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barefoot_accountant
Guest
Can someone provide me a list of all the dogmas and doctrines of the church?
I am trying to find a comprehensive list.
I am trying to find a comprehensive list.
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Wesrock
Guest
There is not a comprehensive list published by the Church. Some helpful resources are the Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma by Ott and Denzinger’s Compendium Of Creeds, Definitions, and Declarations On Matters Of Faith and Morals (regularly just referred to by the author’s name, as Denzinger).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church isn’t a list, but it is certainly helpful.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church isn’t a list, but it is certainly helpful.
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I don’t think there is one.
There are two fine texts, Ott’s Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma and Denzinger’s Enchiridion Symbolorum. I am far more familiar with Ott. An excellent summary of Catholic moral theology is Jone, Moral Theology.
Just to state the obvious, the Catechism of the Catholic Church is regarded by some as containing everything you absolutely need to know, to profess the Catholic Faith and to live the Catholic moral life, but it is not quite as simple as saying “Catholicism is all in one book and that’s that”.
It really takes many years, probably a lifetime, of ongoing study, to understand Catholicism more and more deeply. And don’t forget that it is not all about knowledge. Prayer and pursuit of holiness are at the center of it all — not knowing absolutely every doctrine and dogma.
There are two fine texts, Ott’s Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma and Denzinger’s Enchiridion Symbolorum. I am far more familiar with Ott. An excellent summary of Catholic moral theology is Jone, Moral Theology.
Just to state the obvious, the Catechism of the Catholic Church is regarded by some as containing everything you absolutely need to know, to profess the Catholic Faith and to live the Catholic moral life, but it is not quite as simple as saying “Catholicism is all in one book and that’s that”.
It really takes many years, probably a lifetime, of ongoing study, to understand Catholicism more and more deeply. And don’t forget that it is not all about knowledge. Prayer and pursuit of holiness are at the center of it all — not knowing absolutely every doctrine and dogma.
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barefoot_accountant
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Absolutely - but in order to determine what is up for interpretation versus was has been determined to be a dogma or doctrine allows for a better understanding of where that line falls. I would like to make sure that I am in line with the dogmas and doctrine with the Catholic Church. How can I do that when I do not know what they all are?
Why hasn’t there been a list? Not saying it needs to go into extreme detail, but a basic list that can be used as a reference to than search and investigate further.
Why hasn’t there been a list? Not saying it needs to go into extreme detail, but a basic list that can be used as a reference to than search and investigate further.
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BartholomewB
Guest
As others have said, there is no such readymade list. However, in case it may help you find the answers to any specific questions, here is the online index to the catechism:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/index/a.htm
… and here is the catechism itself:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/index/a.htm
… and here is the catechism itself:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM
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farronwolf
New member
I found this list of 255 dogmas of the Church.
Not certain if this is helpful for you or not.
http://www.traditionalcatholicpriest.com/2015/09/19/a-list-of-the-dogmas-of-the-catholic-church/
Not certain if this is helpful for you or not.
http://www.traditionalcatholicpriest.com/2015/09/19/a-list-of-the-dogmas-of-the-catholic-church/
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Vico
Guest
Ott and Denzinger are the closest thing you are going to find, of which I am aware, that is what you are looking for. Both books are several hundred pages, and are not the easiest reading.
My best advice would be, to get a copy of the Catechism and read it from cover to cover. Do that first. Then after you’ve done that, dig deeper — that’s where sources such as Ott and Denzinger come in handy.
In the meantime, I would not worry about “being in line if you don’t know it all”. Almighty God does not demand the impossible. Just study what you can, with a heart that seeks the truth. You will know what you need to know, when you need to know it. There have been millions and millions of simple, faithful Catholics through the ages who didn’t “know it all”, probably couldn’t have assimilated “it all”, even if it had been taught to them, yet still attained holiness, sanctity, and saved their souls. That is far more important than being an expert on dogmatic theology.
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bpd_stl
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You have not mentioned anything about yourself or why you’re looking for a “list” other than basics. Not an accusation on my part by any means, just curious.
Speaking as a convert who approached Catholicism along (perhaps) the same line as you (e.g. “I want a list of what the Catholic Church declares as doctrine & dogma so I can research it myself”) I suggest the following, as other posters have already said:
Speaking as a convert who approached Catholicism along (perhaps) the same line as you (e.g. “I want a list of what the Catholic Church declares as doctrine & dogma so I can research it myself”) I suggest the following, as other posters have already said:
- make the effort (and it is a considerable one) to read the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) cover-to-cover. Depending on the free-time you have, this could take days or weeks. Pretty much everything (but not everything) is covered there.
- If you’re still not satisfied, then proceed to Denzinger. This will definitely put you to sleep if you have such issues.
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You might try Ott instead. Maybe it’s because I’m interested in that kind of thing, but I don’t find it boring to read at all.
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bpd_stl
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boring to some who expect them to read like novels, which is why so many put them down after only a few chapters/sections. Ott is solid. No argument. My point is if you expect the CCC, or Ott or Denzinger to read like a Tolkien novel…not going to happen. One has to make the initial effort, then when expectations of “entertainment” have evaporated, then your interests are revealed.
For what it’s worth, I really don’t like novels, or any kind of fiction for that matter. I’m pretty much a nuts-and-bolts type of guy, I prefer to read facts, and to read about things that actually happened, as opposed to things that only existed in some writer’s mind and imagination. That’s just me.HomeschoolDad:
I’m reminded here of what someone (variously rumored to be C.S. Lewis or H.V.D. Dyson) said about Tolkien (not fully repeatable here), “Oh, @@@@, not another @@@@ elf!”.
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Wesrock
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One has to approach Ott as being what it is: a textbook. And a very good one at covering the fundamentals.HomeschoolDad:
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bpd_stl
Guest
Me, too, brother.
I just hope OP is of similar mindset.
When we were together, my wife devoured fiction, probably still does. She was an English major. I just couldn’t ever feel it, myself. The whole James Michener thing drives me positively nuts — it all reads like it could have happened, but it didn’t. I am OK, though, with Father Malachi Martin’s romans à clef.HomeschoolDad:
Me, too, brother.
I approach literature like spinach — there are certain things you’re supposed to have read, because they’re good for you. That’s what I’ve always done. (But I actually like spinach!)
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