Reddit mentions of Catholic Study Bible

> What are some good Christian texts and Roman Catholic texts that I can read to further my curiosity into the word.

If you are just getting started, I would recommend the catechisms. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), depending on your background, may be a bit heavy. I have given people in RCIA the New American Catechism #3 and they love it. Direct and simple explanations of the dogmas of the faith with references back to the CCC and Vatican II.

Also, you should look into getting a good Catholic Study Bible. For beginners, I recommend the Catholic Bible, Personal Study Edition. For the more advanced, the Catholic Study Bible.

I've never heard that in my life, and assuredly, the Holy Spirit would aid you as much as anyone else should you desire it. The proper way to read and interpret the book of Revelation (or any book), its exegesis, would be to obtain a study Bible (Personal recommendation), read the historical context, precursor to the book, footnotes, commentary, and of course the verse(s). If everyone followed such guidelines, many questions and misunderstandings would be rendered obsolete.

The aptly-named Catholic Study Bible contains a very accessible translation, and good footnotes that explain historical context and some doctrinal points. There are a few questionable comments, but not so many that I wouldn't recommend it to you. It's on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Catholic-Study-Bible-Donald-Senior/dp/0195297768

When you say "study bible" do you mean a concordance or something academic?

I've had my Oxford Press Catholic Study Bible for years now and I've just about worn it out. I can't speak enough about its thoroughness There's a footnote about nearly every other verse and an essay on every book.

However, while it takes spirituality seriously it belongs to the "historical-critical" school of scriptural studies. The scholars will give you great information on the ancient world, controversies in translation, maps, and other things to help you understand the bible academically. That said, there are also notes about how modern scholars believe years of jubilee weren't conducted as proscribed, or that Jericho was not a walled city at the time the walls were supposed to have fallen at a trumpet blast. It doesn't discount the existence of miracles, just makes mention of when the bible seems to be in conflict with archeology or something and why the authors may have written it as they did. On the whole I recommend it.

For a theological meditation on scripture you probably want a commentary.

I would start by reading Dei Verbum. Also, the first 500 pages of this are a wonderful introduction to understanding scripture written by some of the best biblical scholars there are.

If you have a more specific question (and I know something about it) I will attempt an answer.

I like the Catholic Study Bible. The translation isn't exactly what you'd get in the NIV, but it's in the ballpark. Also, the reading guides, introductions, and footnotes for each book are really good. The Ignatius Study Bible that u/Pope-Urban-III mentioned has even better footnotes, but as also mentioned, they haven't published the OT yet. You can find lots of the individual OT books in the same format by them, but they haven't finished all of them yet, it seems.



edit: The Catholic Study Bible's footnotes aren't where most of the theology is. They mostly deal with clarifying language, providing reference to other verses or events, or some literary context. The reading guides go into much more detail on the theological significance of this or that section.

The US Catholic Church uses the New American Bible, so that's the translation you'll be hearing at Mass if you're in the US. So, just search New American Bible and go with that. I would even recommend getting a study Bible to help you understand what's happening and how things relate to other parts of the Bible, because it can be confusing. Just as a recommendation, this one is fantastic.


There are quite a few sources on understanding the Mass. I would look up the Order of the Mass and maybe try reading through that and following along during Mass, so you understand what is being said and also know what to say.


The Catechism is fantastic. Here is a pretty safe bet on getting started with reading that and something to use as reference.


If you're interested in reading the Summa Theologica, there are shorter versions like Summa of the Summa, which, while still not too short, condense down the most important information and make it easier for somebody without as much time to at least get the general idea.


Good luck on your journey, as I am currently doing the same and am in RCIA, but I've been doing my research for quite a while and am very excited for the coming year!