Best catholic books according to Reddit

Reddit mentions of Introduction to Christianity, 2nd Edition (Communio Books)

Sentiment score: 10
Reddit mentions: 17

We found 17 Reddit mentions of Introduction to Christianity, 2nd Edition (Communio Books). Here are the top ones.

one of Pope Benedict XVI's most widely read booksCatholic theology from Pope Benedict XVI
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Found 17 comments on Introduction to Christianity, 2nd Edition (Communio Books):

u/[deleted] · 13 pointsr/Christianity

I'd recommend a number of titles, many of which are free:

Since you already have a foundation in Christian thought, I'd recommend Introduction to Christianity (hint: not actually introductory level) by Joseph Ratzinger. It's pretty theologically dense, but that man is one of the most profound theologians of his generation, and this is his first masterpiece.

If you are interested in morality, particularly in issues of conscience in relationship to subjectivity and objectivity, I strongly recommend Conscience and Truth, by Ratzinger as well (free online).

If you are interested in the contemporary thought of the Catholic Church (we essentially see ourselves as the religion according to reason), I can think of no better volume than a book-length interview Ratzinger gave to Peter Seewald in the late 90's, Salt of the Earth. His words are seriously beautiful.

On the relationship between faith and reason, I'd recommend Ratzinger/Benedict XVI's Regensburg address (free!), and John Paul II's Fides et Ratio (free).

If you are interested in the role of religion vis-à-vis politics and public life, I'd think to read Benedict XVI's addresses at Westminster Hall and at The Bundestag (both free), which are considered as among the finest speeches of his pontificate. If you are interested in Catholic social teaching (i.e. morality relating to economics), I'd go with Caritas in Veritate.

If you are interested in Christian theology relating to death, judgment, heaven and hell, I'd recommend no better book than C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce, which is a beautiful narrative that explains so well Christian theology relating to the last things.

I'd recommend as a general introduction to what faith means the first encyclical released by Pope Francis, Lumen Fidei (free on the Vatican's website), which was mostly written by his predecessor and offers profound meditations on the nature of Christian faith (read together with the first chapter of Introduction to Christianity, I think one would have a solid understanding of what it actually means to believe).

If you wish to know more about Christian sexual ethics (hint: it's not a decontextualized list of prohibitions, but rather a positive command to love totally), I can think of no better volume than Karol Wojtyla's Love and Responsibility, which is a philosophical-theological volume in which Wojtyla expounds on the "personalistic norm"—i.e. the only proper response to another human being is love, as opposed to "use," which is the treating of another as less than human, as an object (applicable also to employers who treat their employees as automatons).

As you can tell, I'm a pretty big fan of the previous pontificate.

u/encouragethestorm · 6 pointsr/DebateReligion

I reject all of the premises of your argument. Indeed I think your foundational premises are so inherently opposed to a theistic worldview that you are essentially just begging the question.

>We have never encountered anything in our lives more valuable than human life.

The Christian will, on the contrary, insist that love is superior to everything, including human (biological) life. Perhaps it can be claimed that the highest level of life is love, but nevertheless I think there is evidence that love is greater than biological life. We give up our lives too readily for those whom we love to claim that life is itself the greatest good.

> There is only one method to solve a problem: trial and error.

This assumes an epistemology that can largely be characterized as scientism or even perhaps positivism. The Christian would obviously disagree. As Ratzinger writes in Introduction to Christianity, in accepting knowledge garnered through science as the only valid form of knowledge, one limits him- or herself to "what is given and can be measured," with the result being that one "no longer inquires after truth." Thus, as a professor once remarked to me, because such things as love and aesthetic truths are immeasurable we are forced to accept that such things as an encounter with beauty through a text, or through a sunset, or even through human beings, do not actually constitute moments of authentic human "knowing."

Accepting this view, many postmodern philosophers have (very logically) proposed a radical deconstruction of human knowledge to the point at which we can no longer claim to really know anything at all. To me this is indeed the result of a positivist worldview, and thus I reject positivism as an epistemological system precisely because it is apparent to me that human beings can and do arrive at authentic truth.

An exclusively positivist epistemology falls apart as well when one considers that science cannot account for everything: science presupposes logic and scientific findings must be logically coherent, but logic itself is, strictly speaking, outside of the reach of the scientific method; morality and ethics are not subject to the scientific method; evaluations of beauty, etc., are also inaccessible to scientific observation. I think we would insist that some things are beyond trial and error entirely.

>The definition of moral goodness is a fearless courage to solve problems wherever they may lie, starting with one's own self. Otherwise one is a slave to error in every way and merely a mechanism to perpetuate it and the violation of the factual value of human life.

You didn't seriously just propose as the given assumption a conception of what "the good" is. Philosophers have debated for millennia what exactly "goodness" and "morality" are, and I think it is simple arrogance to simply assume that this definition of "fearless courage to solve problems" is correct. There are too many questions that ought to be asked: Why is the good "fearless courage," and why is courage not a manifestation of the good? Why are problems bad? Is fearlessness good or not?

u/fr-josh · 6 pointsr/Christianity

Absolutely. Introduction to Christianity is really great.

Jesus of Nazareth is also really great.

u/Balorat · 6 pointsr/Christianity

Four hours in and no one has mentioned Introduction to Christianity by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger yet?

u/fuhko · 5 pointsr/Catholicism

I definitely second the recommendation of reading the New Testament! The Catechism is also a great resource for the details of the faith.

But if, u/powrightinthe_kissa, you find the Catechism a bit overwhelming, I would also like to recommend some other books by some popular authors on the faith, to give a broader overview. Any one of these books would be great so feel free to pick out one or two of what I recommended for your consideration.

Our previous pope, Pope Benedict, was an amazing theologian! He wrote some excellent books. I would recommend Jesus of Nazareth and Introduction to Christianity.

Mere Christianity is a great explanation of general Christian theology and the Christian narrative of the world. The apologetics of Mere Christianity are a bit watered down so I wouldn't read it for its apologetics (for that I would go to other authors, like Fesser or Craig) but Mere Christianity is great for basic theology.

Fr. Barron is also a great explainer of the faith, I hear Word on Fire would provide a good introduction.

u/Rotkirch · 4 pointsr/Catholicism

I always read a lot of books at the same time. Right now it's:

Priests for the Third Millennium - Cardinal Dolan
Introduction to Christianity - Cardinal Ratzinger
The Devotion to the Sacred Heart - John Croiset
An infinity of little hours - Nancy Klein Maguire

u/EvenInArcadia · 2 pointsr/Christianity

Introduction to Christianity by Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI)

This is a dense read and not nearly as "introductory" as the title would have you believe, but it's an extraordinary piece of work, taking the form of a 400-page commentary on the Apostles Creed and how it sums up all that's necessary for the Christian life.

Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales

A wonderful book about how ordinary people can seek and find holiness in their lives.

The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola

The Spiritual Exercises are one of the world's greatest systems for drawing into an intimate and personal relationship with God.

The Cloud of Unknowing

This anonymous book is written for someone very far advanced in the mystical and contemplative life, but it's tremendously beneficial for even the novice reader.

The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross

St. John is one of the greatest of all mystics, and his writings offer tremendous consolation to those going through periods of spiritual desolation. He shows us that the love of God is present even in darkest nights of our souls.

u/witchdoc86 · 2 pointsr/CreationEvolution

Pope Benedict XVI, formerly Cardinal Ratzinger, was probably the smartest pope in history (he was a professor of theology for many years before becoming pope, and wrote 66 books), said creationism was "absurd" and there was "much scientific proof in favor of evolution."

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1xibyb/til_in_2007_the_pope_benedict_xvi_called/

His book "Introduction to Christianity" was one of my favorite books when I was an evangelical Christian (despite its name, it is quite deep, and very well written considering its depth).

https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Christianity-2nd-Communio-Books/dp/1586170295

u/Shinobi_Steve · 2 pointsr/Catholicism

Consider Introduction to Christianity by Pope Benedict XVI (written when he was Cardinal Ratzinger).

u/Dice08 · 1 pointr/Christianity

For 1-5, Scholastic Metaphysics: A Contemporary Introduction by Edward Feser.

For 6 and anything else related to the basics of the Christian life, Christian history, or the church, I would suggest Introduction to Christianity by Pope Benedict the XVI (Joseph Ratzinger)

u/MirrorsDarkly · 1 pointr/Christianity

You may be interested in Rene Girard's mimetic theory, and how the sacrifice of Jesus satisfies the violence that mimetic desire ultimately brings to communities. In this way, Girard argues, Jesus is superior to the myths of conflict resolution that came before, because he invites us to imitate God, who is free from all desire. Through Jesus, we can end our attachment to desire, and bring about peace.

"I See Satan Fall Like Lightning" is a helpful resource here. It's in PDF here.

EDIT: You may also be interested in Introduction to Christianity. Ratzinger makes some very compelling arguments about Jesus, including the idea that Jesus is quite literally a Greek persona or a mask through which we can see and emulate God.

u/Bradn085 · 1 pointr/Christianity

>We do not stand alone. We have the shared and consistent apostolic confession as passed down through the generations.

- exactly what our Lutheran friend said. So look at the early church fathers and read what they said from their own mouths. Just follow it from the ground up through the 21st century.


I would start here: Early Church Writings - 2nd Century Church

Go mid-way here: Church Fathers 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Century,

6th century to 16th century here: Later Centuries / Renaissance + Not What Luther Thought of the Gospel

End here: Final Centuries - The Church's Designated Sr. Pastor Sums it Up for You

Just follow the Church's confessions, including its confessions through the Protestant heresies, and just make it to the end. Very simple. It's crisp when others don't throw in heresies in the middle to confuse you.

u/-tactical-throw-away · 1 pointr/JoeRogan
u/timhuge · 1 pointr/Catholicism

Someone I trust has recommended (for a similar request) the classic, The Spirit of Catholicism by Karl Adam, which I just found out is available online: http://www.ewtn.com/library/THEOLOGY/SPIRCATH.HTM

Another one to consider would be Introduction to Christianity by then-Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Emeritus Benedict)

I haven't read either of these though, so please weigh in, those that have.

u/Fuck_if_I_know · -1 pointsr/DebateReligion

Nope, you're just mocking Christianity by pretending we should take this silly little story seriously. If you truly think that Christianity is as silly as this, you should educate yourself. Why not start with this, it's pretty good.