A Cornucopia of Book Recommendations!

During Fr. Zuhlsdorf's visit yesterday, I suggested that a great addition to his blog would be a "Must Read" section for converts and reverts. There are so many books available on Catholic apologetics and spiritual formation that it is quite easy to become overwhelmed!

After my return to the Catholic church four months ago, my home has been filled with various books on Catholicism and living the faith. I am a huge bookworm, so devouring books is nothing new. But I had no idea there would be so many!

So, Fr. Z posted a request for book recommendations on his blog and wow - did his readers deliver.

This entry will most likely be updated. I'll post a permanent link to it on the sidebar. Please note, some of these books are obscure or no longer in print. I wasn't able to thoroughly check each one, but tried to find the author where none was originally listed. I first checked with Amazon although anyone could "Google" a title to discover its availability.


So far, here is the list:

Apologetics:

Apologetics and Catholic Doctrine -Archbishop Fulton Sheen
Catholicism and Fundamentalism - Karl Keating
How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization — Thomas Woods
Belief of Catholics - Ronald Knox
Why Do Catholics Do That: A Guide to the Teachings and Practices of the Catholic Church - Kevin Orlin Johnson
A Short History of the Mass - Alfred McBride
For the Visitor at Mass - Angelus Press
Doors to the Sacred:A Historical Introduction to Sacraments in the Catholic Church - Joseph Martos
Christian Sacraments in a Post-Modern World - Kenan Osborne.
This Is The Faith - Canon Francis Ripley
A Short History of the Catholic Church - Jose Orlandis
Catholic Christianity – Dr. Peter Kreeft
A Shorter Summa - Dr. Peter Kreeft
Summa of the Summa - Dr. Peter Kreeft
Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma – Ludwig Ott
Christ’s Redemptive Sacrifice - William F. Hogan
The Shape of Soteriology - John McIntyre
The Teachings of the Church Fathers - John Willis
Catholicism for Dummies - Father John Trigilio and Father Kenneth Brighenti
The Confessions - Saint Augustine
What Is Truth - John Rist
Dante's Paradise - Tony Esolen
Why I am Still a Christian - Timothy Radcliffe
A Biblical Defense of Catholicism - Dave Armstrong
The Catholic Verses: 95 Bible Passages That Confound Protestants - Dave Armstrong
Where We Got the Bible: Our Debt to the Catholic Church - The Right Rev. Henry G. Graham
Faith of Our Fathers - James Cardinal Gibbons
Why Catholic Bibles Are Bigger: The Untold Story of the Lost Books of the Protestant Bible - Gary G. Michuta
Radio Replies Three Volume Set by Leslie Rumble, Charles M. Carty
Crossing the Tiber: Evangelical Protestants Discover the Historical Church - Stephen K. Ray
Surprised by Truth: 11 Converts Give the Biblical and Historical Reasons for Becoming Catholic - Patrick Madrid (editor) and Foreword by Scott Hahn
Surprised By Truth 2: 15 Men and Women Give the Biblical and Historical Reasons For Becoming Catholic - Patrick Madrid
Surprised by Truth 3: 10 More Converts Explain the Biblical and Historical Reason for Becoming Catholic - Patrick Madrid
Reasons to Believe: How to Understand, Explain, and Defend the Catholic Faith - Scott Hahn
By What Authority?: An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition - Mark P. Shea
The Heresy of Formlessness - Martin Mosebach
We Believe - Mgr. Alfred Gilbey
Lead Kindly Light - Thomas Howard
The Office of Peter and the Structure of the Church - Hans Urs Von Balthasar
Catholicism Christ and the Common Destiny of Man - Henri De Lubac
Spirit of Catholicism - Karl Adam
Apologia pro Vita Sua - Cardinal Newman
Mary and the Fathers of the Church - Luigi Gambero and Thomas Buffer
Conversion and the Catholic Church - G.K. Chesterton
Crossing the Tiber - Stephen K. Ray
Upon This Rock - Stephen K. Ray
Catholic Source Book - Peter Klein
Four Witnesses: The Early Church In Her Own Words - Rod Bennett
Dissent From the Creed; Heresies Past and Present - Richard M. Hogan
The Unexpected Way - Paul Williams (Convert from Buddhism to Catholicism)
The Glories of Mary - Saint Alphonsus
Cosmas, or, The Love of God - Pierre de Calan
Faith and Certitude - Father Thomas Dubay



Spiritual Formation

Triumph - H. W. Crocker III
Orthodoxy - G.K. Chesterton
The Everlasting Man - G.K. Chesterton
Franciscan Prayer - Ilia Delio
A Canticle for Leibowitz - Walter M. Miller
The Way - St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer
A Map of Life - by Frank Sheed
Theology and Sanity - Frank Sheed
Theology for Beginners - Frank Sheed
The Ascent of Mount Carmel - St. John of the Cross
Seven Storey Mountain - by Thomas Merton
Heaven, the Heart’s Deepest Longing - Dr. Peter Kreeft
Making Sense Out of Suffering - Dr. Peter Kreeft
The Art of Dying Well (or How to be a Saint, Now and Forever) - Robert Bellarmine



Catechism

Question and Answer Catholic Catechism - Fr. John Hardon
Catechism of the Council of Trent