So, I have a big reading agenda this summer of traditional Christian writings, any suggestions?

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I’m going to at minimum read through the Bible, probably the DR version. As well as read parts of the Church Fathers, Desert Fathers, and Doctors of the Church. Probably will try to read parts of both Catechisms as well. Any other suggestions or specific Fathers or Doctors I should focus on? Thanks all!
 
Farmer88 said:
I’m going to at minimum read through the Bible, probably the DR version. As well as read parts of the Church Fathers, Desert Fathers, and Doctors of the Church. Probably will try to read parts of both Catechisms as well. Any other suggestions or specific Fathers or Doctors I should focus on? Thanks all!
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By traditional Christian writings, do you mean early Church fathers (as you seem to suggest), anything written in the mold of traditionalist Catholicism, or simply anything consistent with it?

One thing I’d recommend is Servais Pinckaer’s The Sources of Christian Ethics. Pinckaers originates the antimodern narrative that blames everything bad in the world on William of Ockham, a narrative to which I’m partial. It’s worth a read on its own in any event. Plus anything by Edward Feser you can get your hands on; his The Last Superstition is both entertaining and informative.
 
If you want to get into just literature in general, I recommend Chesterton and Eliot.
 
Farmer88 said:
I’m going to at minimum read through the Bible, probably the DR version. As well as read parts of the Church Fathers, Desert Fathers, and Doctors of the Church. Probably will try to read parts of both Catechisms as well. Any other suggestions or specific Fathers or Doctors I should focus on? Thanks all!
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The Confessions of St Augustine
The Life of St Dominic by Augusta T. Drane
Introduction to the Devout Life - St Francis de Sales
The Book of My Life - St Teresa of Avila
Story of a Soul - St Terese de Lisieux
 
sw85 said:
By traditional Christian writings, do you mean early Church fathers (as you seem to suggest), anything written in the mold of traditionalist Catholicism, or simply anything consistent with it?
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Kind of all three, but preferably the first two, and by that, I mean preferably the first one. But I’m willing to read other stuff as well, I’ll probably go crazy if I just try reading nothing but the Fathers for three months straight.

Also, if there is any philosophy I should take a look at. I read some of Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas Aquinas last semester and I actually enjoyed it, so if there is anything else like that, that would be helpful as well.
 
  1. St. Catherine’s Dialogues.
  2. An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine by Blessed John Henry Newman
 
An oldie but a goodie that’s sure to edify, “The Imitation of Christ.”

If you get tired of being an intellectual 🙂 and want a break with a novel, “Morte D’Urban” by J.F. Powers (his first book; the second isn’t worth reading).
 
Farmer88 said:
Kind of all three, but preferably the first two, and by that, I mean preferably the first one. But I’m willing to read other stuff as well, I’ll probably go crazy if I just try reading nothing but the Fathers for three months straight.

Also, if there is any philosophy I should take a look at. I read some of Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas Aquinas last semester and I actually enjoyed it, so if there is anything else like that, that would be helpful as well.
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Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics is pretty crucial, in that case, since he prefigured Christian ethics in it.
 
Go deeper.

The following authors are all recognized as saints by both RC & EO Churches::

St. John Chrysostom
St. Basil the Great
St. John Cassian
St. Benedict of Nursia

All available online from Christian Classics Ethereal Library.
 
Your desire is admirable but I think you should adjust your goals a bit. Just reading the bible in one summer is a challenge. The Catholic bible has 1196 chapters (as I recall), so, if your summer is three months long (June, July, August), you would need to read about 13 chapters a day. That’s a lot all by itself.

How about establishing a life-long habit of reading scripture and spiritual books, beginning with a good start this summer, and balancing that by core spiritual practices such as daily mass, personal prayer, and good works. A little recreation wouldn’t hurt either.

I’d suggest reading one chapter of the Old Testament and one chapter of the New Testament each day, then selecting a passage from your reading for meditation during your prayer time. For your other reading, I’d focus on the Catechism of the Catholic Church and classics. In addition I’d highly recommend:

Ancient Christian Writings (Penguin Press)
Lives of the Desert Fathers and Sayings of the Desert Fathers, trans. Benedicta Ward
Life of Antony by St. Athanasius
The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas a Kempis
The writings of St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross (ICS Publications)
Story of a Soul (St. Therese of Lisieux)

That’s a very short list, and if you got through all that in one summer, I’d be very, very impressed. You shouldn’t drive yourself silly. Work hard, but make sure you enjoy your summer.
 
=Farmer88;9270328]I’m going to at minimum read through the Bible, probably the DR version. As well as read parts of the Church Fathers, Desert Fathers, and Doctors of the Church. Probably will try to read parts of both Catechisms as well. Any other suggestions or specific Fathers or Doctors I should focus on? Thanks all!
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the “best” CATHOLIC BOOK [IMO] 😃 next to the bile is [if you can find a copy?] : Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s Life of Christ. I try to reread it each year. The insights, the humor, the wisdom is second to none. [IMO]👍

God Bless and God’s speed,
pat/PJM
 
TrueLight said:
The Confessions of St Augustine
The Life of St Dominic by Augusta T. Drane
Introduction to the Devout Life - St Francis de Sales
The Book of My Life - St Teresa of Avila
Story of a Soul - St Terese de Lisieux
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Well…if you don’t mind TL, I will use this for my reading list also. 🙂
 
the “best” CATHOLIC BOOK [IMO] next to the bile is [if you can find a copy?] : Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s Life of Christ. I try to reread it each year. The insights, the humor, the wisdom is second to none. [IMO]
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Love that book! Great reading during Advent and Lent too!

It is available on Amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle (if you have an electronic reader) and Barnes and Noble if you have the Nook. You could also try your local Catholic book store if you prefer.

:bible1:
 
EcceAgnusDei said:
I’m happy that we agree on something 🙂 🙂 🙂
  • PAX
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We agree on a lot of things, actually. I wouldn’t post in the Traditional Catholicism section if I didn’t have an affinity for several “traditional” practices. 🙂

As for another book, or perhaps to get as a resource; Faith of the Early Fathers, a three volume set compiled by Williams Jurgens. An astounding reference and resource.
 
PJM said:
the “best” CATHOLIC BOOK [IMO] 😃 next to the bile is [if you can find a copy?] : Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s Life of Christ. I try to reread it each year. The insights, the humor, the wisdom is second to none. [IMO]👍

God Bless and God’s speed,
pat/PJM
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My school library just discarded this as a “free” book. I scooped it right up and am enjoying it immensely. Highly recommended.
  • PAX
 
What’s your time budget?

Maybe this “Two Year Patristic Lectionary” could work somehow. As a lectionary, of course, it has its readings tied to the liturgical year, and if you will be praying the Liturgy of the Hours in the summer, following the liturgical year is a natural fit. Even so, you are free to make a different selection for your own reading (this page links to tables and an index of readings), and the texts are divided into portions that may be convenient for you.

There’s also a Church Fathers Lenten Reading Plan, which is intended be read over 40 days in Lent. The readings are supposed to take 10-15 minutes. You may want to follow this plan with each day’s portion split into two, such that you take 80 days to read it. The page also has a link to a “lite” version of the same idea.

I second what Alan55 wrote about reading the Bible over one summer. I’ve never tried reading it all over about three months, but I’ve heard of people having problems reading the whole Bible (and usually the shorter Protestant canon) over a year. Are you a voracious reader?
 
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