i was just recently recieved into the CC and was wondering what books you all would recommend reading to grow stronger in the faith. i’ve read the new testement, well not all, but most of it and that was a good starting point but i made a promise to the Bishop to continue learning the faith. please help. thank you.
First, welcome to the Church, and congratulations!:tiphat:
Some of our recommendations are going to depend on where you’re coming from, so it might help if we knew that (e.g., if you were a lifelong Baptist, I would recommend
Catholicism and Fundamentalism: The Attack on “Romanism” by “Bible Christians” by Karl Keating (available at
amazon.com/Catholicism-Fundamentalism-Attack-Romanism-Christians/dp/0898701775); while if you came to the Church from an atheistic background I might recommend something else.
Whatever other books you read, though, I think you should start with the Bible. Read a chapter a day from the New Testament, starting with the Gospels (that’s a good exercise no matter how many times you’ve read them before). Eventually you can add in the rest of the Bible, too. There are various Bible commentaries you can buy if you’re in a mood to spend money; or you can just start with the Bible text (there are several threads here at CAF in which people debate the merits of various translations; the best thing to do is get a couple of different Catholic translations and compare them when you have questions).
I would also try reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church (available at
vatican.va/archive/catechism/ccc_toc.htm). It’s a good, down-to-earth explanation of the Church’s teachings, plus footnotes if you ever want to get a more detailed analysis.
Once you’ve been through those books, there are plenty of other books to try; you might try the Daughters of St. Paul (
pauline.org/) bookstore. I recommend getting a good apologetics book, because that will help you work through any issues that might arise while you’re still getting used to being Catholic.
But keep this in mind: you’re in for the long haul, so there’s no need to go out and buy several dozen books RIGHT NOW just because you’re glad to have joined the Church. You’ll need a Bible or two, there’s no question about that, and the Catechism is an incredibly useful investment; but you won’t learn everything overnight (you could spend years getting a bachelor’s degree, licentiate, and doctoral degree in sacred theology and still have more to learn about God). Start with a Bible and the Catechism, learn them well, and then plan to move on once you’re well-grounded in God’s word.
Again, welcome, and good luck!
