Books on Theology/Philosophy

Augustine's Confessions Unpacked Popular author and philosopher Peter Kreeft delves into one of the most beloved Christian classics of all time--Augustine's Confessions. He collects key passages and offers incisive commentary, making Confessions accessible to any reader who is both intellectually curious and spiritually hungry. The Confessions is a dramatic personal narrative of a soul choosing between eternal life and death, an exploration of the timeless questions great minds have been aski...

Jesus Christ (His Life, His Teaching, and His Work): Vol. 1 In the two comprehensive volumes of his monumental work on the life of our Lord Jesus Christ Father Prat has left to the world an enduring masterpiece. In clearly intelligible phrase the author conveys to us the earthly career of our Lord and Saviour, building up from the sacred books and from all authentic sources the background of the scenes described and the deeds enacted. At the same time copious notes keep us in touch with every...

Venerable Louis of Granada was the favorite author of St. Teresa of Avila, St. John on the Cross, St. Francis de Sales and many others. Among the hundreds of eminent ascetical writers of Spain, Louis of Granada remains unsurpassed in the beauty and purity of his style, the solidity of his doctrine, and the popularity and influence of his writings. Besides ascetical theology, his published works treat of Scripture, dogma, ethics, biography, and history. He is best known, however, for his ascet...

The ancient philosophy, in its original Orphico-Pythagorean and Platonic form, is not simply a way of life in accordance with the divine or human intellect (nous), but also the way of alchemical transformation and mystical illumination achieved through initiatic 'death' and subsequent restoration at the level of divine light. To use another mythical image, philosophy restores the soul's wings and leads the purified lover of wisdom to Heaven. As a means of spiritual reintegration and unificati...

Christian revelation has provided a goldmine of resources to tap into to develop our understanding. But in expanding our minds, it has also led many to ponder many curiosities and difficulties which have solutions that lead us closer to God. The sermon is one way to provide insight into these matters in a way that combines intellectual theory with heartfelt need in our daily lives.The tongue-in-cheek title of the book proposes that we often wonder much more about the world than we are comfort...

“It is true that there can be no more important half-hour in the forty-eight half hours which make up a complete calendar date. But you can go further than this and say that the time of Mass is the most important in the century, in history, in life. It is Calvary all over again, and nothing more important could happen in this world than the redemption of man by the crucifixion.” At the heart of every Catholic’s life is the Mass. As such, it is a form of prayer that demands awareness, reverenc...

Drawing on Evangelical and Catholic exegetes, the Church Fathers, ancient liturgies, and later theological masters, Deep Mysteries explores how the events of Christ’s life possess real causal power to transform human existence today. Uniting history, metaphysics, and contemplative meditation, the book reveals how the mysteries of Jesus are not merely past events but living realities that shape the believer’s present journey.

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...

Thomas Aquinas stands among the greatest thinkers of the Western tradition, a towering figure whose influence continues to shape theology, philosophy, and contemporary intellectual debate. This accessible and engaging introduction presents both the life and the thought of Aquinas, showing how his synthesis of faith and reason remains profoundly relevant for modern discussions about the future of Christianity. The book highlights Aquinas’s major contributions, the development of his ideas, and...

C. S. Lewis’s The Discarded Image offers a clear and engaging portrait of the medieval worldview, providing essential background for understanding the literature of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Lewis describes the grand “medieval synthesis” in which theology, science, and history were woven into a single, harmonious vision of the universe. This final book he wrote as a scholar reflects his characteristic clarity, wit, and deep learning. Through explanations of classical and medieval s...

Nikolai Nikolaevich Afanas’ev (1893–1966), one of the most important priest-theologians of the Russian Orthodox tradition, stands at the center of this study by Aidan Nichols. Widely regarded as the most influential modern Russian thinker on the nature of the Church, Afanas’ev played a decisive role in shaping the contemporary rapprochement between East and West—especially the Orthodox and Catholic churches. Nichols highlights two major pillars of Afanas’ev’s thought. First is his conviction ...

The biblical “primal history” of Genesis 1–11—from the Fall to the Tower of Babel—portrays a pattern of human evil that resonates strongly with the modern world. Yet the doctrine of original sin has become problematic for many today, shaped by a modern outlook that sharply separates nature and freedom. In this final work, Raymund Schwager offers an interdisciplinary exploration that seeks to bridge this divide. Drawing from evolutionary theory, contemporary philosophy, theology, and developme...

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...

The Ascent of the Mind to God stands apart from St. Robert Bellarmine’s apologetical writings as a deeply personal spiritual work. Composed after a retreat in 1614, Bellarmine affectionately called it his “Benjamin,” the child of his old age, and the first of a series of spiritual reflections that have nourished Christians for centuries. Structured around fifteen steps of a spiritual ladder, the book begins with the human person—man as a “microcosm” of creation—inspired by the foundational pr...

From its founding in 1928, the Fellowship of St Alban and St Sergius created an unprecedented bridge between Russian Orthodoxy and the Christian West. Through its journal—first under the Fellowship’s name and later as Sobornost—it became the principal venue where the exiled Russian Orthodox intelligentsia engaged with Anglican theologians of the Catholic party, as well as, on occasion, with other Protestant traditions. In this deeply researched account, Aidan Nichols traces the journal’s evol...

This concise and insightful study examines Aidan Nichols’s vision for an Anglican Uniate Church, a community united with Rome yet not absorbed into it. In 1993, Nichols argued that full corporate reunion of the entire Anglican Communion was unrealistic, given the Protestant and Liberal elements within Anglican history. Instead, he proposed the reconciliation of a smaller body that was sufficiently Catholic in identity while retaining authentically Anglican patrimony. His prediction proved pro...

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 Holy Order: The Apostolic Ministry from the New Testament to the Second Vatican Council, Fr. Aidan Nichols, OP, presents a concise yet comprehensive study of the priesthood’s development throughout Christian history. This book traces the theological and pastoral evolution of Holy Orders from its biblical foundations to modern renewal. Nichols begins with the New Testament witness to apostolic ministry and continues through the writings of the Fathers, medieval scholastic theology, and the ...

This concise and accessible work offers a clear introduction to spiritual theology—the study of the spiritual life within the Christian tradition. Fr. Aidan Nichols, OP, explores how Christian spirituality unites biblical revelation, Church Tradition, and lived experience into a single path of holiness. Drawing from both Catholic and Orthodox sources, Latin and Byzantine alike, Nichols presents the spiritual life as it has been received from the Church Fathers and passed down through every ag...

Sergei Bulgakov (1871–1944) was one of the most influential Eastern Orthodox theologians of the twentieth century. After beginning his career as a professor of political economy at the University of Kiev, Bulgakov underwent a profound intellectual and spiritual transformation. Moving from Marxism to Idealism and ultimately to a renewed Orthodox faith, he became one of the leading theological voices of his time. Following his ordination to the priesthood in 1918, Bulgakov fled Moscow during th...

Redeeming Beauty explores the depth of the Christian tradition—both Western and Eastern—in its understanding of sacred aesthetics, the theology of beauty as it relates to divine revelation, creation, and art. Fr. Aidan Nichols, OP, examines how beauty serves as both a reflection of God’s creative power and a pathway to holiness. Nichols investigates five central themes: The foundation of beauty in the natural order as an expression of divine creativity Beauty as a quality of biblical reve...

This book serves as an introduction to the life, personality, and thought of Vladimir Sergeevich Solov’ëv, the founder of Russian sophiology—the theology and philosophy of divine wisdom. Widely regarded as Russia’s most significant philosopher, Solov’ëv’s ideas have inspired renewed interest since the end of the Soviet era and have influenced a modern “philo-sophiological” movement in the West. Fr. Aidan Nichols, OP, presents Solov’ëv’s thought in three major stages. In his early theosophical...

In The Holy Eucharist, Dominican theologian Aidan Nichols, OP, presents a rich historical and theological study of the Church’s central sacrament. Tracing the development of Eucharistic doctrine from the New Testament through the Fathers of the Church and the medieval scholastics, Nichols offers readers a clear understanding of how the mystery of Christ’s Real Presence has been contemplated and celebrated throughout history. Drawing from Scripture, the writings of the saints, and the magister...

A Psychospiritual Exploration of Grace and Virtue: Vol. 1: Pride and Humility In a world clouded by illusion and self-justification, The Essence of Eden invites readers on a profound journey through the sacred interplay of grace and virtue. With theological depth and psychological insight, this series examines the forces that shape human character, calling the soul toward truth, transformation, and spiritual renewal. Volume I: Pride and Humility unveils the delicate balance between self-worth...

In The Importance of Being Human: Some Reflections on the Christian Doctrine of Man, Eric Mascall explains how the Christian account of creation, the fall, the incarnation, and the redemption of human persons in Christ provides the fullest and most truthful explanation of man's present condition and eternal purpose. Addressing the key distinction between human persons and other animals, Mascall insists that humans are not only highly evolved biological organisms. They are highly evolved biolo...

Mystical Theology: A Layman's Guide brings together four classic treatises by the French Benedictine Dom Savinien Louismet, one of the great spiritual masters of the early twentieth century. Drawing deeply from Scripture and the full breadth of Catholic tradition, Louismet offers a clear, practical, and compelling account of true mysticism—what it is, how it works, and how ordinary Catholics can grow toward contemplative union with God. Louismet begins by asking a piercing question: Why are t...

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...

Kenneth Francis reveals the hidden grammar in classic popular songs theologically marinated in existential narratives, featuring idolatry, sin, love, pathos and meaning. And what better religion to focus on than Christianity for such themes, from the soul-music classics of the 1960/70s, to the Top 100 Billboard hits of the same eras. Welcome to the world of classic songs permeated with Christian themes.

The Host of Gethsemane is a deeply researched field guide to the profound significance of the Garden of Gethsemane. But it is more. It is a labor not only of study, but of love-a defense of Jesus of Gethsemane in every sense of the word. There have been very few books written which are dedicated entirely to the vitally important subject of Gethsemane... until now. The Host of Gethsemane remedies this abandonment of Our Lord's Agony. This is a journey you will be grateful to be part of, as you...

Artificial intelligence technology (AI) motivates persons' engagement in sin. With this startling argument drawn from Catholic theology and technological insight, Christopher M. Reilly, Th.D. takes on both critics and proponents of AI who see it as essentially a neutral tool that can be used with good or bad intentions. More specifically, Reilly demonstrates that AI strongly encourages the vice of instrumental rationality, which in turn leads the developers, producers, and users of AI and its...

This book introduces a new method to pray the Rosary that helps the person praying stay focused on the lives of Jesus and Mary. The method takes short phrases from Sacred Scripture and Church writings and inserts them into the Hail Mary/Holy Mary sequence. This keeps the mind from wandering and/or brings it back if it does wander. The author recounts his difficulties praying the Rosary before this method and how the method resolved them. Click to expand the rosary charts below.Testimonials:"I...

A profound exploration of human ensoulment and personhood at the moment of conception, this bioethical and theological study shows how the mystery of Christ’s Incarnation—beginning as a one-cell zygote—sheds light on the mystery of every human person. Drawing from Scripture, Tradition, Church teaching, science, philosophy, and theology, The Zygote of Christ & The Mystery of Man defends human conception and embryonic life as an icon of both God’s creative act and the Incarnation itself. It...

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...

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...

Domine Exaudi is the fifth of six volumes of Denis the Carthusian’s monumental Commentary on the Davidic Psalms. Denis (1402–1471), known as the “ecstatic Doctor,” devoted himself to expounding all 150 Psalms according to the traditional fourfold sense of Scripture: literal, allegorical, tropological, and anagogical. This volume continues the effort to make his rich spiritual and theological insights available in English for the first time. Denis understood the Psalter to be the heart of Chri...

Each chapter in this volume was originally published as an individual pamphlet by the National Headquarters of the Holy Name Society (NYC) with ecclesiastical approval given between 1941 and 1946. They have been slightly edited for this volume.From Fr. Walter Farrell's introduction in Chapter 1:This is the introduction to a series of pamphlets on the relationship between man and God-a series based on the Summa Theologiae and designed to meet the study club needs of Holy Name Societies through...

Dive into the fascinating and overlooked aspects of the Catholic faith with Weird Catholic Handbook by Michael Lichens. This book takes you on a Chestertonian romp through the peculiar and intriguing elements of Catholic history, offering a refreshing perspective on the faith that combines humor, curiosity, and profound insights.Lichens invites you to discover the bizarre and extraordinary stories that have shaped Catholicism. From saints who faced mythical monsters to the eerie beauty of bon...

Embark on a spiritual journey into God's Heart and experience some of the most powerful and time-tested expressions of prayer. You will find, together in this one book, all the tools you need to form the daily habit of communing with God, to develop a steady prayer life, and to receive the life-giving water that God offers you at every moment.This book is an invaluable resource for use as a Lenten or year-round devotional, a do-it-yourself parish mission, or a guide for families and parishion...

Did you know that the latest research shows that one in three people will meet the criteria for anxiety disorder at some point in their lives?Even those of us who do not require professional help have certainly experienced the crippling effects of anxiety.World events, lockdowns, the destruction of traditional values, the rise of omnipresent screens and social media have all certainly contributed to the climbing levels of anxiety in today's world.Catholics are not immune and may be searching ...

"It seems to me that there is room for a book which has for its purpose to point out the true setting of the Eucharistic mystery in the economy of the supernatural life, and this is the task I have laid upon myself." So begins A Key to the Doctrine of the Eucharist, the most notable work by abbot and theologian Dom Anscar Vonier. Throughout this book, Vonier contemplates the true nature of the sacrifice of the Mass, examining precisely what is meant when the priest proclaims, "This is My body...

Metaphysics for Everyone is the first in an exciting new series of interviews with prolific French religious philosopher and metaphysician Bruno Bérard, whose work Angelico Press first introduced to anglophone readers with the publication in 2018 of his important work, A Metaphysics of the Christian Mystery: An Introduction to the Work of Jean Borella. Further volumes of this series will include Theology for Everyone, Esotericism for Everyone, Jean Borella for Everyone, and Wolfgang Smith for...

Is free will a reality, or just a popular belief discredited by science? Whether the will is free or not, it can have uncomfortable consequences in either case; but in this book these alternatives are not regarded as evenly balanced. The author is guided, rather, by a conviction that a denial of free will means as well a denial of the intelligence needed for this purpose. He concludes that the possibility of knowing the will to be free is a genuine one, while knowing that it is not free leads...

The final published book by Nobel Prize-winning author and philosopher Henri Bergson (1859-1941), La pensée et le mouvant, "Thought and Movement"-here translated as The Creative Mind: An Introduction to Metaphysics-is a masterly "autobiography" of his philosophical method. Through essays and lectures written between 1903 and 1923, Bergson retraces how and why he became a philosopher, along the way crafting a fascinating critique of philosophy itself. Until it leaves its false paths, he demons...

In Grace and Glory, Eric Mascall insists that "if we are living in the grace of God, heaven is the destination to which our journey is leading us. It is therefore the merest folly for us to behave as if our whole destiny was contained within the limits of this present life." Secularists, whether committed to individualism or collectivism, err in thinking that this worldly happiness, prosperity, and welfare constitute the final end of man. Mascall offers a sobering rejoinder to this immanent f...

The central theme of Via Media is that, on each of the cardinal points of Christian faith, orthodoxy consists in holding together two notions which, though not in fact incompatible, at first sight appear to be so. It is by enquiring in each case how this apparent irreconcilability is to be removed that a real understanding of the doctrine is achieved. The theme is illustrated by a lucid discussion of the four fundamental doctrines of Creation, the Trinity, the Incarnation, and Grace. In the c...

When it came to writing about the "permanent things", Thomas Howard was without peer. An English professor and Catholic convert, Howard wrote prolifically over his long career, in a style that will never cease to be both relevant and refreshing. This collection of his essays is a sampling of his finest work. The secular world is a rushing whirlwind, often devoid of the consideration of eternal truths. Seeking to voice the beauty of such truths, Howard articulates and respectfully engages with...