Catholic Thought discussion

Although we are still currently in a group read I would like to set up a poll to determine what we read next after our current read is finished. I have received some suggestions but would appreciate more if possible. I think this way it would give us all enough time to get a copy of whatever book we decide to read. I hope to have enough suggestions by the end of the 2nd week in October. Thank you all for your input and God Bless.

Thanks for the suggestion Carlos. I've been keeping a list of the suggestions so when I put the poll up I won't forget any.

With the use of biblical reading in prayer growing in popularity some my enjoy "Lectio Matters" by Sister Margaret Funk OSB. She has written a number of enjoyable and meaningful books; they appear in kind of a series all referring to "xxxxx Matters".

This is a short book but not a short read, contains some very useful suggestions for practice. The practices deserve some thought and work, they will increase the usefulness of the book.

Thanks for the suggestion Mike! Will definitely put this on the poll as well!

As book to consider for our next group read I would like to offer “When the Church Was Young” by Marcellino D’Ambrosio (978-1-61636-777-0). I just finished reading this book and can recommend it very highly. It was an enjoyable view of the early church. I almost didn’t buy the book but then I saw that Jimmy Akin and Fr. Mitch Pacwa were among a list of endorsers, two of my favorites on radio, so I got it. Glad that I did, it is probably the best introduction to early church that I have read.

Dr. D’Ambrosio does a great job of introducing the reader to the first four to five hundred years of the Church. Back then the Catholic and Orthodox Churches of today were one, the challenge of the Fathers of the church was trying to keep it one and they did it. This is a good history book for someone who wants a resource full of facts but is not trying to become a historian. For those who want to become immersed in apologetics this is also a good place to start. The early fathers had to fight heresy almost constantly. The author takes you through Clement, Irenaeus, Origen, Cyprian, and Jerome to name a few. He doesn’t go into great detail about any single one of these churchmen but does give you a good idea of where they were coming from.

For those who would like to dig deeper into a specific Church Father he has a nice list of recommended reading and his own web site with more material. This book is roughly 300 pages but they go by very quickly because the book is well written.

Carlos wrote: "

I like this idea, Mike. It looks like it would be a good compliment to:

[bookcover:The Founding of Christendom: A Histo..."

In my opinion these are two great books, both should be read by anyone interested in the early church.