What Books About Catholicism Should I Read?

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Ayden

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Hi, I’m looking for some books to read about Catholicism over the summer. I’m fine reading hard books, though I probably don’t have time to read Summa Theologica! 😉 What are the best reads for a non-Catholic checking things out?
 
Hello .First and foremost, a warm welcome to CA! do you have Catechism of the CC ?Its a must read. Furthermore ,there are tons of Converts to the CC books, available at BN or Amazon,including " Evangelical Exodus" by Douglas Beaumont. God bless!
 
Depends on how much you’re willing to spend.

The Ignatius Study Bible will provide you with an indispensable Catholic commentary on the New Testament, presenting various Catholic and historical proofs, along with some opinions that one is free to hold (or not) on certain subjects. That goes for around $20.

The Case for Jesus by Brant Pitre is particularly good in explaining why the gospels are trustworthy, and it also goes into why every book in the New Testament made it there while others others didn’t. That’s about $15. He has several other great books, but they’re probably not what you’re looking for at this point. Those are specifically geared towards Catholics, who he doesn’t need to “spend time trying to convince”.

The book that had the biggest impact on me (but it’s also the first “Catholic” book I ever read) is The Lamb’s Supper by Scott Hahn. It makes sense of the Mass in light of the book of Revelation and points out how identical it is to the worship of the first Christians. This sells for around $13 (I’m going based off of Amazon’s prices).

Hope these help!
 
Buy - from EBay - large print - Imitation of Christ

It’s by Thomas A Kempis
 
The CCC Catechism of the Catholic Church is online for free. My computer isn’t working right so if someone could post the link that might be helpful and save the OP some money. as well.

Best wishes in learning more about the Catholic Church.

God bless.
 
I’d recommend “Rome Sweet Home” by Scott Hahn and “Why We’re Catholic” by Trent Horn
 
The Light of Christ by Fr Thomas White O.P.

Catholicism by Bishop Robert Barron

And, of course, The Catechism of The Catholic Church
 
I’m currently reading “From Apostles to Bishops” by Francis Sullivan
 
I reading the Glories of Mary by Saint Alphonsus Ligiouri and I am also starting the Dialogues by Saint Catherine of Siena.
 
Peter Kreeft’s “Practical Theology” and “The God Who Loves You” (available with a FORMED subscription!)

Frank Sheed’s “Theology for Beginners”, “Theology and Sanity” and “To Know Christ Jesus”

In fact, a FORMED subscription will allow you access to many books for one flat fee!
 
“Catholicism and Fundamentalism” by Karl Keating. One of the best books for refuting common anti-Catholic arguments; it definitely strengthened my belief that the Catholic Church is God’s true Church!

“Rome Sweet Home” by Scott Hahn. How a zealous Protestant became one of the most well known Catholic figures we know today!

And of course: the Bible and the CCC!
 
Personal spirituality in Cathollicism: I can’t recommend Introduction to the Devout Life highly enough. I fell head-over-heels in love with Francis de Sales after that one. A truly amazing man. You’ve never heard a more pastoral voice, ever, anywhere. It’s an old book, so some references are period-specific.

Conversion stories: My husband really liked Surprised by Truth, edited by Patrick Madrid. He’s giving away a couple of copies as gifts to people involved in his Confirmation this coming Saturday.

Liturgy: The Spirit of the Liturgy, Romano Guardini. It’s early-twentieth century, and short (mine is 95 pages). Lovely writing. Beautiful ideas.

Happy reading!
 
Get a copy of the Catechism:

Catechism of the Catholic Church: Second Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/0385508190/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_CJZ7Ab2V8KAVG

Then get a commentary on the Catechism. The US Catechism for Adults is good. I just got another that I really like:

The Faith Explained https://www.amazon.com/dp/1889334294/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_qLZ7AbT4MBAN8

Read conversion stories like Rome Sweet Home Or my current favorite:

Crossing the Tiber: Evangelical Protestants Discover the Historical Church https://www.amazon.com/dp/0898705770/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cNZ7AbD7M66XK

You can also watch conversion stories. The Journey Home on EWTN is excellent. All the episodes are online:


Steve Ray has a newish book out. I haven’t read it yet, but it’s on my list:

The Faith for Beginners: Understanding the Creeds https://www.amazon.com/dp/1621640973/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_HSZ7AbPQETNSN

It’s also a good idea to get a Catholic Bible.

Happy reading.
 
Yes! “Introduction to the Devout Life” by St. Francis de Sales is a classic book of excellent spiritual advice.
 
Wow, thank you everyone for the recommendations! I’ll be sure to check them all out.
 
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I’ve watched a bunch of Bishop Barron’s YouTube vids and I thought they were really good. I didn’t know he had written a book though, I’ll have to check it out!
 
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