Books

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ethan_catholic

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Hi. I am almost done with the Salvation Controversy and am wondering of any good beginner books on apologetics or theology that people would suggest that wouldn’t be too over the head for someone beginning to actually grow in their faith! I am a college student who is involved with Cru so, I have a lot of protestant friends, so I get a lot of questions from them.
 
Marco’s recommendations are excellent; Theology for Beginners, by Frank Sheed would be another to add to those selections.
 
I strongly encourage you to read:

The World’s First Love
Mary, Mother of God

written by Fulton J. Sheen, Archbishop who is being considered for sainthood.

Originally written in 1952 with reprints by Ignatius Prints in 1996 and 2010.

He writes with such eloquence and it is very easy to understand. He gives a full explanation of our Blessed Mother’s role in her life, the Passion of Christ and how she is our mother also. Each chapter opens your eyes to a way to resolve different problems in the world and our lives.

It will defininetly help you if ever discussing our Blessed Mother with someone who does not understand why Catholics love and pray to her so much. A must read.
 
ethan_catholic said:
Hi. I am almost done with the Salvation Controversy and am wondering of any good beginner books on apologetics or theology that people would suggest that wouldn’t be too over the head for someone beginning to actually grow in their faith! I am a college student who is involved with Cru so, I have a lot of protestant friends, so I get a lot of questions from them.
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The Beginning Apologetic ** series by Father Frank Chacon and Jim Burnham is pretty good. “This is the Faith” by Canon Francis Ripley was very helpful for me understanding what the Catechism is saying. It wasn’t difficult for me to read Robert Sungenis book, “Not by Scripture Alone,” so I am thinking his other books are not hard either (“Not by Bread Alone”** and “Not by Faith Alone”).

I saw MarcoPolo suggested one of Patrick Madrid books. I would also suggest “Answer Me This” (also from Patrick Madrid). I bought this book for my brother and he said he likes it.
 
Read “Surprised by Faith” edited by Patrick Madrid. It is full of conversion stories. You get a lot of apologetic points in a fun format. It was the first apologetic book I read, and I give it out as gifts.

Another good one is “Four Witnesses” by Rod Bennett about St. Justin Martyr, St. Clement of Rome, St. Iraeneus and St. Ignatius - all Early Church Fathers who clearly show that the Early Curch was Catholic.
 
Try Hell and Other Destinations byPiers Paul Read–popular apologetics by England’s foremost apologist and best selling author.
 
Get the small paper back version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church

and read it…from cover to cove…

and the Compendium …
 
Thanks for the helpful considerations! Also, I am looking to buy a book on predestination and the different views that can be held on predestination that are inline with the catholic Church’s theology.
 
-The Catechism of the Catholic Church
-Theology for Beginners by Frank Sheed
-Theology and Sanity and Frank Sheed
**-Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma by Ludwig Ott **(This one may be a bit too esoteric for a beginner, but it is VERY important. It tells you what is de fide teaching, or what is binding for all faithful Christians to believe.)
-Aquinas by Ed Feser
-The Last Superstition by Ed Feser
-The Essential Catholic Survival Guide
-Catholicism and Fundamentalism by Karl Keating
-A Biblical Defense of Catholicism by Dave Armstrong

It is important to get your theology and Church teaching squared away. Trust me, I had to learn the hard way. Because I did not understand my faith well enough, I was not able to discern that the objections of atheists/non-Christians were all strawman that did not apply to Catholicism. Lesson: before you start doing contra Protestantism or contra atheism apologetics, learn about your own faith.

If you ever want to talk or get more suggestions, I am just a PM away!
 
So, online on Amazon there are two versions of the catechism. There is a green colored one and a white colored one. What one should I get?
 
ethan_catholic said:
Thanks for the helpful considerations! Also, I am looking to buy a book on predestination and the different views that can be held on predestination that are inline with the catholic Church’s theology.
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Predestination by Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P. should fit the bill.
 
ethan_catholic said:
So, online on Amazon there are two versions of the catechism. There is a green colored one and a white colored one. What one should I get?
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Get the green colored one. The paper quality and binding is so much better. It’s well worth the extra money.
The white one I had, and others I’ve seen, are similar to the cheap pocketbooks where pages are stiffer and can eventually break loose from the binding.
(The contents are the same in both versions.)
 
ethan_catholic said:
So, online on Amazon there are two versions of the catechism. There is a green colored one and a white colored one. What one should I get?
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I would recommend the green cover, The white has a topical index, but the green also has the citations indexed.
 
Windfish said:
**-Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma by Ludwig Ott **(This one may be a bit too esoteric for a beginner, but it is VERY important. It tells you what is de fide teaching, or what is binding for all faithful Christians to believe.)
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This is an awesome book. If you get this book, I suggest you read it with Dezinger Sources of Catholic Dogmas. Ludwig Ott takes a lot of material from it. It is a collection of documents and letters from counsils, popes, and Church Fathers that shows the teachings of the Catholic faith.
 
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