Great Catholic Books - Page 3

Franco · #31 May 19, '04, 2:19 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian

As an addendum, I am particularly interested in anyone who can recommend good Catholic fiction or poetry, specifically by an English speaking author, from any period.

Brian, the Liturgy of The Hours (4 volume set) has a section of poetry.Good place for classic Catholic poetry.

DominvsVobiscvm · #32 May 19, '04, 2:23 pm

Franco:

I believe Brian asked for good, Catholic poetry.

retina_md · #33 May 19, '04, 2:30 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl

Something of a traditionalist here. I still like Chesterton's THE EVERLASTING MAN, which deeply influenced C.S. Lewis. Also Lewis' THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS.

Chesterton is great, and Orthodoxy is a classic as well.

suzisboy · #34 May 19, '04, 3:06 pm

I am currently reading Professor Robert P George's The Clash of Orthodoxies
From the cover--
"Secular liberals typically assume that their own positions on morally charged issues of public policy are the fruit of pure reason while those of their morally conservative opponents reflect an irrational religious faith. In The Clash of Orthodoxies: Law, Religion, and Morality in Crisis, Princeton political theorist Robert P George shows that this supposition is wrong on both accounts. Challenging liberalism's claim to represent the triumph of reason, George argues that on controversial issues like embryonic stem cell research, abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality, and same-sex marriage, traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs are actually rationally superior to seculat liberal alternatives."
George is a Catholic and one of the few conservatives left on Princeton's faculty. The book is gem. I feel much more secure in the inevitable clashes that present themselves in modern secular society. The sections on gay marriage alone are worth the cover price to help with difficult arguments that play on one's sense of civil rights vs society's right to regulate its members.

1962Missal · #35 May 19, '04, 3:31 pm

I've just gotten done reading A History and Theology of Grace, by John A. Hardon, S.J.. It is incredibly thorough. However, I think I'm going to go back and brush up on my Aristotle, then try it again. It is not really written for laymen, IMHO.

Justin

Dunmoose · #36 May 19, '04, 4:52 pm

I am reading Peter Kreeft's Catholic Christianity. I am also reading Prayer and Community by Columba Stewart, OSB. I am also wading my way through The Origins of the Christina Mystical Tradition: From Plato to Denys, by Andrew Louth. I am also on my dozenth or so reading of the Holy Rule of St Benedict.

As an aid to my Bible reading, I use How to read the Bible every day: a guide for catholics, by a certain Carmen Rojas. It is three complete reading schedules that allow for the reading of the Bible in either 1, 2, or 3 years. It also has supplementaryb reading schedules for major liturgical seasons like Lent and Advent.

irishlass12000 · #37 May 19, '04, 5:37 pm

My favorite book so far is "The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross." Included in The Collected Works are St. John's poetry, The Ascent of Mount Carmel, The Dark Night, The Spiritual Canticle, and The Living Flame of Love, as well as his letters and other counsels.

Tyler Smedley · #38 May 19, '04, 7:41 pm

I got done recently with Scott Hahn's Rome Sweet Home and Loved it! I would recomend that to anyone. Right now I am taking on Unabridged Christianity by Fr. Mario P. Romero, great compliation of Biblical answers to common questions about the Faith. Recomended to me by one of my Catholic buddies at the University of Washington. Its good, real good.

1962Missal · #39 May 19, '04, 7:49 pm

The Catechism of the Catholic Church. Invaluable. Irreplacable. Authoritative. Short of Sacred Scripture, as official as it gets.

The Documents of the Second Vatican Council. You do have a copy, don't you?

Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, by Ludwig Ott. Gives you a concise summary of everything, including rankings by theological grades of certainty. If you don't believe me, ask Ichthus.

Justin

Greg gwf · #40 May 19, '04, 8:24 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by DominvsVobiscvm

Lest we scandlize our Protestant brethren, I'm sure I speak for us all when I say that the greatest of the "Great Catholic Books" is the Holy Bible!

I know nothing else that compares.

Darn, you beat me to the punch.

-Greg

SHEMP · #41 May 19, '04, 8:56 pm

Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics:

This is the primer for Thomistic Philosophy. Read it slowly and take notes after each chapter. I am trying to more fully understand Natural Law theory. This work is the place to start.

God Bless,

Shemp

renegadearchtct · #42 May 19, '04, 9:15 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by DominvsVobiscvm

Franco:

I believe Brian asked for good, Catholic poetry.

What does your user name mean? Were you home schooled? For a 19 year old, you seem to know an awful lot! (I've seen your assorted postings)

Recommendation: Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
The Faith Applied by.....?

Gary J · #43 May 19, '04, 9:25 pm

If you would like to read something quick and inspirational, try the Amazing Grace series edited by Jeff Cavins. Particularly, Amazing Grace for those who Suffer was great in teaching the value of suffering. It is similar to the "Surprised by Truth" series giving around a dozen individual stories.

DougL · #44 May 19, '04, 9:45 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by punchie1

St. Teresa of Avila's writings have been very inspiring for me and Mother Teresa's life and writings have also been, but the book that made practicing my faith real to me was "Abandonment to Divine Providence" by Jean-Pierre De Caussade. Just a couple of lines for a teaser... "Without Him everything is nothing, and with Him nothing is everything." and... "To become perfect we need not understand the designs of God, but only obey Him."

Thanks for reminding me of Caussade. I love that book. I also want to chime in with those who mention a Kempis' Imitation of Christ and Therese's Story of a Soul. For poetry, Eliot's Four Quartets is sublime.

Larry1700 · #45 May 19, '04, 10:11 pm

In my recent conversion studies, I read a lot of apologetics books, the Navarre New Testament, "Story of a Soul", the Catechism, "Collected Works of St. John of the Cross", some of Teresa of Avila, Fr. Dubay, Sheen, Chesterton, and others. There were many of these I would highly recommend.

However, I'm going to take a different tack here, and suggest a book that's not a Catholic book, but I believe is indispensable in the debate about atheism and evolution. It's called "Darwin's Black Box", by microbiologist Michael Behe.

Without going into detail, essentially he describes the many complex systems in each cell, and, by using analogies such as a mousetrap, demonstrates in no uncertain terms how evolution could not possibly account for getting all the pieces of these cellular systems in place in the correct proportions, orientations, etc. It would be the equivalent of all the pieces of the mousetrap (base, spring, latch, etc.) coming together in the right sizes and in the right places without intelligent intervention. "Where there's a watch, there must be a watchmaker."