Reddit mentions of Catholicism For Dummies

Hi there! Also a former raised-Catholic-but-not-really-former-atheist/agnostic revert here.

There are numerous - almost endless - amount of resources out there, regarding the Church. (Considering the age of the Catholic Church, it's not surprising.) If you had more specific topics you were looking for, I'm sure people here would be more than willing to point you in the right direction.

For more general sources by platform:

 

BOOKS

• There actually is a "Catholicism for Dummies".
  
  
• Mere Christianity is a classic read for all Christians. It is not explicitly Catholic, but it gives a good foundation.
  
   
  
  YOUTUBE
  
  
• Father Mike Schmitz does a great job of explaining things concisely and with enthusiasm.
  
  
• Bishop Robert Barron is also extremely popular on social media among Catholics. Great content.
  
   
  
  PODCASTS
  
  
• Catholic Stuff You Should Know is one part goofy banter and one part reflections/discussions on Catholicism. I listened to them regularly when I had 1+ hour commutes each way :)
  
  
• Catholic Answers is also a well-known podcast among Catholics. Haven't listened to them yet, but I always hear good things!
  
   
  
  MISC
  
  
• Regarding mass and its structure/meaning. Here is a link to a USCCB page that breaks down the mass structure and explains the significance of each section/prayer
  
  
• On how to pray the rosary. Learning the rosary can be a big hurdle for neophytes, but it would still be fruitful to begin with perhaps just one decade.
  
   
  
  
  This subreddit is generally good at giving solid answers and advice, if you had specific questions/doubts/inquiries. It was actually probably quite an instrumental player in my reversion to the Church. And like you said, head to confession ASAP! Welcome back home, friend.

You're in luck! Catholicism For Dummies, and it's really good.

Also, call your local church and ask to speak to someone in RCIY (Rites of Christian Initiation for Youth).

> I have no idea if this post contains anything insulting/against the rules/breaking some secret taboo. I just want to become closer to the family of the man I love.

This last sentence just made me smile so big today. We're a pretty thick skinned bunch, and hearing that you want to come into this with an open heart and mind, prompted by a man and family whom you love, is an occasion for joy. Welcome! We're happy to have you here. Please stick around and ask as many questions as you wish!

I want to make this offer at the beginning of this post, so it doesn't get buried. As you embark upon this journey, please feel free to keep my username handy and DM with any specific questions that trip you up or pique your curiosity. I mean that, I'm happy to be a resource in addition to all the wonderful folks who help this subreddit tick.

I'm a cradle Catholic, 28 years old, and I, too, feel like there's an eternity's worth of stuff to discover about the faith. It's always overwhelming.

I'm going to first echo /u/Trubea's sentiments, Catholicism For Dummies is an excellent resource book and worth picking up.

Given that your SO has been sharing lots of biblical stories with you it would also make sense to buy a Bible. I'd recommend the following for a very readable Bible with awesome footnotes, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church as a teaching companion to reference against. It may take time to dig really deeply into those, but eventually you'll want them.

• Bible
  
• Catechism
  
  Two YouTube channels (finally I'm recommending something free, right?) where you'll find great short videos on what the Church teaches, pop culture, and everything in between are found here:
  
  
• Bishop Robert Barron's "Word On Fire" Channel
  
• Father Mike Schmitz on "Ascension Presents"
  
  Also, I've noticed you seem to be drawn to the "beauty" of the faith. The aforementioned Bishop Barron has some great media that I think you'd really enjoy.
  
  
• The Catholicism Video Series - A 10 episode documentary with some great cinematic work and soundtrack that break down some of the basics of the faith. A bit pricey for the whole thing, but something to consider. A trailer for the whole series can be found here and they did post a free, 53 min long episode on YouTube which can be found here.
  
  
• Bishop Barron's book that covers some of the same info as the video series, aptly named Catholicism.
  
  Before I recommend too many more options that break the bank, I'll leave you with that. :) There are lots of free resources to learn about the Catholic Church online, as well. The teachings, the stories, the lives of the saints, the miracles, you name it! Just let us know what is piquing your interest the most, and we'll do our best to direct you to something awesome on it.
  
  In the present, will say a prayer for your journey. Peace to you!
  
  

>Basically, I need some Catholicism for Dummies

Catholicism for Dummies

1. The material on the site of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, particularly the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Catechism is a kind of official Church textbook on the fundamentals of Catholicism.
   
2. Catholic Answers, especially the tracts, which have formal approval from the local ordinary (i.e., the bishop in charge where Catholic Answers is located). A great source of direct, concise answers to the most common questions.
   
3. The Catholic Encyclopedia. This book was published more than a hundred years ago and may be out of date in some respects, but some of its articles really have no online substitute.
   
4. Catholicism for Dummies, really an excellent book.
   
5. RCIA, a class meant for people thinking about converting that you can find at your local parish.

Hello! Perhaps this could be a good resource for you (for children)?
For you, I've seen on this sub (though please correct me if I'm wrong, friends) that Catholicism for dummies has been a good resource for many.

>Is there such a thing as "Catholicism for dummies"?

Such a book indeed exists

It's handy to have some basic apologetics resources available, and be familiar with the Scriptural and Traditional origins of basic Catholic teachings and practices.

• Catholic Answers has a great series of tracts on lots of these topics.
  
  
• Dave Armstrong, my favorite contemporary apologist, has a great website along similar lines, though he tends to go more in depth.
  
  
• EWTN has some decent forums for Catholic questions and answers.
  
  
• "Biblical Texts Related to Catholic Liturgy" is a good, brief list of Scriptural bases for parts of the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours
  
  
• Books like "Catholicism for Dummies" and "Why Do Catholics Do That?" are good for basic, core information.
  
  What you'll run up against depends on who's doing the talking.
  
  
• If the person is a Protestant, they'll likely (depending on the particular Protestant tradition they're coming from, e.g. Anglicans and Baptists will probably have differing objections to Catholicism) be operating under the assumption that Catholic beliefs and practices are "not Biblical," that things like praying to Mary and the saints constitutes "worship" and "idolatry," and that our religious practices (everything from the Mass to praying the Rosary to Confession) are "not taught in the Bible." What you must do is demonstrate that, in fact, our beliefs can be backed up by Scripture, and through the Church Fathers we can demonstrate that they were taught and practiced by the early Church. This is also where a study Bible with an index of doctrines comes in very handy.
  
  
• For restorationist groups like Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses, who believe that orthodox Christianity went off the rails quite early on and they alone possess the true, recently recovered Christianity, you need to show that Catholic teachings and practices are consistent through the history of the Church, whereas the restorationist movements' were not only unknown until the 19th century, but have no basis whatsoever in historic Christianity.
  
  
• If you've encountered folks who object to Catholicism based on history (e.g. the Crusades, Inquisition, massacres of Protestants, violent colonialism, Galileo, corrupt popes, etc.), it's most important to point out that a lot of this is exaggerated or outright fabricated. The supposed horrors of the Inquisition are wildly blown out of proportion, part of a "black legend" that was a deliberate 16th and 17th century smear campaign against Catholicism (and the Spanish Empire) which is still widely believed today. The violent religious wars and colonial exploits of Europeans in the early modern era involved bloodshed and persecution on all sides, and Protestants were no less guilty of it than Catholics. There have been many corrupt popes, and there were serious problems with discipline during the late Medieval and Renaissance eras; these things were corrected by the Council of Trent. Et cetera, et cetera.
  
  
• Many atheists (and even a lot of Christians, who really ought to know better) will object to Catholic observances of Christmas, Easter, saints' days, and other feasts, charging that they have "pagan origins" and aren't in the Bible. For these, you have to show that holy days like Christmas aren't remotely pagan.
  
  
• Jews and Muslims tend to object to the Holy Trinity, considering it to be "idolatry" or polytheism; they also reject the Divinity of Christ and deny that He is the Messiah. For this, you must show that the Trinity is consistent with monotheism, and that Christ's Divinity and fulfillment of prophecy can be backed up with Scripture. Catholic Answers has solid tracts and other media dealing with all of these issues.
  
  Note that it's very rarely easy, because objections to Catholicism are often very deep-set and visceral. You can talk till you're blue in the face about Matthew 16:18-19 being the basis for our teachings on the papacy, but for someone who may have grown up hearing about how the pope is the Antichrist, a wicked and corrupt man who's worshipped like a god, it's hard to get our message across. Sometimes even mountains of Scripture and Church Fathers and apologetics cannot wear down a fortress built of misinformation, misinterpretation, and age-old prejudice.
  
  Often, the hostility to Catholicism is reinforced by bad personal experiences people have had with Catholics. For too many, the uncaring priest, the mean nun, the gossipy and unwelcoming parish, and scandals of sin and unconscionable abuse have done as much damage to the Church's image as centuries of anti-Catholic polemics and lies.

There actually is a Catholicism for Dummies. Calling a local parish also works. Get in touch with a priest, he'll usually be happy to tell you more.

Love your post, especially the Konami code thing :)

You might like the book Catholicism for Dummies by Fathers Trigilio and Brighenti.

Catholic.com is a great resource; you might also like the Catholic Answers podcast.

And, of course, there's always this subreddit!

Sorry you've had a bad experience. The internet and forums are often a mixed bag unfortunately.

If you are interested in better understanding Catholicism, a good start is this book http://www.amazon.com/Catholicism-Dummies-Rev-John-Trigilio/dp/1118077784. Its a pretty simple read and represents a good foundation to start from. It doesn't answer every question you might have, but I think it might give you some better insight. Hope it helps. God bless.

Ozurip has the right of it here, "you shouldn't swear frivolously." So, the propriety of your uber-Catholic character making this oath would depend on the circumstances of the oath.

Generally, I would expect this kind of swearing to come up in casual, minor situations. "My right hand to God, this lady in line at the grocery store was [doing some crazy, unbelievable thing]." That would not be an appropriate use of a swear (oath).

In general, as a serious Catholic, you would understand and appreciate the gravity and seriousness of calling upon almighty God Himself to bear witness to the truth of a statement you're making. If it's done casually or for minor cases, then obviously you're doing not appreciating the seriousness of it.

Testifying in court, oaths of office or enlistment, solemn vows, etc, are all serious matters and, hopefully, not undertaken lightly or without full understanding. In those cases, they are good and virtuous.

In [Matt 5:34-37], Jesus tells us not to swear by God, but to let our honest word stand for itself. Now, He was not actually forbidding all swearing to or by God, but stressing that we ought to live by what we say, and be honest and virtuous in all things, so that oaths would be unnecessary to convince others that what we say is true.

You can read more about the subject at this link. For what it's worth, I don't typically hear practicing Catholics make this kind of oath, nor do I, unless it's for serious oaths.

For your book and character, I would highly suggest the Catholicism for Dummies book. It's actually a really good overview and summary of a lot of the Catholic faith, and would probably really help you in writing your character. Also, feel free to drop by the r/Catholicism subreddit to ask any other questions you have for your story. This is kind of a subsubreddit of that, it's bigger and more active.

http://www.amazon.com/Catholicism-Dummies-Rev-John-Trigilio/dp/1118077784

Best intro ever.

Are you familiar with Catholic Answers? They're a good source for learning more about the faith.

If you want to start reading the Bible (which is a good thing to do), I'd suggest starting with one of synoptic gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, or Luke) and possibly using a Catholic study Bible (which will help with interpretation). I'd recommend either the Catholic Study Bible put out by Ignatius press - you can get the books individually (Here's Matthew, for example), or they have a version that's the entire New Testament. Another possibility might be the Didache Bible, which has commentary based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

If you want a very general overview, Catholicism for Dummies isn't a bad starting point. If you're in the United States, the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults would also be a good option.

My Intro to Catholicism professor's friend/professional acquaintance wrote this book, and all "haha, Dummies books" aside, it's an excellent book. He even required us to read it for the course: Catholicism for Dummies

The RCIA course and speaking with the priest are exactly right, I just thought you might like a little side reading. HTH.

Yes this exists
By Frs John Trigilio Jr. and Kenneth Brighenti

Bought it for my wife who is a cradle Catholic but never really read much about the church and was a bit of a cultural Catholic. She has really enjoyed it.

Also Why Do Catholics Do That?: A Guide to the Teachings and Practices of the Catholic Church

by Kevin Orlin Johnson