Major theology works

[Sacred_Heart_1]

Can anyone help me by naming any theology books that are about 1000 pages long (i like to read). I’ve been on amazon and only found one or two about a little less than that length. It doesn’t really matter what the topics are but I would prefer to stay around Catholic ideas, however I would not mind reading Protestant thought. I prefer books that are collections of essays from theologians, yet any format will do since I am desparate to expand my library at home. Thank you.

 

[Christine85]

haha you would love the library at the Catholic Theological College here in Melbourne (which Im thankfully returning to next year) I could recommend a very big book but you would probably not be able to find it … I think it was called Introuduction to the Old Testament , It was a book we were meant to look at , though I think I looked once and realized it was a mean task of looking at everything.

Maybe go through the Catholic Answers shop, I am sure they have heaps on Theology there , not sure about the 1000 pages though .

 

[JRKH]

Well - it’s not a thousand pages, but see my signature below for a suggestion…It’s a book that very well may lead you to other books…

Peace
James

 

[jpjd]

Here is a work of theology that is exactly what you are looking for:

**Summa Theologica by St. Thomas Acquinas.
**
It is long (3020 pages, according to one website), and gives a complete overview of Catholic theology.

Here is an excerpt of a customer review from Amazon:
“St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica is the premier work of Catholic theology, studied at all major Catholic universities and seminaries, as well as by theologians and philosophers of religion of all denominations. Of St. Thomas’ many works, this 5-volume masterpiece presents a systematic and organic treatment of several thousand important theological questions…”

If you have a Kindle, you can download this from Amazon for 99 cents, otherwise it will cost probably a couple hundred dollars for a hard copy.

 

[jpjd]

It is too late to edit my post…I misspelled the last name, sorry. It’s Aquinas, not Acquinas.

 

[Sacred_Heart_1]

haha you would love the library at the Catholic Theological College here in Melbourne (which Im thankfully returning to next year) I could recommend a very big book but you would probably not be able to find it … I think it was called Introuduction to the Old Testament , It was a book we were meant to look at , though I think I looked once and realized it was a mean task of looking at everything.

Maybe go through the Catholic Answers shop, I am sure they have heaps on Theology there , not sure about the 1000 pages though .

Thanks I found one with that exact same name which is the length that I want. There’s actually quite a few books with that similar title. Old Testament isn’t something I really enjoy however I do enjoy looking at the same thing in new ways.

 

[Sacred_Heart_1]

Well - it’s not a thousand pages, but see my signature below for a suggestion…It’s a book that very well may lead you to other books…

Peace
James

Yea thanks for the suggestion; however may I ask a question? Is it a book that really makes you think, like is it deep? I’m kind of a reading nut and I like to have my brain twisted with words.

 

[Sacred_Heart_1]

Here is a work of theology that is exactly what you are looking for:

**Summa Theologica by St. Thomas Acquinas.
**
It is long (3020 pages, according to one website), and gives a complete overview of Catholic theology.

Here is an excerpt of a customer review from Amazon:
“St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica is the premier work of Catholic theology, studied at all major Catholic universities and seminaries, as well as by theologians and philosophers of religion of all denominations. Of St. Thomas’ many works, this 5-volume masterpiece presents a systematic and organic treatment of several thousand important theological questions…”

If you have a Kindle, you can download this from Amazon for 99 cents, otherwise it will cost probably a couple hundred dollars for a hard copy.

Yea, thanks. funny you should mention that I was going to order the set next month. That one I found. Its a real pain in the butt locating/tracking down all the works of the Saints since there really is no complete works of any. You have to buy this book and that book and then the next thing you know you have a thousand books. But that is just me, I’m a book collector. I go through 30 books a year but I like to have 2 or 3 years worth of reading before me.

 

[JRKH]

Yea thanks for the suggestion; however may I ask a question? Is it a book that really makes you think, like is it deep? I’m kind of a reading nut and I like to have my brain twisted with words.

I have to say - yes and no…
The book sort of synthesizes the writings of several mystic Doctors of the Church and in that sense it is quite readable. Not that what the author says is not challenging in many ways. After all, in the very beginning he puts out the “call to perfection” from Mt 5:48 and then proceeds to delve into that call.
The many - extensive - quotes from the mystic doctors has the effect of “twisting your brain”, as it were, and (in my case anyway) whets the appetite for more.

Overall I found it to be an excellent work and I recommend it to anyone and everyone…

Peace
James

 

[Franciscanguy]

First I want to say longer does not always mean better. While the Summa of Aquinas is a wonderful resource I have always considered it more of an “encyclopedia” of sorts. I may need a particular idea and then I will go reseach on that idea. I don’t read every encyclopedia article either.

Second, you have specifically asked for theology works which is also fine. I was wondering how many of the philosophy books that have inflenced the theology you have read? So, for instance, Aquinas would not be the same guy without Aristotle. Likewise, JPII and the german philosopher Max Scheler. If you are open to that kind of stuff I think some of us could help you get a lot of substanitive pages while still mantaining a kind of “intellectual progression integrity.”

So, with all that in mind- theology books.

Bonaventure- Catholic
-Brevoloquim
-Itinerarum

Bonhoeffer- Lutheran
Sanctorum Communio
Discipleship
Letters and Papers from Prision- more reflective and not “hardcore” theology.

von Balthasar- Catholic
Dare we hope that all men be saved?
Prayer
Love Alone is Credible

Ratzinger- Catholic
Intro to Christianity

Rahner- Catholic
Fundamentals of Christanity

Thats a nice start i think.

 

[edward_george]

Thanks I found one with that exact same name which is the length that I want. There’s actually quite a few books with that similar title. Old Testament isn’t something I really enjoy however I do enjoy looking at the same thing in new ways.

I’d never really gotten into Old Testament myself until last year, my second year of seminary, when I took both an Intro to OT class and began learning Hebrew. It really is fascinating stuff. To that end, I’d recommend Fr. Lawrence Boadt’s Reading the Old Testament. I would also recommend, as a good introduction to the New Testament, An Introduction to the New Testament by Fr. Raymond Brown, and Collins’ Introduction to the New Testament. All three of these are very readable; only the second of them is quite the length you are looking for but all are worth reading.

As for other books on Theology, I would recommend the Summa Theologiae as others have, as well as the Summa Contra Gentiles–the latter is a lengthy apologetic work written by Aquinas, and so is in a more flowing prose type format than the Summa Theologiae. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is also a winner; I’d recommend reading it in small doses though–10ish paragraphs a day–or it becomes a bit much to keep up with.

Hope this helps!

-ACEGC

 

[Sacred_Heart_1]

I have to say - yes and no…
The book sort of synthesizes the writings of several mystic Doctors of the Church and in that sense it is quite readable. Not that what the author says is not challenging in many ways. After all, in the very beginning he puts out the “call to perfection” from Mt 5:48 and then proceeds to delve into that call.
The many - extensive - quotes from the mystic doctors has the effect of “twisting your brain”, as it were, and (in my case anyway) whets the appetite for more.

Overall I found it to be an excellent work and I recommend it to anyone and everyone…

Peace
James

ok perhaps I will give it a try. Thanks.

 

[Sacred_Heart_1]

First I want to say longer does not always mean better. While the Summa of Aquinas is a wonderful resource I have always considered it more of an “encyclopedia” of sorts. I may need a particular idea and then I will go reseach on that idea. I don’t read every encyclopedia article either.

Second, you have specifically asked for theology works which is also fine. I was wondering how many of the philosophy books that have inflenced the theology you have read? So, for instance, Aquinas would not be the same guy without Aristotle. Likewise, JPII and the german philosopher Max Scheler. If you are open to that kind of stuff I think some of us could help you get a lot of substanitive pages while still mantaining a kind of “intellectual progression integrity.”

So, with all that in mind- theology books.

Bonaventure- Catholic
-Brevoloquim
-Itinerarum

Bonhoeffer- Lutheran
Sanctorum Communio
Discipleship
Letters and Papers from Prision- more reflective and not “hardcore” theology.

von Balthasar- Catholic
Dare we hope that all men be saved?
Prayer
Love Alone is Credible

Ratzinger- Catholic
Intro to Christianity

Rahner- Catholic
Fundamentals of Christanity

Thats a nice start i think.

Thank you.

 

[Sacred_Heart_1]

I’d never really gotten into Old Testament myself until last year, my second year of seminary, when I took both an Intro to OT class and began learning Hebrew. It really is fascinating stuff. To that end, I’d recommend Fr. Lawrence Boadt’s Reading the Old Testament. I would also recommend, as a good introduction to the New Testament, An Introduction to the New Testament by Fr. Raymond Brown, and Collins’ Introduction to the New Testament. All three of these are very readable; only the second of them is quite the length you are looking for but all are worth reading.

As for other books on Theology, I would recommend the Summa Theologiae as others have, as well as the Summa Contra Gentiles–the latter is a lengthy apologetic work written by Aquinas, and so is in a more flowing prose type format than the Summa Theologiae. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is also a winner; I’d recommend reading it in small doses though–10ish paragraphs a day–or it becomes a bit much to keep up with.

Hope this helps!

-ACEGC

Thanks. Yea, I’ve studied the bible for years and I just thought it was about time to change it up and get into the whole theological “thing” in order to gain some perspective. I like to look at Scripture in different ways.

 

[Linusthe2nd]

Can anyone help me by naming any theology books that are about 1000 pages long (i like to read). I’ve been on amazon and only found one or two about a little less than that length. It doesn’t really matter what the topics are but I would prefer to stay around Catholic ideas, however I would not mind reading Protestant thought. I prefer books that are collections of essays from theologians, yet any format will do since I am desparate to expand my library at home. Thank you.

You should certainly include Pope Benedicts " Jesus of Nazareth " in two volumes and a third under way.

And why not the works of G.K. Chesterton, not a Theologian more of a Philosopher but he covers a lot of Theology as he goes along.

chesterton.org/