Good Reading List To Learn Traditional Theology

Started by tradne4163, September 01, 2013, 09:50:02 PM

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tradne4163

The recent thread about Moral Theology made me wonder what a good reading list would be for learning theology and such.
I guess I could start the list with Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma in addition to the above.
wHat are some other recommendations?

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Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Take any post I write with a grain of salt. I've been wrong before, and can be again

Kaesekopf

Didn't we have a good list posted a few months back? 

I need to find the top threads of this forum and start a tally/link thread. 

Any volunteers?  ;)

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Wie dein Sonntag, so dein Sterbetag.

I am not altogether on anybody's side, because nobody is altogether on my side.  ~Treebeard, LOTR

Jesus son of David, have mercy on me.

VeraeFidei


MilesChristi

Feser's Aquinas (starts from the very basics of metaphysics and gives the cliffnotes of Thomistic Theology)
his Last Superstition does that and compares it to modern philosophical errors
The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
    It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
    It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
    And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
    And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent;
    There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
    Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs —
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
    World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

Der Kaiser

#4
"Crossing the Threshold of hope" by Blessed John Paul II 8)


However if you are looking for something Catholic "A Summa of the Summa" a good starting point for Thomist Theology.

City of God by St Augustine
Confessions also by Augustine
The Sermons by St John Chrysostom (beware he was convinced the Jews killed Christ and had to convert so don't quote it at a New Church or you'll be called an anti-semite)
"If a Pope changes the rites of the sacraments he puts himself outside the Church and is Anathema"-Pope Innocent III

"Rome will lose the faith and become the seat of Anti-Christ"-Our Lady of La Sallette

The hebrews have not recognized the lord, therefore we can not recognize the hebrews.-St Pius X

Lynne

Quote from: Kaesekopf on September 01, 2013, 10:29:36 PM
Didn't we have a good list posted a few months back? 

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I'm searching. Haven't found it yet...
In conclusion, I can leave you with no better advice than that given after every sermon by Msgr Vincent Giammarino, who was pastor of St Michael's Church in Atlantic City in the 1950s:

    "My dear good people: Do what you have to do, When you're supposed to do it, The best way you can do it,   For the Love of God. Amen"

Jayne

Quote from: catquilt on September 02, 2013, 10:27:30 AM
Quote from: Kaesekopf on September 01, 2013, 10:29:36 PM
Didn't we have a good list posted a few months back? 

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I'm searching. Haven't found it yet...

I wonder if KK is thinking of the "Study Program on the Crisis" sticky over in the "Book Store" sub-forum.  But I don't think that is quite what tradne was looking for.  Actually, just going through the books in that sub-forum gives a good list.
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.

Kaesekopf

Quote from: RealJayneK on September 02, 2013, 11:11:47 AM
Quote from: catquilt on September 02, 2013, 10:27:30 AM
Quote from: Kaesekopf on September 01, 2013, 10:29:36 PM
Didn't we have a good list posted a few months back? 

Sent from my HTC Sensation using Tapatalk 2

I'm searching. Haven't found it yet...

I wonder if KK is thinking of the "Study Program on the Crisis" sticky over in the "Book Store" sub-forum.  But I don't think that is quite what tradne was looking for.  Actually, just going through the books in that sub-forum gives a good list.

This is probably what I thought of. 

Mea culpa

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Wie dein Sonntag, so dein Sterbetag.

I am not altogether on anybody's side, because nobody is altogether on my side.  ~Treebeard, LOTR

Jesus son of David, have mercy on me.

tmw89

Tradne, have you perused the list in the English Language Theology Manuals thread on Bellarmine?  If not, here's the link:  http://www.strobertbellarmine.net/forums/viewtopic.php?p=7670&sid=7d57a7919d7b8b5ae66eff23d699dd94#p7670
Quote from: Bishop WilliamsonThe "promise to respect" as Church law the New Code of Canon Law is to respect a number of supposed laws directly contrary to Church doctrine.

---

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joe17

F.J. Sheed's "Theology for Beginners" is within the grasp of many, imo.

Joe

JoyfulMother

This is a 5 page list given to me by my SSPX priest when I asked for a list that would round out my Catholic formation, which has been haphazard and dictated by what was available & personal preferences.  I am not by any means done with it - it is extensive & many of the books are hard to find, but the ones I have read are worth it.  Perhaps we could pick a book & read it together? 

Anyhow, without further ado, her is the list:

Booklist for Sixth Formers, University Students and Post-Graduates.
Nota Bene: The following list is to give an idea to some lost, confused or intellectually hungry minds about what they should read in order to strengthen their faith.
The virtue of faith is the assent of the intellect to the Divine Truths revealed to us by Christ and the apostles, and passed onto us by the infallible Magisterium of the Church. This intellectual assent is prompted by God's action in the soul, whereby under the influence of God's grace we believe the truths of Revelation, not because we perceive and understand them by the light of our natural reason, or because we agree with them, but because they are revealed to us by God who cannot deceive nor be deceived. God's action on the soul, which prompts such an assent of the intellect, is called the gift of the virtue of faith.

However, although the fervour of our faith does not strictly depend on our understanding of the truths it reveals to us, the study of the faith will nevertheless be of the greatest aid in "keeping the deposit in all fidelity and truth." It is especially necessary today for all those who embark
on a life in the world to know the faith. We cannot think or hope to explain the truths of the faith to friend and foe in the way one would explain and solve a mathematical problem. The truths of the faith are mysterious to the human mind, and hence incomprehensible. Even in heaven, an eternity will not be enough to exhaust our understanding of them! Yet we can and should acquire knowledge of the faith sufficient enough to answer the objections against it and more importantly to show that it is not opposed to human reason, on the contrary.

In other words, we must be able to prove to our adversities that the faith is not for strange or suspicious people, but for the normal and sensible. Some scoff at certain affirmations of the Catholic Faith, i.e. creation, existence of a moral law, etc. Yet it is interesting to note that pre-Christian philosophy already held to such belief. Catholicism is eminently sensible.

The books listed below are an introduction to a deeper study of the faith. Some books are easy to grasp, others more difficult. I have indicated what age group should read what book, but it really depends on the individual. Nevertheless, one should not read above one's level, for fear of becoming despondent to the style and rigor of reasoning contained in the book, and losing taste for the study of the faith altogether.

There exist hundreds and hundreds of good books to read. This list is very limited. I beg forgiveness for the absence of the great English authors Chesterton and Belloc. In time!

Many books are now out of print. I have given ISBN's where I have been able to, i.e. I have the books with me. Most people now have access to the Internet. I use two old and rare book sites: www.bibliofind.com and www.abebooks.com . They rarely fail and prices are good.

A MAP OF LIFE, by F J Sheed,
(short book, upper 6th onwards)
Truly attractive, showing that with faith reason is not suspended but the opposite. One discovers the joy of applying reason to the foundation of one's faith and, perhaps for the first time, of thinking through the content of the faith and its consequences in everyday life. A great read for anyone, but especially the younger (late teens to twenty-something, third level students etc.). And all the more so if you're tending to distance yourself from your Faith because it seems all feelings and sentiment, built on feelings and sentiment, and expressed in non-sensical rites and formulae. While focused on reasons for believing in general, it does draw out in a lucid, if introductory way, how the Christian and Catholic Faith does not contradict reason but finds sure foundations in reason. (From a
review in the Amazon-UK website)
Available at Angelus Press, USA.

THEOLOGY FOR BEGINNERS, by F J Sheed,
ISBN 7220 7288 0
(short book, university onwards)
This book expounds the Church's main dogmas as simply and as compellingly as accuracy allows. Beginning with the reasons why the ordinary man, woman or teenager should study theology at all, it goes through the key doctrines: Spirit, Mystery, God's infinity and man's creation from nothing; the Trinity, man's fall, the Incarnation and Redemption; the Church and Our Lady, its first members; grace the sacraments, the next life and the end of the world. An excellent and necessary read.
Available at Angelus Press, USA.

THEOLOGY AND SANITY, by F J Sheed, (1945)
ISBN 0-7220-7820-X
(350 pages, late university, post-grad.)
Brilliant synthesis of the Catholic conception and understanding of life. This book is a development of Sheed's Theology for Beginners. The author portrays in a wonderfully simple and in places humorous style the essential and irrefutable reasonableness of the Catholic Faith. He also shows how the Catholic should view and understand his life and life in general, in the light of the truths he believes.
The book is a masterpiece of logic, clarity, simplicity and common sense, a great classic for the modern world.

THE BELIEF OF CATHOLICS, by Ronald Knox (1939)
(short book, lower 6th onwards)
A succinct, precise and unpretentious presentation of the belief of Catholics. In his gentle, quiet and unassuming style, Knox calmly exposes the essential truths of the faith in answer to the most common objections. It is as if the book were specifically written for self.

TO KNOW JESUS CHRIST, by F J Sheed
(400 pages, 6th form onwards)
A study on the Gospels. Ultimately, the knowledge of the faith is the knowledge of Jesus Christ. The greater our knowledge of Christ, therefore, the deeper our faith. As the Gospels can seem a little dry to read, this book is most useful.
Available at Angelus Press, USA.

THE MOTHER, by Cardinal Mindszenty
(short book, for 6th formers onwards)
A beautiful, poetical description of the treasures of Motherhood. A very difficult book to find!

THE SOCIAL RIGHTS OF CHRIST THE KING, by Denis Fahey. D.D.
(short book, university onwards)
Written under Pius XI, in the light of his encyclical Quas Primas on the kingship of Christ over civil society, this book is a simple and clear exposition of this essential doctrine, which since Vatican II and the advent of Religious Liberty, is denied. It is a necessary read, since there can be no true understanding of the concept of Civil Society without reference to the Kingship of Our Lord. Secular society, though so common, is an aberration.

NEWMAN AGAINST THE LIBERALS
ISBN: 0 85172 720 4
(600 pages, from 6th form onwards)
Michael Davis here presents a selection of Newman's parochial sermons before he became a Catholic. Newman was an acclaimed preacher, and it was in particular the preaching contained in this volume that gave the impetus to the Oxford Movement he foundered, without realising it! With his amazing insight and understanding of human nature, using his profound knowledge of the Scriptures and the Fathers of the Church, Newman presents the beliefs of Catholic doctrine with clarity, precision and exactitude, but in a manner applicable by all to daily life. Newman deplored and fought against the liberal faction in the Anglican Church of his day. In many ways, his Church of England is comparable to the present state of the Catholic Church of Rome, imbued as it is with liberalism and a love of secularism. Written in pure English style, with his usual mastery of language, Newman smashes one by one the misconceptions and errors of those favourable to the new ideas. Yet the tone is not
polemic. Newman writes to convert rather than refute. His love of the truth and piety for Our Lord shows through ever page. A profoundly learned, uplifting, fervent and refreshing exposition of the truths necessary for salvation put forth in a quiet but forceful manner. A wonderful read!
This book is a compilation of sermons. It thereby has the advantage of being able to be read on and off. One doesnot feel obliged to plough through it in one go.

THE IMITATION OF CHRIST, by Thomas a Kempis
No comment is needed here. This small book of piety and learning presents the essence of Christian aesthetical and mystical teaching. Every Catholic should be familiar with its counsels.

THEY HAVE UNCROWNED HIM, by Archbishop Lefebvre
(University onwards)
A compilation of conferences given to seminarians, on the errors of Vatican II and the Conciliar Church. His Lordship revised his work in order to edit it as a single book. In the light of the great modern encyclicals of those popes prior to Vatican II, his Lordship demonstrates in detail
the fundamental disagreement of the Conciliar theories, in particular that of Religious Liberty, with the constant magisterial teaching of the Catholic Church. His exposition is clear and irrefutable, and most apt to any youngster who wishes to explain to a friend his or her reasons for refusing the Conciliar Church.
Available at Angelus Press, along with many other titles of the Archbishop.

THE SEVEN SWEET BLESSINGS OF CHRIST, by Gerald Vann, OP
ISBN: 0-918477-55-7
(for all, 6th formers and adults)
Formerly titled Divine Pity, Gerald Vann presents and theological work on the relation between the seven sacraments, the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost and the eight beatitudes. In a studious manner, closely following St Thomas Aquinas, he describes the growth of the spiritual life as the fruit grace and the consequence of  the reception of the sacraments, etc.
The value of this book lies not only in the detailed study the author makes of the spiritual life, but also in the simplicity with which he sets out the path to sanctity. One often thinks that sanctity is impossible. Youngsters are tempted to think avoidance of serious sin is sufficient to be a good Catholic. This book shows how sanctity is attainable, and that by the ordinary means Christ has left to the Church (sacraments and gifts) and the practise of the beatitudes. An uplifting and consoling read.
Available at Angelus Press.

SOCIETY AND SANITY, by F J Sheed
(University)
Companion to Theology and Sanity, this book sets out Christian principles on topics such as marriage, family and state. The book is one of the clearest explanations of how society should be, written in Sheed's easygoing and wonderfully clear style.

MERE CHRISTIANITY, by C S Lewis
(6th form onwards)
A short and fascinating read. Lewis, a fervent Christian, though not a Catholic, describes in street-corner language the rectitude and the eminent sensibleness and obviousness of the Christian conception of life. Starting from nothing, he proves the existence of God, the Natural Law, the Moral Law, etc. all the way to the advent of Christ and Christian teaching. Lewis then expounds elements of that teaching, showing its beauty and what should be our delight in seeking to make its practise our own. Of all the books on the list, this ranks amongst the first for its usefulness. Caveat the chapter on the virtues of faith, hope and charity...Lewis understands them as moral virtues whereas they are theological. Also he falls into error concerning the divorce and remarriage of non-Christians, something he thinks allowable with State approval, whereas Natural Law forbids divorce and remarriage to all men, Christian and unchristian.
Available new

THE PROBLEM OF PAIN, by C S Lewis
(6th form onwards)
Another very interesting short book by Lewis. In it he explains the why of pain, resorting to the answers one mayfind in Christian teaching. The chapter on Divine Goodness is among the most beautiful ever written on God.
Available new

THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS, by C S Lewis
(upper 6th form onwards)
A well-known Lewis classic. The author imagines a correspondence between a senior demon, Screwtape, and a minor demon, Wormwood. The correspondence shows to the reader all the most ordinary ways in which a soul may be enticed to follow the way of self, as opposed to the way of God. Very enlightening, educative as well as amusing.
Available new

THE RELIGION OF THE PLAIN MAN, by R H Benson (1906)
(120 pages, 6th form onwards)
A quiet, learned yet simply put defence of the Catholic Faith written by the converted son, become priest, of aformer Archbishop of Canterbury! Ideal apologetics for Protestant friends.

LIBERALISM AND CATHOLICISM, by Fr A. Roussel
(130 pages, 2nd year University onwards)
This book traces the development of Catholic liberalism and its progressive infiltration into the Catholic Church. It was written in 1926, and shows that the causes of the present liberal trends of thought can be found as far back as
the French Revolution. The book is highly useful for its studies of the relationship between Church and State, and on the clear proof it offers that liberalism (in any form: political, economic...) invariably leads to despotism.
Available at Angelus Press, USA.

CRANMER'S GODLY ORDER, by Michael Davis
(Upper 6th onwards)
A scholarly work going back over the progressive steps taken by Cranmer to remove the Catholic doctrine from the Mass and make it into the 1552 communion service. Indispensable reading for those interested in the Liturgical and Ecumenical movement. The book shows that changes in the Church's liturgy cannot be made without compromising the basis of the Catholic Faith.
Available at Angelus Press, USA.

POPE JOHN'S COUNCIL, by Michael Davis
(University onwards)
A study of Vatican II in readable form.
Available at Angelus Press, USA.

POPE PAUL'S NEW MASS, by Michael Davis
(University onwards)
A definitive study on the New Mass, showing its fundamental contradiction to the Catholic doctrine on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Available at Angelus Press, USA.

INTRODUCTION TO THE DEVOUT LIFE, by St Francis de Sales
The title of this book is self-explanatory. It is a beautiful read, spiritually uplifting and simple. It is an excellent introduction to a deeper spiritual life, so necessary to one entering the adult word.
Available at Angelus Press, USA

NOTE:
These three books by Davis form, even today, a complete introduction to the understanding
of the present crisis of faith in the Catholic Church. Youngsters cannot but benefit in realising
that attachment to old forms of belief and worship is not founded on taste or nostalgia for the past,
but on fidelity to the Faith itself.

Papal Encyclicals for the Modern Age
Nota Bene: Papal encyclicals, to those who are unfamiliar with their style, can appear dry and laborious to read. However, perseverance will win the day. The beauty of these documents lies in the fact that they offer to the reader a profound yet succinct analysis of the points of doctrines they discuss. The clarity and exactitude of expression and the rigorous logic behind their reasoning makes them perfect study pieces through which one can learn the Church's teaching on the most essential subjects of modern times.

HUMANI GENERIS, on evolution, by Pius XII
(University onwards)

LIBERTAS, on the definition of liberty, by Leo XIII
(University onwards)
A masterpiece!

MORTALIUM ANIMOS, on ecumenism, by Pius XI
(6th form onwards)
Damning evidence that the current trend of ecumenism is radically opposed to Church practise, not merely forhistorical reasons, but on principle.

QUANTA CURA AND SYLLABUS, on the errors of the modern world, by Pius IX
(University onwards)

PASCENDI DOMINI GREGIS, on Modernism, by Pius X
(University onwards)
A brilliant analysis of what the modernist mind is, how it works and why it is wrong.

MEDIATOR DEI, on the liturgy, by Pius XII
(University onwards)
Pius XII refutes the theories behind the liturgical changes of the past 35 years, some 20 years before they happened!

CASTI CONNUBII, on marriage, by Pius XI
(Upper 6th onwards)

IMMORTALE DEI, on the constitution of Christian States, by Leo XIII
(Upper 6th onwards)

QUAS PRIMAS, on the social kingship of Christ, by Pius XI
(University onwards)
All

Kaesekopf

Wie dein Sonntag, so dein Sterbetag.

I am not altogether on anybody's side, because nobody is altogether on my side.  ~Treebeard, LOTR

Jesus son of David, have mercy on me.

tradne4163

Quote from: tmw89 on September 02, 2013, 11:50:22 AM
Tradne, have you perused the list in the English Language Theology Manuals thread on Bellarmine?  If not, here's the link:  http://www.strobertbellarmine.net/forums/viewtopic.php?p=7670&sid=7d57a7919d7b8b5ae66eff23d699dd94#p7670
Thanks. This is along the lines of what I personally was after, but many other suggestions here in the thread are great for a wider interest.
Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Take any post I write with a grain of salt. I've been wrong before, and can be again

Mysterium Fidei

Here's a bunch of free books on PDF files. http://www.sedevacantist.com/books/

Also, are you aware of Archive.org? This is an invaluable resource. You have an virtually endless resource of Catholic books available for FREE on this site to download on PDF files. You can transfer them on your mobile devise and read to your hearts content.

Bonaventure

"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."