Books on Catholic Teaching

Surveys show that the leading cause of Catholics leaving the Church is not receiving solid, timely answers to questions about their Faith. Heightening this problem is a hostile secular culture that perceives faith as being at odds with science and the modern world.In these incisive pages, David Bonagura directly answers one hundred hot-button questions about the supernatural life and Catholicism today. The questions, which were submitted anonymously by young adults in New York City, leave no ...

In the eternal battle for souls, prayer is our greatest weapon.In this book on spiritual warfare, acclaimed author and radio host Jesse Romero emphasizes the importance of prayer in facing our modern crises, especially for men who are the heads of their households.He reminds us that the faculty of prayer is both a gift and a protective weapon from God. Far from a passive routine, it is an intrepid action in which we directly encounter the divine and drive away the diabolic.Romero identifies t...

Society no longer encourages wonder or spending time pondering the big questions of life. Indeed, the childlike gifts of curiosity and gratitude have been trampled over by technology and benumbed by complacency.In these engaging pages, Bobby Angel reveals how and why your life has meaning. Drawing from major thinkers from ancient to modern times, personal stories, historical lessons, and popular movies, he assists the layperson in absorbing vital philosophical concepts in an easily digestible...

In an age in which the occult is becoming increasingly normalized, Teresa Yanaros's Freedom from Darkness offers a crucial beacon of hope and a guide to freedom.Drawing from her profound personal journey out of the occult and into the light of Christ, Yanaros unveils with insight and precision the stark realities of spiritual warfare and the path to deliverance.Freedom from Darkness is not just a book; it is a survival manual for those ensnared by the occult--be it through tarot cards, New Ag...

Religious leaders do not teach about Hell to scare people to come to Church, though the fear of Hell often leads souls to turn back to God. Hell is the result of mankind's free will, not God's malice. French novelist Léon Bloy said: "The only real sadness, the only real failure, the only great tragedy in life, is not to become a saint." Since only saints are in Heaven, the greatest tragedy, then, is to go to Hell.In these gripping pages, Dan Burke and Patrick O'Hearn present the most common r...

Dignitatis Humanae, the Second Vatican Council’s declaration on religious liberty, remains one of the most debated texts in modern Catholic theology. Its teaching raises urgent questions: Is the Council’s doctrine on religious liberty an infallible teaching or an act of the “authentic Magisterium”? May a Catholic suspend or withhold assent, and under what conditions? And most critically, does the Council’s treatment of religious liberty contradict the Church’s earlier magisterium? As Alan Fim...

"My child, when you come to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for trials(Sirach, 2)Most American Catholics who came to call themselves Traditionalists were totally unprepared for the assault on the Roman Rite manifesting itself at the Second Vatican Council and in its aftermath. Their reactions to the Liturgical Revolution were, therefore, those of a shocked incredulity, such a nightmare seeming impossible in a Church that they had considered so well-protected from error by the Papacy. There w...

Carlo Acutis, born May 3, 1991, fully embraced the gift of life. Known as a computer whiz, he also liked to play soccer, video games, and the saxophone. He enjoyed watching his favorite police dramas and making short films with his star cast of cats and dogs. He had many friends and enjoyed spending time with them.Yet Carlo was a little "different" at school, in the pizzerias, and on the soccer field. What set Carlo apart was his constant pursuit of holiness. In addition to his fun hobbies, h...

Pull up a chair and lend an ear as Mother Angelica shares her wit and wisdom on the often messy nitty-gritty of family life, faith, and forgiveness. This collection of chats, carefully curated from Mother Angelica Live Classics, weaves Scripture, personal anecdotes, and timeless Catholic teachings into deeply engaging stories. In these charming pages, Mother reveals the secret of how to achieve the impossible and miraculous in your life.Whether discussing the wounds of strained relationships ...

Here is the book that will help you discover how to be "fully alive." Esteemed theologian, Fr. Thomas Mullady, OP shares a fresh perspective on why you are called to union with God. He provides accessible and relevant answers on commonly asked post-Vatican II questions in Catholic theology, including Thomistic problems which have pervaded Catholic theology, both past and present.Fr. Mullady offers solutions to debates and a springboard to launch an analysis of contemporary issues such as:What...

Many people rely on Robert Spitzer, S.J., Ph.D., for his expertise on explaining the relationship between science, faith, and reason. Finally, at your fingertips, are his answers to select questions that viewers asked on his immensely popular television show, Fr. Spitzer's Universe, to help you understand and share life's greatest mysteries.A priest and philosopher of science, Fr. Spitzer offers evidence and proofs for common queries, such as: Is there really an intelligent Being who created ...

Dignitas Personae (“The Dignity of the Person”), issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on September 8, 2008, examines contemporary bioethical questions in light of the Church’s perennial teaching on the sanctity of human life. Addressing emerging technologies such as in vitro fertilization, embryonic stem cell research, cloning, and genetic engineering, the document reaffirms that every human being—regardless of developmental stage—possesses inherent dignity and must never ...

In Common Sense for a World of Common Nonsense, Dr. Donald DeMarco examines modern moral confusion through sharp, philosophical essays that contrast virtue with ideology. Divided into “Common Nonsense” and “Common Sense,” the book critiques gender ideology, abortion, relativism, and other cultural errors while affirming tradition, rationality, and Christian moral wisdom. Drawing on Scripture, Church teaching, and the insights of classical thinkers, DeMarco argues for the indispensable role of...

Donald DeMarco's Without God Nothing Makes Sense argues that removing God from public discourse leads to societal confusion and moral decay. DeMarco critiques ideologies like radical feminism, atheism, and the pro-abortion lobby, identifying their rejection of divine truths as sources of division and intellectual blindness. He emphasizes the importance of virtues such as lightheartedness, kindheartedness, and warmheartedness, which align with faith in God and serve as antidotes to societal fr...

or Friendliness and its Relevance in Modern Evangelization This book explores the critical role of affability in contemporary outreach, aiming to bring this often-overlooked virtue into the spotlight. The author engages the writings of Pope Francis and selected saints expressing that affability is a virtue which impacts human relations for the good of the world, propelling evangelization efforts to the fullest level. The reason for its effectiveness is because friendly interactions influence ...

To become a better Christian, you need to form your emotions aright. It might also surprise you to know that Catholic teaching doesn't disparage the emotions. Rather, the traditional Catholic view -- supported by giants in the Catholic tradition such as Saint Augustine, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, and Saint Thomas Aquinas -- is that ongoing conversion does not mean suppressing, ignoring, or eradicating the emotions, but reforming them.In Emotional Holiness, Abbot Austin Murphy, OSB, shows how...

To carry on the mission of the Church, we must be unified, which Jesus himself prayed for. This unity begins first of all with the clergy, who share in the Sacrament of Holy Orders.As I Have Loved You explores the concept of "clerical unity," which is a way of living out one's vocation to Holy Orders with a sense of oneness, cohesion, and harmony without divisions or fragmentation. Bishops, priests, and deacons form a single, complete brotherhood while maintaining, in whole, each order's dist...

Catholic America is fun! It's captivating! Inspirational! Eye-opening! You simply won't believe it! Which state capital named for a saint was originally called "Pig's Eye"? Where is the tallest baptismal font, standing over thirteen feet tall? Who are the "three holy peas in a pod"?The answers to these questions are just the beginning of the incredible facts, trivia, people, churches, and lore found in Incredible Catholic America.This book is more than a collection of random facts and trivia....

Have you ever wandered outside and wished you could find a place to just sit and pray, a garden space to find solace in the busyness of today's world? Do you desire to create an outdoor green space that will help meet your spiritual needs?Planting with Prayer: The Catholic Gardening Handbook shows you how to develop a contemplative outdoor space that moves you in this season of your life and spiritual growth. Whether you are a new gardener or a sage veteran, Advanced Master Gardener Margaret ...

What characterizes, in a singular way, Jesus's teaching on prayer is the recourse to parables. Jesus did not invent a new system for praying. Jesus was not a hermit, a Buddhist monk, or a yogi. He instead chose the daily life of his people to teach prayer with parables. This book explores the parables in the Gospels explicitly related to prayer, with Jesus as your guide.In preparation for the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025, the Exploring Prayer series delves into various dimensions of prayer in the...

Enthusiasm, in the religious sense, is more akin to fanaticism than fervor. As Monsignor Ronald Knox describes, it is that recurring situation in Church history in which men and women, seek to be less and less "of the world" and more and more attentive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Their assumption is audacious yet simple: grace does not perfect nature; it destroys and replaces it. The inevitable result: separation, secession, schism. In twenty-three informative and entertaining chapter...

Many readers know John Fisher primarily as the fellow martyr of Thomas More and as a victim of King Henry VIII’s break with Rome. Far fewer realize that Fisher was already renowned in the early sixteenth century as one of Europe’s foremost theologians and as a reforming bishop of exceptional holiness and learning. His theological precision and fidelity to tradition made him uniquely suited to confront the doctrinal crisis emerging from Germany. When Martin Luther denied core Catholic doctrine...

"... All possible means are resorted to in an effort to discredit the phenomena of Konnersreuth, to silence the voices which speak of a Divine Hand at work there. Despite all of this, the phenomena continue to take place as hitherto."Therese Neumann was a simple girl born to good Catholic parents in an obscure village of Catholic Bavaria. Yet God would call her to make known the sacred passion of Christ in her person. After an accident that should have killed her, she was miraculously healed,...

The love of nature in our days has gone so far apart from Christian feeling. Men have forgotten that God's thoughts find expression in the visible, as well as in the invisible, world, and that inner and secret harmonies bind the natural and the supernatural together. The things of beauty which God has bidden arise on the earth lose half their grace, because men do not mount by them to the better understanding of the supernal beauty of the operations of that world which Faith reveals to our ga...

In this volume on the Sacraments, St. Robert Bellarmine follows the structure of the Council of Trent to present a precise and authoritative defense of Catholic sacramental theology against the errors of early Protestant reformers. In his treatise On the Sacraments in General, Bellarmine explains the nature and purpose of the Sacraments, examining their definition, matter and form, their divine institution, the distinction between Old Testament and New Testament rites, the conditions for vali...

The Catechism Explained by Stories and Examples deepens Catholic catechetical instruction by illustrating the doctrines of the faith through vivid narratives, historical accounts, and lives of the saints. Designed as a companion to The Catechism Explained, this volume moves beyond abstract propositions by showing how Catholic teaching is lived, embodied, and transmitted through concrete examples. Organized according to the question-and-answer structure of the Baltimore Catechism, the book pai...

They Lived the Faith is a truly unique work, combining the biographies of numerous Catholic lay leaders in the 19th and 20th century to illustrate the singular theme of Catholic Action in both social and political life.While many books focus on clerical leaders, They Lived the Faith looks at laity, who worked in politics, literature, and social life to bring the light of the Gospel to ameliorate society's evils.In this work, you will learn how these thirteen Catholic lay leaders confronted th...

That after seven hundred years his life is still the subject of historians' endeavors is a clear proof of the deep significance of St. Dominic's personality for his Order, for the clergy, and the entire Church. He lived in the late Middle Ages, when the Chair of Peter was occupied by popes like Innocent III, whose prudence and firmness were active factors in shaping Europe's history. The spirit of faith still had at least a little influence in political matters, and enthusiasm for the reclaim...

In this dynamic and authoritative book on the spiritual life, Cardinal Robert Sarah shows us how to enter into and progress through the spiritual life. He notes that the goal of this book is "to accompany all those who have set their hearts on responding to God's love with a full, happy, fruitful life that will culminate in the eternal happiness of contemplating Him." Written as a catechism of the spiritual life, this book is organized around the sacraments, prayer, asceticism, and the liturg...

A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine Heresies, schisms, culture of death, persecutions, excommunications ... While reflective of headlines from today, these difficulties roiled Christians of the early Church as well. In fact, the earliest Church manual, the Didache, brought clarity to a range of moral issues that our culture continues to grapple with to this day. Here is one of the most lucid and comprehensive overviews of the Patristic period ever written. With simp...

Popular author and TV and radio host John Martignoni has written a book that highlights the flaws in Protestant teaching -- using something that is in rather short supply in today's culture: common sense. He throws in a little simple logic too. He uses the Bible as the background for his plain yet provocative analysis of numerous underlying problems with Protestantism as a whole and then focuses on specific Bible passages to ask a number of tough questions regarding individual Protestant doct...

This text discusses the principles behind the limits of papal authority over the liturgy, with an emphasis on the documents of the ecumenical councils, papal documents, saints and theologians throughout history. The book provides an initial look at the role of Divine, Divino-Apostolic and Apostolic tradition in relation to the liturgy, as well as the the principle of longevity and the role of the Natural Law and the Divine Positive Law in determining when the pope can make liturgical changes ...

Over 3 million copies sold! Essential reading for Catholics of all walks of life.Here it is - the first new Catechism of the Catholic Church in more than 400 years, a complete summary of what Catholics around the world commonly believe. The Catechism draws on the Bible, the Mass, the Sacraments, Church tradition and teaching, and the lives of saints. It comes with a complete index, footnotes and cross-references for a fuller understanding of every subject. The word catechism means "instructio...

Understanding the Sacraments offers a clear and approachable exploration of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, revealing how each one serves as a profound encounter with God’s grace. Written in an accessible and pastoral tone, this book helps readers deepen their appreciation for the sacramental life and see how the sacraments shape every stage of the Christian journey. Drawing from Scripture, Church teaching, and pastoral experience, the author explains the meaning, purpose, and ef...

In this accessible introduction to the vision of Pope Leo XIV, readers encounter a shepherd shaped by the restless search for Truth at the heart of the Augustinian tradition. Former missionary, bishop among the poor, and prefect responsible for appointing pastors worldwide, Leo XIV has long embodied a style of leadership rooted in humility, courage, patience, and deep listening. Drawing from his first Urbi et Orbi blessing on May 8, 2025, this book explores ten central themes that define his ...

A new era for the Church begins with Pope Leo XIV, an Augustinian friar, missionary, bishop among the poor, and now successor of Peter. Known for his quiet courage, deep humility, and unwavering commitment to truth, Leo XIV’s priestly vocation grew from the Augustinian conviction that the human heart is restless until it rests in God. Throughout his life, he has trusted the power of the gospel to shape his ministry, choosing the path of service, listening, fidelity, and patient accompaniment....

Mystery of the Church offers a comprehensive overview of the central themes of contemporary ecclesiology. Beginning with the nature and institution of the Church, the book examines what the Church is at her core, rooted in Christ and sustained by the Holy Spirit. From there it explores the four marks of the Church—One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic—showing how the unity and holiness of the Church endure despite the sinfulness of her members. The volume includes a rich discussion of Catholicit...

This book presents an integral approach to formation during the vocational synthesis stage, weaving together the human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral dimensions of priestly preparation. It is responsive to the Church's vision articulated in Pastores Dabo Vobis, the Ratio Fundamentalis, and the Program of Priestly Formation (6th edition), offering formators a comprehensive framework for accompanying transitional deacons in their final preparation for priesthood. By providing formators ...

"They should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ" (John 17:3).Sometimes we become so consumed with "activism" that God becomes a mere concept, an uplifting idea we try to wrap our minds around, and we forget that He is really present and in love with us. Far too many souls, even good religious souls, tend to forget that God is a Person -- a Trinity of Persons, in fact -- longing to enter into a relationship with us.Fr. Wayne Sattler awakens us and places us in...

Back by popular demand, the bestselling Politically Incorrect Guides provide an unvarnished, unapologetic overview of controversial topics every American should understand. The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism refutes misrepresentations and misconceptions about the Catholic Church and separates rumor from truth when it comes to Catholic traditions, faith, and controversial leaders.

For six years, before becoming a well-regarded retreat master, Fr. Wayne Sattler lived as a diocesan hermit in a one-room cabin on an abandoned farmstead in rural North Dakota, striving to avail himself of the mystery of what God can do in prayer, clinging to the wisdom of the sixteenth-century Carmelite saints John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila as his trusted guides.Fr. Sattler was asked many times to write a book sharing the fruits of his time in solitude to help others progress in the s...

Available for the first time in a comprehensive English translation, this thoroughly annotated but easy-to-use presentation of the classic 1917 Code of Canon Law by canon and civil lawyer Dr. Edward Peters is destined to become the standard reference work on this milestone of Church law. More than just of historical interest, the 1917 Code is an indispensable tool for understanding the current 1983 Code under which the Roman Catholic Church governs itself. Dr. Peters' faithful translation of ...

One can spend hours searching for answers about the Catholic Faith and how to share it with others. There are a multitude of books that explain the various areas of Church teaching, but never -- before now -- a definitive desktop volume on more than 260 Catholic topics, from A to Z, featuring key definitions, teachings, practices, people, and resources for further reading. This fascinating, one-stop guidebook delivers the intellectual tradition of the Church while providing practical Catholic...

"When people stop believing in God, the problem is not that they will believe in nothing, the problem is that they will believe in anything." --C. S. Lewis Business luminary Bob Trussell uses plain language and simple logic to merge scientific theory with philosophy, religion, and the Bible to make an air-tight case for belief in God and all that that can mean for your current life and the life to come. He contends that while most Americans possess some level of belief in God along the scale ...

Do you want to learn how to defend and explain the existence of God, the reliability of the Bible, the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and scores of other truths that we Catholics believe - but you don't have a lot of time? Don't worry. Jimmy Akin has done the hard work for you. All you need is five minutes a day. In A Daily Defense, Jimmy compiles 365 challenges that Catholics often hear from skeptics and non-Catholics - about God, Jesus, Scripture, morality, Mary, and a host of do...

Many claim that Catholic Social Teaching implies the existence of a vast welfare state. In these pages, Anthony Esolen pulls back the curtain on these false philosophers, showing how they've undermined the authentic social teachings of the Church in order to neutralize the biggest threat to their plans for secularization the Catholic Church. With the voluminous writings of Pope Leo XIII as his guide, Esolen explains that Catholic Social Teaching isn't focused exclusively on serving the poor. ...

In this substantial collection of essays, Francis Russell Hittinger demonstrates that Catholic social teaching is not merely a defense of the dignity of the human person, but more fundamentally an articulation of the dignity of society itself. Hittinger shows that the dignity of the person cannot be properly understood apart from the dignity of the social forms in which human beings seek their fulfillment, namely the family, the political community, and the Church. These essays represent the ...