Definitive Roman Catholic positions

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Matt14:
Wow, thanks for that link. That’s a great page. I did not know that there were only 15 passages that MUST be interpreted in a certain way according to the catholic church. Does this mean the rest is “open to interpretation,” but only among the priesthood?
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No, not just the priesthood. I am free, for example, to believe that the earth was created in 6 24 hour days or to believe that it took the Lord billions of years to get the universe to this point – as long as I agree that He is the one who did it. I am free to believe that Jonah literally spent 3 days and nights in the belly of the fish, or to believe that this tale is a parable . . . The Church tends not to hammer in any nail that doesn’t specifically need to be hammered.
 
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Della:
Yes. The Magisterium is the living organ of Sacred Tradition that interprets the words of Scripture and the teaching of the Apostles passed down to us through various means, such as the writings of the Early Church Fathers. You would find them of great interest, if you want to understand the beginnings of the Church and what the Church believed in the first 3 to 6 centuries.

Another important issue is the development of doctrine. For that I can recommend no one more than Cardinal John Henry Newman.
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Good suggestions. I’ve read quite a bit of the early church fathers while working on my undergraduate Biblical studies degree. Right now I’m working toward a masters in ministerial leadership, but Lord willing when that’s complete I will have opportunity to work toward a doctorate in theology and doctrine. These issues will weigh heavily in such a study as that.

You guys are helpful and open, and I appreciate that. Ya’ll probably get harrassed quite a bit on the 'net, and I’m glad you don’t let it get you down. It happens to us all!

in Christ,

Matt
 
Welcome to the forums here Matt14, feel free to ask any questions here also, but if you do make sure to make separate threads so we can answer clearly and not get derailed to much.

You will find we love to ask and answer questions here and as long as things are kept civil we discuss pretty much everything.

Once you get tired of discussion, you can go to the some of the other subforums to just share and relax.

God Bless
Scylla
 
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mercygate:
Good advice, YinYangMom. And if he gets to be a real maven, he can get a copy of the *Companion to the Catechism of the Cahtolic Church, *which has the complete quotations from the cited works.
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That sounds like a great supplimental resource.
I just discovered Catholicism for Dummies. It’s a good vademecum – not as dense as the Catechism but good for a basic introduction.
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I’m still learning, so what does “vademecum” mean?
 
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mercygate:
No, not just the priesthood. I am free, for example, to believe that the earth was created in 6 24 hour days or to believe that it took the Lord billions of years to get the universe to this point – as long as I agree that He is the one who did it. I am free to believe that Jonah literally spent 3 days and nights in the belly of the fish, or to believe that this tale is a parable . . . The Church tends not to hammer in any nail that doesn’t specifically need to be hammered.
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Good point. We can see that down through history, how when a “heresy” cropped up, the church pulled in tight and defined doctrine to combat it.

I suppose if a threat to the church arose based on the interpretation of Jonah, we might get a new council. 🙂
 
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Matt14:
Good suggestions. I’ve read quite a bit of the early church fathers while working on my undergraduate Biblical studies degree. Right now I’m working toward a masters in ministerial leadership, but Lord willing when that’s complete I will have opportunity to work toward a doctorate in theology and doctrine. These issues will weigh heavily in such a study as that.

You guys are helpful and open, and I appreciate that. Ya’ll probably get harrassed quite a bit on the 'net, and I’m glad you don’t let it get you down. It happens to us all!

in Christ,

Matt
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You’re very welcome! And thank you for asking your questions in a respectful way. We truly appreciate that. All the best to you in your studies and future ministry, wherever God may lead you.

Another author I must recommend or not sleep tonight is G. K. Chesterton. If you haven’t read his Orthodoxy or The Everlasting Man you are in for the treat of your life. Do read him, if you haven’t. I guarantee you will never see things quite the same way again!
 
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Matt14:
Thanks. I will make sure the catechism is my main source. 🙂
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I would also recommend that you observe how it’s organized: creed, sacraments, morals, prayer (i.e., what we believe, how we are to live, and how God strengthens us through prayer and the sacraments.)
 
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Matt14:
That sounds like a great supplimental resource.

I’m still learning, so what does “vademecum” mean?
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It’s Latin for “go with me” – not a “Catholic” word. Pocket-sized handbooks are called that. In the Lord Peter Wimsey detective novels by Dorothy L. Sayers, Lord Peter has written a little manual called “The Murder’s Vademecum.” The “Dummies” book is a little to large to be a vademecum, but has the easy access to information of a vademecum.
 
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Matt14:
Awesome, thanks!

BTW, are Karl Keating and Dave Armstrong respected Catholic authors? Are there others you would recommend more highly?
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I’ll let others comment on that. Personally, there are some interpretations of Keating I do not agree with. Not that he’s wrong, but what he puts forth is an interpretation. And as for other authors, what happened when I read Keating applies to them as well.

The interpretation of Just War Doctrine was and still is a biggie for me.

I got really confused for a while because I would read one author and then another on the same topic…both authors would present a different conclusion on how to regard a certain teaching…both using official Church references, scriptures to make their cases. And in the end, I came to be able to see where both positions could be correct. But that didn’t help me determine which I agreed with.

It was a fascinating exercise though, because by seeing how both authors use the same reference to prove their points, you can see for yourself how one could logically reach both conclusions.

And yet I love the writings of Christopher West and Scott Hahn…so I don’t want to discourage you from reading various author’s works.

I appreciate your zeal and am excited about the journey you’re on. You will find it fascinating. Ihope you stick around here because there are many good posters able and willing to help you out in any matter.
 
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scylla:
Welcome to the forums here Matt14, feel free to ask any questions here also, but if you do make sure to make separate threads so we can answer clearly and not get derailed to much.

You will find we love to ask and answer questions here and as long as things are kept civil we discuss pretty much everything.

Once you get tired of discussion, you can go to the some of the other subforums to just share and relax.

God Bless
Scylla
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Thank you Scylla. I appreciate the welcome. You and I may have crossed paths at Bible forums dot org. I’ve been a moderator there for about two years. 🙂

This is a really nice, well run forum, and I appreciate the atmosphere here. Thanks again for the warm welcome.

in Christ,

Matt
 
So far the selection of books has been good, but I would like to add one myself:

The Spirit of Catholicism by Fr. Karl Adam (it’s one of my favorites, and probably one of the best all around books written on the Catholic Church.)
 
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Della:
You’re very welcome! And thank you for asking your questions in a respectful way. We truly appreciate that. All the best to you in your studies and future ministry, wherever God may lead you.

Another author I must recommend or not sleep tonight is G. K. Chesterton. If you haven’t read his Orthodoxy or The Everlasting Man you are in for the treat of your life. Do read him, if you haven’t. I guarantee you will never see things quite the same way again!
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Bookmarked 'em!

And thank you so much for the encouragement.
 
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YinYangMom:
I’ll let others comment on that. Personally, there are some interpretations of Keating I do not agree with. Not that he’s wrong, but what he puts forth is an interpretation. And as for other authors, what happened when I read Keating applies to them as well.

The interpretation of Just War Doctrine was and still is a biggie for me.

I got really confused for a while because I would read one author and then another on the same topic…both authors would present a different conclusion on how to regard a certain teaching…both using official Church references, scriptures to make their cases. And in the end, I came to be able to see where both positions could be correct. But that didn’t help me determine which I agreed with.

It was a fascinating exercise though, because by seeing how both authors use the same reference to prove their points, you can see for yourself how one could logically reach both conclusions.

And yet I love the writings of Christopher West and Scott Hahn…so I don’t want to discourage you from reading various author’s works.

I appreciate your zeal and am excited about the journey you’re on. You will find it fascinating. Ihope you stick around here because there are many good posters able and willing to help you out in any matter.
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Great points!

And I think I will stick around a while. 😉
 
E.E.N.S.:
So far the selection of books has been good, but I would like to add one myself:

The Spirit of Catholicism by Fr. Karl Adam (it’s one of my favorites, and probably one of the best all around books written on the Catholic Church.)
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I’ll add that one to my list, too.

I may have to lock myself in my study area to read everything. 😃
 
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Matt14:
I’ll add that one to my list, too.

I may have to lock myself in my study area to read everything. 😃
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👋 Hi, Matt. As a moderator, you’ll know that the occasional crank might break into this thread and act like a jerk. Sometimes people do that because Catholics have been shot at so many times. You’ll know to ignore that sort of thing, I am sure.
 
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Matt14:
Awesome, thanks!

BTW, are Karl Keating and Dave Armstrong respected Catholic authors? Are there others you would recommend more highly?
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If your not already overwhelmed, David Currie, Mark P. Shea, Stephen K. Ray, Patrick Madrid, Marcus Grodi, and others, not necessarily recommended more highly but highly recommended!
One other book I would suggest is The Sources of Catholic Dogma,
Denzinger, currently offered by Loreto Publications…you can find them on the net at www.LoretoPubs.org
 
To have a proper understanding of the Catholic point of view on grace, I would highly recommend “Glories of Divine Grace,” by Fr. Matthias Scheeben. I read it for the first time about a year and a half ago, I decided to pick it up again recently, and it is an awesome book. Not only will it give you a good idea of how we view grace and our relationship to the Trinity, but it will also give you a good kick in the butt to persevere in grace, and it will make you desire grace.

I think it is a book that every christian should read.
 
mercygate said:
👋 Hi, Matt. As a moderator, you’ll know that the occasional crank might break into this thread and act like a jerk. Sometimes people do that because Catholics have been shot at so many times. You’ll know to ignore that sort of thing, I am sure.
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Of course. 🙂
 
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