Please recommend a few solid theology books

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907John

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Hi,

Can I have recommended to me several books which will serve as a comprehensive introduction to the theology of the Catholic Church?

Here is the critieria I am hoping to have matched.

I have read:
Surprised by Truth: 11 Converts … - Patrick Madrid (Ed.)
The Spirit of Catholicism - Karl Adam
Five Great Catholic Ideas - Edward Clark
Several of the Catholic books by Graham Greene

I am willing to read Thomas Aquainas (or anyone that heavy!) should someone recommend where to start (I have read Augustine’s Confessions). Particularly I would like to read the theology of the church and not overviews of the church or it’s history. I want to know the exact details and reasons, the how’s and why’s of Catholic Christianity so perhaps a Cathecism with explainatory essays could be suggested? Soteriology, the sacrements, everything.

My background may perhaps be of interest to readers of this forum. I was born and raised a Baptist in small town North America but I’ve never been quite able to accept the faith, however beneficial it has been to many of the people in my life. Having read philosophy and history for several decades I eventually discovered liturgical and non-protestant Christianity and am researching which church to join, a very major and serious decision.

Also if someone could recommend a long ‘tried and tested’ Catholic Study Bible, that would be very much appreciated as well.

John
 
John,

Wow, such an enormous request and so many ways to fill it! You read the Adam book, which is a classic. Well done on that choice. Someone here mentioned a Sheed book. I would actually recommend his book Theology and Sanity as a general work. Also a bit of a classic. Another good author and a great general text would be Aidan Nichols’ The Shape of Catholic Theology.

Thomas Aquinas? No better place to start than the beginning of the Summa Theologica.

Sacraments and liturgy? Try the current pope writing as Cardinal Ratzinger in The Spirit of the Liturgy and the Feast of Faith

On the Church? See Avery Dulles’ numerous writings (eg, Models of the Church). And, when dealing with the nature of the Church, you could easily slip into some heavy-duty theologians (eg, Von Balthasar and Congar), but these guys may need to wait till later for you.

You would do well to read a number of Vatican II documents as well, especially the consitutions for a good theological vision of the Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is very accessible, but for something a bit more explanatory you could try Peter Kreeft’s Catholic Christianity.

Boy, one could go on and on. Catholic theology is like the Pacific Ocean in its vastness. But, the specific works I mention above should be a good place to start.
 
907John said:
Mods please move this thread if it has been opened in the wrong forum.

Hi,

Can I have recommended to me several books which will serve as a comprehensive introduction to the theology of the Catholic Church?

Here is the critieria I am hoping to have matched.

I have read:
Surprised by Truth: 11 Converts … - Patrick Madrid (Ed.)
The Spirit of Catholicism - Karl Adam
Five Great Catholic Ideas - Edward Clark
Several of the Catholic books by Graham Greene

I am willing to read Thomas Aquainas (or anyone that heavy!) should someone recommend where to start (I have read Augustine’s Confessions). Particularly I would like to read the theology of the church and not overviews of the church or it’s history. I want to know the exact details and reasons, the how’s and why’s of Catholic Christianity so perhaps a Cathecism with explainatory essays could be suggested? Soteriology, the sacrements, everything.

My background may perhaps be of interest to readers of this forum. I was born and raised a Baptist in small town North America but I’ve never been quite able to accept the faith, however beneficial it has been to many of the people in my life. Having read philosophy and history for several decades I eventually discovered liturgical and non-protestant Christianity and am researching which church to join, a very major and serious decision.

Also if someone could recommend a long ‘tried and tested’ Catholic Study Bible, that would be very much appreciated as well.

John
Click to expand...
I assume that you have already read the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Others are:

Catholic Christianity - Kreeft
The Splendor of Faith - Card. Dulles, S.J.
Not by Scripture Alone - Sungenis
Not by Faith Alone - Sungenis
Not by Bread Alone - Sungenis
Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma - Ott
Principles of Catholic Theology - Card. Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI)
 
with a name like “bookcat”…books are what I am about…

but with SO many that could be recommended…

let me know if there is something particular you are looking for…
 
Theology And Sanity by Frank Sheed

NOT By Faith Alone by Robert Sungenis
 
Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

True Devotion to Mary by St. Louis Marie de Montfort

and you cannot go wrong in reading the lives of the saints such as Story of a Soul or The Way of Perfection

Imitation of Christ

you will never run out of reading material, I assure you!
Ave Maria!
 
Anything by the late - and great - theologian, Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P.
 
Just to clarify, Frank Sheed wrote both “Theology for Beginners” and “Theology and Sanity”. I have read both and both are good, but Theology and Sanity goes into more depth and it is the one I would recommend. So, if you start with Theology for Beginners, you will want to also read Theology and Sanity, but if you start with Theology and Sanity, no need to read Theology for Beginners.

And be sure to take it slow. Theology is a deep subject that, for me at least, required some time to stop reading for a few days or weeks and digest what was covered, before I could move on. But it’s well worth the time it takes to get through the book.
 
Thanks all for the suggestions.

I’ve found a few of the above at my library and the rest I’m going to have to purchase off amazon, it’ll be an investment, but anything that’s worth anything always is. There are several months of solid reading here, this is great 🙂

I’m sure I’ll be back with further questions raised by these books.

Best,

907John
 
907John said:
Thanks all for the suggestions.

I’ve found a few of the above at my library and the rest I’m going to have to purchase off amazon, it’ll be an investment, but anything that’s worth anything always is. There are several months of solid reading here, this is great 🙂

I’m sure I’ll be back with further questions raised by these books.

Best,

907John
Click to expand...
Maybe I’m too late for this… Anyway… Pre-Theology.
Don’t forget these books. They’re great ! 👍
Hope I’m not too late. 😃
  1. The Faith Explained by Leo Trese (all the explanations to Basic Catholic stuff)
  2. The Holy Bible, Douay-Rheims Version 1609 1582.
    Read in this order John, Matt, Mark, Luke, Acts of the Apostles, Ephesians, Job, Isaiah, the next is up to you.
  3. Catholic Website newadvent.org (all you can read/study)
  4. Most important of all, you must learn and practice to “Love God”, “Love neighbor”…
    Take careful note of “The Fig Tree” in the Gospels. God requires fervent practice… Because good practice is “Love”… not just studying/talking…
 
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