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Since my family and I first began our journey into the Catholic Church in 2018 (completed at the Easter Vigil in 2019), we have spent hundreds (and hundreds) of dollars on books. We were already spending money on books to help us grow in our Christian faith before that, but we discovered so many treasures that we simply didn’t know about until we began to consider the claims of the Catholic Church.
I get asked all the time, “What should I read if I want to learn more about the Catholic Church?” and my short answer is usually, “everything.” But you have to start somewhere. So, for my part, if I simply have to propose 10 books that you should buy right now to begin your journey of discovery, these are the ones I suggest.
I will do future posts on thematic and topical lists (sacraments, history, biblical studies, theology, dogma, Mary, etc.), but to get a general library going, I suggest you get your hands on these ten first. The description for each of these is the one provided by the publishers, and the titles are also links that will take you to amazon.com where you can get your own copy.
1. The Catechism of the Catholic Church
Here are the essential elements of our faith presented in the most understandable manner, enabling everyone to read and know what the Church professes, celebrates, lives, and prays. This second edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church has been revised in accordance with the official Latin text promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1997. It also has been enhanced by the addition of more than 100 pages that feature an analytical index translated from the Latin text and a glossary of terms.
The Didache Bible (RSV-2CE) presents extensive commentaries, based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, for each of the books of the Holy Bible. The Didache Bible also includes numerous apologetical inserts to assist the reader in understanding the Church’s teachings on current issues. After publishing the books of The Didache Series, Midwest Theological Forum set out to fill a need for a Catholic edition of Sacred Scripture with explanatory and apologetical commentaries based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The publication of the Didache Bible, based on these principles, fulfills the desire of Pope St. John Paul II as expressed in his Apostolic Constitution Fidei Depositum.
3. Rome Sweet Home by Dr. Scott & Kimberly Hahn
Scott Hahn was a Presbyterian minister, the top student in his seminary class, a brilliant Scripture scholar, and militantly anti-Catholic … until he reluctantly began to discover that his “enemy” had all the right answers. Kimberly, also a top-notch theology student in the seminary, is the daughter of a well-known Protestant minister and went through a tremendous “dark night of the soul” after Scott converted to Catholicism. Their conversion story and love for the Church have captured the hearts and minds of thousands of lukewarm Catholics and brought them back into active participation in the Church. They have also influenced countless conversions to Catholicism among their friends and others who have heard their powerful testimony.
4. Catholicism by Bishop Robert Barron
What is Catholicism? A 2,000-year-old living tradition? A worldview? A way of life? A relationship? A mystery? In Catholicism Father (Now Bishop) Robert Barron examines all these questions and more, seeking to capture the body, heart, and mind of the Catholic faith. Starting from the essential foundation of Jesus Christ’s incarnation, life, and teaching, Barron moves through the defining elements of Catholicism–from sacraments, worship, and prayer, to Mary, the Apostles, and Saints, to grace, salvation, heaven, and hell. Whether discussing Scripture or the rose window at Notre Dame, he uses his distinct and dynamic grasp of art, literature, architecture, personal stories, theology, philosophy, and history to present the Church to the world. Paired with his PBS documentary film series of the same title, Catholicism is an intimate journey, capturing “The Catholic Thing” in all its depth and beauty. Eclectic, unique, and inspiring, Bishop Barron brings the faith to life for a new generation, in a style that is both faithful to timeless truths, while simultaneously speaking in the language of contemporary life.
5. Why Do Catholics Do That? by Kevin Orlin Johnson, Ph.D.
In Why Do Catholics Do That? renowned scholar and religion columnist Kevin Orlin Johnson answers the most frequently asked questions on the Catholic faith, worship, culture, and customs, including * How the Church Makes Laws * The Hard-Fought Genesis of the New Testament * The Cycle of Redemption * A Short Guide to the Meaning and Structure of the Mass * Decoding Symbols of Scripture and the Sacraments * The Calendar as the Image of Christ’s Life * The Rosary * The Stations of the Cross * Monks, Nuns, and the Rules That Guide Them * The Pope * The Laity in the Modern World * Saints * Fatima, Lourdes, and the Story of Apparitions * The Vatican: A Holy City * The Sign of the Cross, Christianity’s Best-Known Symbol * Candles in Prayer and Liturgy * The Meaning of the Nativity Scene, and so much more. Blending religious history, a deep appreciation for art and culture, and an enlightened reverence for the traditions of the Church, Why Do Catholics Do That? is the definitive resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the rituals, symbols, and traditions that can strengthen our faith every day.
6. A Biblical Walk Through the Mass by Dr. Edward Sri
As Catholics, the Catholic Mass is the center of our Faith. We celebrate it every day. We know all the responses. We know all the gestures. But do we know what it all means? In A Biblical Walk Through the Mass, Dr. Edward Sri takes us on a unique tour of the liturgy. Based on the revised translation of the Mass, this book explores the biblical roots of the words and gestures we experience in the liturgy and explains their profound significance. This intriguing look at the Catholic Mass is sure to renew your faith and deepen your devotion to the Eucharist.
7. The Fathers Know Best by Jimmy Akin
The Fathers Know Best: Your Essential Guide to the Teachings of the Early Church is a unique resource. It introduces you to the teachings of the first Christians in a way no other work can. It is specially designed to make it easy for you to find the information you want and need. Amazing features in this fact-packed book include – More than 900 quotations from the writings of the early Church Fathers, as well as from rare and important documents dating back to the dawn of Christian history. – Mini-biographies of nearly 100 Fathers, as well as descriptions of dozens of key early councils and writings. – A concise history of the dramatic spread of Christianity after Jesus told his disciples to evangelize all nations. – Special maps showing you where the Fathers lived, including many little-known and long-vanished locations. – A guide to nearly 30 ancient heresies, many of which have returned to haunt the modern world. – The Fathers’ teaching on nearly 50 topics, including modern hot-button issues like abortion, homosexuality, and divorce. This groundbreaking work presents the teachings of the early Christians in a way, unlike any other book. It flings open the doors of the crucial but little-known age covering the birth of Christianity and the triumphant march of the gospel throughout the ancient world.
8. The Catholic Source Book by Peter Klein
This revised edition of The Catholic Source Book is a vast collection of information to help people of faith learn, renew, teach, and live the risen life of Jesus Christ in the Catholic Church. The ten chapters include: Prayers, An Overview of the Tradition, Scripture, Church, Liturgy, The Liturgical Year, Devotions in Catholic Tradition, Veneration of Saints and Heroes, Catholic Symbols, and Word and Phrase Origins.
9. Introduction to Christianity by Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI)
One of Joseph Ratzinger’s (the late Pope Benedict XVI) most important and widely read books, this volume is a revised second edition with an improved translation and an in-depth 20 page preface. As he states in the preface, since this book was first published over 30 years ago, many changes and significant events have occurred in the world, and in the Church. But even so, he says he is firmly convinced that his fundamental approach in this book is still very timely and crucial for the spiritual needs of modern man. That approach puts the question of God and the question about Christ in the very center, which leads to a “narrative Christology” and demonstrates that the place for faith is in the Church. Thus, this remarkable elucidation of the Apostle’s Creed gives an excellent, modern interpretation of the foundations of Christianity. Ratzinger’s profound treatment of Christianity’s basic truths combines a spiritual outlook with a deep knowledge of Scripture and the history of theology.
10. Swear to God – The Promise and Power of the Sacraments – by Scott Hahn
The Church celebrates seven sacraments: baptism, Eucharist, confirmation, matrimony, holy orders, confession, and anointing of the sick. Each was established by Jesus for the sake of salvation. When Jesus spoke of the sacraments, He made clear that they were essential: Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God (Jn 3:5) . . . unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you have no life in you (Jn 6: 53). In Swear to God, Dr. Scott Hahn explores the richness of Christ’s sacraments—their doctrine, history, symbols, and rituals. Drawing upon the Bible and the Church’s tradition, he shows how God’s covenants—with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David—became the driving forces in history. When Jesus came to fulfill all these covenants, He established a new covenant, with greater power than ever before. Christians are God’s children now. Joined to Christ by baptism, we can already share in the eternal life of the Trinity, a life we hope to know fully in heaven. But heaven is with us, even now, in the sacraments.
What about you?
Okay, that’s my list. Feel free to share your own ideas in the comments, and let me know if you have been helped in your own journey of faith by any of these books or authors.