yes, it does look like they offer a Latin Mass at 6 PM on Saturday evenings…
 
ashnicole said:
Hey everyone,
I found this forum last night, and so far its a wonderful place! I’m learning a lot already. I am not Catholic, but for years I have been wanting to convert. I plan to start the RCIA classes this August. But until then I would like to learn as much as I can regarding the Catholic faith. I already do know a good deal from what I picked up over the years, but I was wondering if anyone has read any good books that they could recommend to me as far as traditions and practices go and so on. I went to the bookstore the other day (actually to get something else) and ended up in the religion isle, so I started to look for the Catechism. I found it but there were actually 3 different ones, one was called something along the lines of the Catholic Catechism for Adults (actually the words united states were in the title as well, I’m not sure of the exact title). So then I started wondering if all printed Catechisms were the same or not. So I guess that’s all my questions for now, I’m sure I’ll have more soon.🙂

thank you,
ashley
Click to expand...
Why do Catholics do what they do?
if you want a user friendly book, enjoyable to read, that you can take one topic at a time, as your questions arise, written by solid Catholic priests, get Catholicism for Dummies (the yellow one), at amazon or most bookstores. this covers what Catholics actually do and why they do it, and the doctrine and scriptural basis is introduced but not explained in great detail.

What do Catholics believe and why do they believe it?
if you want a very readable overview of the Catechism, the teachings of the Church, from scripture and sacred tradition, the best book to begin with is the US Catholic Catechism for Adults (the big red book, about $24) from the US bishops usccb.org or most Catholic publishers. Each chapter is 3-4 pages long, includes a saint, summary of doctrine, Q&A for study, meditation & prayer, a great self study, and there is an on-line study guide also on the bishops website. It does not replace RCIA which is about relationships, becoming part of the parish family as much as it is about learning doctrine.

you will most likely use the New American Bible in your RCIA class since that translation is used in liturgy in the USA. again, any Catholic bookstore or catalog will have it.

autom.com
ignatiuspress.com
leafletmissal.com
catholicdirect.com
usccb.org for books published by the bishops including the Catechism and USCCA, also has daily Mass readings and catechism on line
B&N & amazon have the catechism, and NAB and Dummies generally or can order them, but you may get better prices from a Catholic catalog
liguori.com

catholicity.com is a website with great links for not only purchasing Catholic books and items, but to topics of interest in the Catholic world
also a great catechism on line, very easy to search
 
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