Please note: Not all are in print, but are classics. These can be obtained through a good college or public library, either in their collection or through inter-library loan.

Essentials

The Bible

The Documents of Vatican II

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

Doctrine, General

Pope Benedict XVI. Gospel, Catechesis, Catechism. Ignatius Press

Bettenson, Henry. The Early Christian Fathers. Oxford University Press.

Kreeft, Peter. Fundamentals of the Faith. Ignatius Press. Catholic Christianity. Ignatius Press.

Ramsey, Boniface. Beginning to Read the Fathers. Paulist Press.

Schonborn, Cardinal Christoph. Living the Catechism, in four volumes. Ignatius Press.

Schreck, Alan. Vatican II: The Crisis and the Promise. Servant Books.

Sheed, Frank. Theology for Beginners. Servant Books. [Best intro for beginners.]

Sheed, Frank. Theology and Sanity. Our Sunday Visitor Press.

God the Father

Galot, Jean. Abba Father: We Long to See Your Face. Alba House.

Pope John Paul II. Apostolic Letter, Dives in Misericordia [Rich in Mercy]

Millennium Commission. God the Father of Mercy. Crossroad.

Nouwen, Fr. Henri J.. Return of the Prodigal. Image Books.

God the Son

Cantalamesa, Raniero. Jesus Christ, The Holy One of God. Liturgical Press. The Holy Spirit in the Life of Jesus. Liturgical Press.

Guardini, Romano. The Lord. Regnery Gateway.

Pope John Paul II. Encyclical, Redemptor Hominis [Redeemer of Man]

Sheed, Frank J. To Know Christ Jesus. Ignatius Press.

God the Holy Spirit

Apostoli, Fr. Andrew. The Holy Spirit, Gift of God. Alba House. The Advocate, Spirit of Truth. Alba House. The Comforter, Spirit of Joy. Alba House.

Pope John Paul II. Encyclical. Dominum et Vivificantem [On the Holy Spirit]

Mary

Pope Benedict XVI. Daughter of Zion. Ignatius Press.

Cantalamesa, Raniero. Mary, Mirror of the Church. Liturgical Press.

Houselander, Caryll. The Reed of God. Christian Classics.

Pope John Paul II. Encyclical, Mother of the Redeemer.

Rahner, Hugo. Our Lady and the Church. Ignatius Press.

Sheen, Archbishop Fulton. The World’s First Love. Ignatius Press.

Von Speyr, Adrienne. Handmaid of the Lord. Ignatius Press.

Sacraments/Liturgy

Aquilina, Mike. The Mass of the Early Christians. Our Sunday Visitor Press.

Pope Benedict XVI. God Is Near Us. Ignatius Press. [Contact Adult Ed at the SLC for discussion questions, if you would like them.]

Cantalamesa, Fr. Raniero, OFM Cap. The Eucharist, Our Sanctification. Liturgical Press.

Hahn, Scott. The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth. Doubleday.

Pope John Paul II. Encyclical, Reconciliation and Penance.

Searle, Mark. Liturgy Made Simple. Liturgical Press.

Stravinskas, Fr. Peter. The Bible and the Mass. Our Sunday Visitor Press.

Scripture

Duggan, Michael. The Consuming Fire. (On the Old Testament). Ignatius Press

Boadt, Fr. Lawrence. Reading the Old Testament. Paulist Press.

Pontifical Biblical Commission. The Historicity of the Gospels.

Pope Leo XIII. Encyclical, On the Study of Sacred Scripture.

Shea, Mark. Making Senses out of Scripture. Basilica Press.

Saints and Spirituality

St. Athanasius The Life of St. Anthony.

Augustine. Confessions. [Many editions are available. Henry Chadwick has a good translation out by Oxford University Press.]

Benedict of Nursia. The Rule of St. Benedict. The Liturgical Press.

Bloom, Metropolitan Anthony. Beginning to Pray. Paulist Press.

Catherine of Siena. The Dialogue. Classics of Western Spirituality.

Chesterton, G.K. The Dumb Ox (on St. Thomas Aquinas). Image Books. St. Francis of Assisi. Image Books

Climacus, St. John. The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Classics of Western Spirituality.

DeSales, Francis. Introduction to the Devout Life.

Escriva, Fr. Josemaria. The Way. Scepter Press.

Garrigou-Lagrance, Fr. Reginald, OP. TheThree Conversions in the Spiritual Life.Tan Books.

Green, Fr. Thomas, SJ. Opening to God. Ave Maria Press. When the Well Runs Dry. Ave Maria Press.

Lewis, C.S. Surprised by Joy. MacMillan. The Screwtape Letters. MacMillan.

Scupoli, Dom Lorenzo. The Spiritual Combat. Tan Books.

Teresa of Avila. Autobiography. Image Books. Way of Perfection. Image Books. Interior Castle. Image Books.

Therese of Liseaux. Story of a Soul, [aka the Little Flower; her autobiography] Image Books.

Van Zeller, Dom Hubert. Holiness - a Guide for Beginners . Sophia Institute Press. Holiness for Housewives. [For anyone living in the world] Sophia Institute Press.

Moral Theology

Kreeft, Peter. Back to Virtue. Ignatius Press.

DeMarco, Donald. The Heart of Virtue. Ignatius Press.

Grisez, Germain. Fulfillment in Christ. University of Notre Dame Press.

May, William. Principles of Catholic Moral Life. Franciscan Herald Press. An Introduction to Moral Theology. Our Sunday Visitor Press.

Church History

Belloc, Hillaire. The Crusades. Tan Books. Europe and the Faith. Tan Books.

Bouyer, Louis. The Church. Franciscan Herald Press. The Spirit and Forms of Protestantism. Newman Press.

Carroll, Warren. The Building of Christendom. Christendom College Press. The Glory of Christendom. Christendom College Press. The Dividing of Christendom. Christendom College Press. The Guillotine and the Cross. Trinity Communications. 1917, Red Banners, White Mantle [Russian Revolution] Trinity Communications

Cowie, Frederick. Pioneers of Catholic Europe. Our Sunday Visitor Press.

Daniel-Rops. The Catholic Reformation. Dent-Dutton.

Dawson, Christopher. Religion and the Rise of Western Culture. Image Books. The Dividing of Christendom. Sheed and Ward. The Making of Europe. Sheed and Ward. Progress and Religion. Sheed and Ward.

Hughes, Philip. A Popular History of the Catholic Church. Macmillan.

Rasmussen, Martha. The Catholic Church: The First 2000 Years. Ignatius Press.

Ruffin, Bernard. The Twelve. Our Sunday Visitor Press. The Days of the Martyrs. Our Sunday Visitor Press.

Madden, Thomas. A Concise History of the Crusades. Rowan and Littlefield. Riley-Smith. A Short History of the Crusades. Yale University Press.

Apologetics

Graham, Bishop Henry. Where We Got the Bible. Tan Books.

Howard, Thomas. On Being Catholic. Ignatius Press. Evangelical is Not Enough. Ignatius Press.

Kreeft, Peter and Fr. Ronald Tacelli, SJ. Handbook of Christian Apologetics. Ignatius Press.

Keating, Karl. Catholicism and Fundamentalism. Ignatius Press.

Madrid, Patrick. Surprised by Truth. Basilica Press.

Ray, Stephen. Upon This Rock. Ignatius Press.

For Further Reading Recommendations

Hardon, Fr. John, SJ. The Treasury of Catholic Wisdom. Ignatius Press. The Catholic Lifetime Reading Plan. Doubleday & Co.