Learning Sacred Theology: Where should I start?
How should laymen go about learning sacred theology? Should we read spiritual books, popular apologetics, the Fathers, modern crisis polemics, and papal encyclicals, and hope for the best?
In Sapientiae Christianae, Pope Leo XIII taught that it is a duty for laymen to study and spread the Catholic faith. He wrote:
“In order to safeguard this virtue of faith in its integrity, we declare it to be very profitable and consistent with the requirements of the time, that each one, according to the measure of his capacity and intelligence, should make a deep study of Christian doctrine, and imbue his mind with as perfect a knowledge as may be of those matters that are interwoven with religion and lie within the range of reason.”
For more of this wonderful text, and an accompanying commentary for our time, see here.
But how should laymen go about learning sacred theology? Should we just read spiritual books, popular apologetics, the Fathers, works by this or that theologian, modern crisis polemics, and papal encyclicals – and hope for the best?
Theology is a science, with its own proper end and methodology. This three-part series is about how laymen can go about learning this science. I have freely gathered together notes, ideas and reading lists from various sources, particularly the Bellarmine Forums.1 I hope that they will be helpful.
First, we will consider some necessary preliminaries; in the next part we shall move to an introduction to dogmatic and fundamental theology; and in the third, we will address the remaining courses mentioned.
This is just an outline of how one could pursue these studies, and it would not be surprising if one reads texts from certain stages out of order, or if stages run parallel to each other – but there are reasons for the programme suggested. It may also be necessary to read more or less than the suggested reading lists. I have put one or two texts in bold in each list to indicate personal preferences.
See also:
The organisation of theology
The 1931 Apostolic Constitution of Pope Pius XI Deus Scientiarum Dominus set out norms for the study of theology at seminaries and universities.2 It prescribed three sets of courses, and this article is loosely based on the first set of principal courses, which includes the six headings:
Fundamental Theology
Dogmatic Theology
Moral Theology
Holy Scripture – Introduction and Exegesis
Ecclesiastical History, Patrology, and Christian Archaeology
Canon Law
These and the other courses recommended in the Constitution “[all] cooperate toward enabling the student to acquire the habitus of sacred theology.”3
But this programme, usually taking place in a seminary or university, assumes a certain level of education which is often lacking today. For example, it assumes a secure knowledge of:
The Catechism
Latin
Philosophy
The correct approach to the acts of the magisterium
The circumstances in which we find ourselves are far from ideal. One of the first comments that Fr Hogan makes on studying dogmatic theology is this:
“Elementary theology is commonly learned under a master, nor can it be learned otherwise, even by men of superior mind and culture, without much difficulty and many mistakes.”4
Where are the masters to teach us? Our priests are unlikely to be able to help and supervise us in this department, stretched as they are. And do we flatter ourselves as being “men of superior mind and culture”? And even before the world changed in the last few years, there were not many institutions – if any – where we could go and develop our intellects along these lines.
And yet there are many laymen who – as Leo XIII wrote – can, and must, develop their minds in certain ways. If we are among such men, then let us do our duty, but walking circumspectly and cautiously.
Preliminaries
It should be a given that Catholics should read the New Testament, and that they should be deeply familiar with the Gospels and the Psalms. There are plenty of places to get these free online, and our Old Testament and New Testament Scriptural Rosary systems may be of use.
However, here are some nice physical editions of Holy Scripture.
Holy Bible (Douay-Rheims), Baronius Press. (UK readers)
New Testament and Psalms (Douay Rheims), Baronius Press. (UK readers)
New Testament (Confraternity), Scepter.
Holy Bible (Knox), Baronius Press (UK readers). This mid-twentieth century translation was approved by the English bishops for use in churches prior to Vatican II.
Our own Old Testament and New Testament Scriptural Rosary system is a way of incorporating Holy Scripture into your Rosary.
We are all aware of St Jerome’s famous maxim, that ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ. Christ is, after all, the reason wanting to learn theology: and true theology is nothing more or less than his doctrine expressed in a systematic, scientific way. Frank Sheed expressed the same idea as St Jerome like this:
“We all respond to different elements in Christ, but we have to find them for ourselves. The student, like the teacher, should be soaked in the Gospels. He cannot meet our Lord anywhere else, not as He lived and moved and talked: that is where He is.”5
This is one reason why the Church presents so much of the Scriptures to us in the liturgy – which is the next thing with which we should be intimately familiar. The best form of contact is, of course, daily Mass. For many this is difficult, and there are a variety of other means: praying the Psalms or some part of the Divine Office, studying and praying our Missal, or following Dom Prosper Guéranger’s wonderful Liturgical Year (and for UK readers, although you may need to order from the USA).
In addition, we strongly recommend readers subscribe to The Father Coleridge Reader. Father Henry James Coleridge wrote voluminously (27 volumes, in fact) of highly readable and edifying commentary on the life of Christ, and his works are great companions for reading the Gospels and coming to know Our Saviour.
Those who are able should also read the Summa Theologica of St. Thomas. It is available in the following formats:
Summa Theologica Trans. by the Fathers of the English Dominican Province, (5 vols.) Ave Maria Press, Hardback (and UK readers) and Paperback (and UK readers). Also online at New Advent and iPieta.
Summa Theologiae, Aquinas Institute (8 vols.) Latin-English, based on the English Fathers’ translation, without the Supplementum parts. (And for UK readers) Supplementum I-68 (and UK readers) Supplementum 69-99 (and UK readers)
Glenn – A Tour of the Summa. A compressed one-volume account of the Summa. (UK readers)
Some advocate reading an article of the Summa each day. One may not get through it all in a lifetime, but reading the Summa has some of the qualities of reading Holy Scripture. According to the popes there is an unction in it, which nothing else of that nature possesses. It tends, in itself, to elevate the mind and heart. But even those who have the capacity to read St Thomas directly should certainly not exclude the theological tradition as represented by the texts in this series.
With this established, let us proceed.
1. The Catechism
We should all learn our catechism, properly and fully. The real beginners’ catechisms are things like the Penny Catechism or the Catechism of St Pius X, or the Baltimore Catechisms.
There is no small catechism better than the English Penny Catechism. In my house, we use the 1948 version. Unfortunately some versions sold today are less than ideal, due to changes following Vatican II:
Canon Cafferata’s The Catechism Simply Explained is based on the Penny Catechism, with comments and explanations. It is also avaiable online.
But having mastered the basics of the faith – which in recent decades were memorised by mere children – it is time to turn to a more developed catechism. Any approved text like this will do, but the more developed the better. The Roman Catechism of the Council of Trent is, of course, superlative. The WM Review has published a review of the Baronius Press version, along with some comments on its history and importance.
Here are some examples of some more developed catechisms, or works aimed at laymen at a similar level.
The Roman Catechism (Catechism of the Council of Trent). Baronius Press. See our review here. (UK readers.)
Smith – The Teaching of the Catholic Church. Arouca Press: Hardback Vol. I and Vol. II (UK readers Vol. I and Vol. II). Paperback Vol. I and Vol. II (UK readers Vol. I and Vol. II) Second-hand in both one or two volumes.
De Zulueta – Letters on Christian Doctrine: Vol. I, Vol. II and Vol. III (For UK readers: Vol. I, Vol. II and Vol. III). Written for laymen, and with many interesting practical applications. Internet Archive (Vol. I, Vol. II and Vol. III)
Gaume – Catechism of Perserverence. (UK readers). Also at Internet Archive.
Fr Connell’s New Baltimore Catechism 3 (and for UK readers). Fr Francis Connell is superb, and this 1949 version improves some of the shortcomings of the original, and brings expressions in line with very clear papal teaching, such as Pius XII’s Mystici Corporis Christi.
Baltimore Catechism no. IV (and UK readers). Beautiful Baronius hardback. This is the teachers’ guide to Baltimore Catechism no. II. Baronius Press.
St Peter Canisius – A Small Catechism for Catholics (and for UK readers). Not really advanced, but historically interesting. Recently translated by Ryan Grant, this work by the Jesuit Doctor of the Church is an important historical document, sometimes called the first Catholic Catechism – although we can see other early works below.
St Robert Bellarmine – Doctrina Christiana: The Timeless Catechism of St. Robert Bellarmine (and for UK readers). Another translation by Ryan Grant, from another historic text, from another Jesuit Doctor of the Church.
In learning the catechism, we should take note of what is not in there. There are many points of theology that we laymen do not need to know to save our souls. If they were necessary, they would be in these catechisms.
We must avoid, at all costs, putting things in the wrong order. Making sure we start here – rather than at obscure and controversial points of doctrine – will help us avoid this and several other dangers. The essential doctrines – there are no “optional” doctrines, just ones that are more fundamental – are what we need to know. All knowledge of sacred doctrine is edifying and useful, but it is not all equally necessary.
Without a proper grasp of necessary doctrine, it is easy to become confused by higher things. This often ends in danger to our souls and the souls of others.
The importance of even basic catechisms to Theology
Even basic catechisms, however, have an importance to theology. Let us consider what Fenton says in The Concept of Sacred Theology:
“Catechisms and other approved books of Christian doctrine, in so far as they are adopted by the ordinaries of the various dioceses for teaching the content of the faith to the people of these dioceses may be said to express the ordinary magisterium of the Catholic Church. […]
“The unanimous teaching of these catechisms can rightly be considered by the theologians as an indication of the ordinary and universal magisterium of the Catholic Church. The doctrine that is universally or unanimously proposed in these doctrinal books, in such a way that it is presented to practically all of the Catholics of the world as revealed truth, is certainly a verity taught and exposed infallibly in the ordinary and universal magisterium of the Catholic Church.”6
The Tradivox project is printing a large number of approved catechisms (apparently over 50 are planned in 20 vols.), ranging from the 1200s to the 1950s, along with a searchable database. Some of the texts printed so far are more basic, while others are more developed.
Tradivox I – Three shorter catechisms. (UK readers)
Bishop Edmund Bonner – An Honest Godley Instruction. A foundational text written by a bishop who repented under Queen Mary, returned to the Catholic Church and died a confessor under Elizabeth I (1556)
Fr Laurence Vaux – A Catechisme of Christian Doctrine (1567)
Fr Diego de Ledesma – The Christian Doctrine (1573)
Tradivox II – Three seventeenth-century catechisms. (UK readers)
St Robert Bellarmine SJ – A Shorte Catechisme. This consists mostly of restored woodcuts. (1614)
Fr Henry Turberville – The Douay Catechism, or An Abridgement of the Christian Doctrine. Very polemically ordered towards catechising Catholics against Protestantism, with many Scripture references and details on the Mass. (1649)
Fr Thomas Vincent Sadler – The Childes Catechism. Written for parents. (1678)
Tradivox III – three texts by Bishop Richard Challoner, reviser of the Douay-Rheims Bible and Vicar Apostolic of London during a period of oppressive penal laws. (UK readers)
An Abridgement of Christian Doctrine. A synopsis of the Douay Catechism. (1759)
The Catholic Christian Instructed. A longer, very annotated work with a lot of focus on worship and the sacraments. (1737)
The Grounds of Catholick Doctrine. A simple Q&A catechism based on the Tridentine Profession of Faith (1752)
Tradivox IV: Three significant Irish catechisms, comparable to the Penny or Baltimore Catechisms (UK readers)
The Most Rev. Dr James Butler’s Catechism. Approved for national use by all of the Irish bishops, serving Irish Catholics for 150 years at home and in Canada and the USA. (1775)
The Catechism Ordered by the National Synod of Maynooth. (1884)
The Shorter Catechism Extracted [from the above]. (1891)
Tradivox V: Two by Irish priests in the 1700s. (UK readers)
Fr Andrew Donlevy – The Catechism, or Christian Doctrine, By Way of Question and Answer. The oldest major Irish catechetical manuscript. (1742)
Fr Thomas Burke OP – A Catechism Moral and Controversial. Written for more advanced audiences, with practical and apologetic notes. (1752)
Tradivox VI: Aquinas, Pecham, and Pagula (UK readers).
St Thomas Aquinas – The Catechetical Instructions. An arrangement of other Opuscula in catechetical form. (ca. 1260)
Archbishop John Pecham (of Canterbury) – Ignorantia Sacerdotum. Product of the Council of Lambeth. (1281)
Quinque Verba – pocket manual to “remedy the ignorance of simple priests.” (1300)
William of Pagula – Oculus Sacerdotis – a chapter, frequently excerpted and circulated at the time, from Pagula’s large guide for priests. (1320)
Tradivox VII: The Catechism of the Council of Trent (UK readers)
Tradivox VIII: Pope St Pius X and Frassinetti (UK readers)
Tradivox IX: St Peter Canisius (UK readers)
Tradivox X: Gaume (UK readers) – Jan 2023
Other texts have not been confirmed, but the following are mentioned on the website. They may be intended for publication, or just for the online database.
Doulye – A Brief Instruction. (1604)
Perry – A Full Course of Instructions for the Use of Catechists.(1847)
Fr F.X. Weninger SJ – Manual of the Catholic Doctrine (1867)
Baltimore Catechism (1891)
Thomas J. O’Brien – An Advanced Catechism of Catholic Faith and Practice (1902)
Deharbe’s Large Catechism (1921)
Bishop Hay – Abridgement of Christian Doctrine (1800)
Each subsequent volume will be released quarterly, and Americans can sign up for a subscription for each of these.
This project is interesting for its historical value and for the witness that its texts will provide. The cumulative witness of even the more basic texts could provide interesting data for the student of sacred theology. It is unfortunate that the AI-based Master Catechism, which took the place of the original search engine plan, appears to have some significant biases in its programming.
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2. Latin
This piece is written for the anglophone world and it assumes no knowledge of Latin. But let us consider the words of Pope Pius XI:
“Ignorance of Latin, which may truly be termed the Catholic language, betrays a lukewarm love for the Church in a layman having any claim to education.”7
Learning Latin may be a challenge for adult laymen working full-time. It can feel like it is too late: but even making a start at learning Latin can be very rewarding.
One method, which is modern but takes a mature and no-nonsense approach, is Oulton’s So you really want to learn Latin series. Here it is, along with some other aids:
Oulton’s So you really want to learn Latin – YouTube
Ørberg – Lingua Latina per se Illustrata:
Pars I: Familia Romana – the main textbook (and for UK readers)
Colloquia Personarum – supplementary material, worth getting (and for UK readers)
Neumann – Companion to Familia Romana (and for UK readers)
Latine Disco – supplementary material, but better to get Neumann’s companions (and for UK readers)
Exercitia Latina Pars I – exercises for Familia Romana (and for UK readers) Note that the answers are in The Teacher’s Materials.
Teacher’s Materials (and for UK readers). Contains the answers for the two Exercitia books.
Grammatica Latina (and for UK readers)
Pars II: Romae Aeterna – the main textbook (and for UK readers)
Neumann – Companion to Roma Aeterna (and for UK readers)
Exercitia Latina Pars II – exercises for Roma Aeterna (and for UK readers). Note that the answers are in the above Teacher’s Materials.
Fr William Most – Latin by the Natural Method
Vol. I (and for UK readers)
Vol. II (and for UK readers)
Vol. III (not yet re-published)
Teacher’s Guide (and for UK readers)
Hillard & Botting’s Elementary Latin Exercises (and UK readers). Here is the answer book (and UK readers) A traditional exercise book. It has been republished, but the new textbook does not match the new answer book – hence we have listed a reprint of the old exercise book with the new key.
Kennedy’s Revised Latin Primer. A classic text. (UK readers)
3. Philosophy
In seminaries, seminarians do not study theology until they have completed at least a year of philosophy, and in fact often more. This is because the Church “couches” her theology in scholastic terms. Her official pronouncements are, therefore, liable to be misunderstood without a proper knowledge of her perennial philosophy – namely, that of St. Thomas Aquinas. Pope St Pius X wrote:
“[T]he capital theses in the philosophy of St. Thomas are not to be placed in the category of opinions capable of being debated one way or another, but are to be considered as the foundations upon which the whole science of natural and divine things is based; if such principles are once removed or in any way impaired, it must necessarily follow that students of the sacred sciences will ultimately fail to perceive so much as the meaning of the words in which the dogmas of divine revelation are proposed by the magistracy of the Church.”8
As examples of some good introductions to the various areas of philosophy, Henri Grenier’s four-book Thomistic Philosophy (republished in three volumes) is excellent and essential. Get these if nothing else!
Rev Henri Grenier’s Thomistic Philosophy
Volume I: Logic and Philosophy of Nature (and for UK readers)
Volume II: Metaphysics (and for UK readers)
Volume III: Moral Philosophy (and for UK readers)
Glenn’s various volumes written in the first half of the twentieth century are also very good introductions:
Mgr Paul J. Glenn’s Class Manuals
Introduction to Philosophy. Get this book. If you read nothing else, at least read this – it summarises all of the following books. Internet Archive. Reprint (better quality) from Gyan Books.
Dialectics (formal logic) The Catholic Archive and Internet Archive.
Criteriology (major logic or epistemology).
Ontology (metaphysics and being).
Cosmology (the physical world). Internet Archive.
Psychology (intellectual, animal and vegetative life) The Catholic Archive.
Theodicy (natural theology) The Catholic Archive.
Ethics (UK readers). Also at Internet Archive. Reprint from Gyan Books.
All of these, except Dialectics, are available from Gyan Books, a facsimile publisher based in India. I have had good experience with their quality, having ordered another book from them previously. Their paperbacks are smyth-sewn, which is wonderful, and very rare today.
These are all also available online here for readers based in the US, along with his volumes on Apologetics, Sociology and the History of Philosophy.
It would also be worthwhile reading some of St Thomas Aquinas’s “Opuscula”, or “small works”, on these topics. The following volume contains two with which it would be worth spending some time, perhaps after (or with) Glenn’s Introduction:
Opuscula I, from the Aquinas Institute (UK readers), containing the following:
On the Principles of Nature – Available online
On Being and Essence – Available online.
There are other pre-conciliar texts available as well. In a modern setting, David Oderberg and Edward Feser are doing important work, and we will mention them again in the context of natural theology and ethics, and there are further titles in the appendix. For this stage, however, the below is a straightforward and modern (if a little dense) introduction to Thomistic philosophy:
Feser – Aquinas (A Beginner’s Guide). Oneworld Publications (UK readers)
These titles will suffice for an article about starting to learn theology. But the “philosophy stage” should not be rushed – nor will it ever end, really. Philosophy – like theology – is different from every other subject, in that we must meditate on the principles. We should not be just learning them, but rather understanding them, spending time with particular principles or arguments in mind, turning them over, and looking at them from different angles. We should savour them. This is because the ideas are so fundamental and universal: while they may be simple, their implications are profound. They are, further, all pure abstractions – and abstraction is hard work.
At its bottom, philosophy just is reality – and this is why we have to ponder its truths, and not merely read them or learn them by rote.
The importance of natural theology as a branch of philosophy
All these areas of philosophy are important. However, in our age, it is especially important that laymen have a firm grasp of natural theology – i.e., what we can know about God from reason alone. When it comes to the duties discussed by Pope Leo XIII, this is quite fundamental.
The current crisis can make it extremely difficult to reconcile what we see around us with the Church’s teaching about herself. As such, many of those who come to see the gravity of the crisis are scandalised and can face a bitter temptation against the virtue of faith.
Those who have not seen and understood the natural proofs for the existence of God can lack a sufficient motive to make an act of faith in such a trial. Some have, even very publicly, come to doubt not only the Catholic religion, but also the existence of God himself.
On the other hand, those who have understood natural theology will know how it is that, as Vatican I infallibly taught, “the one, true God, our creator and Lord, [can] be known with certainty from the things that have been made, by the natural light of human reason.”9 This understanding will protect them, and prompt them to make an act of faith – in which they will either rest in hope, or seek further understanding.
This topic is dealt with in most manuals, which we will discuss in the second part. Nonetheless we can recommend the following books, including two by Feser and Glenn respectively.
Feser, Five Proofs for the Existence of God. Ignatius Press. (UK readers)
Feser, The Last Superstition. St Augustine Press. (UK readers)
Glenn, Theodicy. The Catholic Archive.
Glenn – Apologetics. (UK readers). Also at The Catholic Archive.
For the same reasons, it is important to have a secure grasp of fundamental theology – which we will discuss in the next part.
4. How we should approach magisterial texts
Throughout the study of theology – with important caveats – it is good to read the documents and acts of the magisterium. Nicolau states a commonplace truth:
“[T]he proximate, immediate and supreme norm or rule of faith for a Catholic is the teaching of the living Magisterium of the Church, which is authentic [authoritative] and traditional.”10
He concludes:
“[A theologian’s] first task will be to know or to establish the doctrine itself of faith as proposed by the proximate norm of faith, the magisterium of the Church, or to investigate what the magisterium of the Church says about each thing.”11
Reading the acts of the magisterium is beneficial, whether we are discussing papal encyclicals or letters, or conciliar documents. But we should not – I repeat, should not – treat such texts as our primary learning sources. This inverts everything and entails significant dangers.
Authoritative magisterial texts are not promulgated in a vacuum, to be understood according to one’s own private interpretations: especially in our day, we must respect that they are a part of a tradition of theology and thought.
We need to remember that these texts were not usually written for laymen, and they can contain a lot of technical language. The difficulty of each text will vary according to its purpose. Some are relatively simple and aim at promoting the veneration of a saint or promoting the Rosary, for example. Others are highly technical and are intended to deal with problems amongst theologians. If we do not have any philosophy, we may misunderstand them, as we saw Pope St. Pius X say.12 There have been many persons since the Council who have indeed entangled themselves in error.
With that in mind, some resources are:
PapalEncyclicals.net – also contains many Conciliar documents and other texts.
Denzinger – The Sources of Catholic Dogma Preserving Christian Publications. (UK readers). Loreto Publications also have an edition. Deferrari’s translation of Denzinger’s Enchiridion (30th edition) is also online at Patristica.net.
Denzinger – Enchiridion Symbolorum 43rd Edition, Hunnermann (UK readers). Warning: contains post-conciliar documents. We only include it as an additional resource that may supplement the shortcomings of Deferrari’s version.
Papal Teachings – The Church. (and UK readers – you should be so lucky!) This book is like gold-dust, but try praying a novena to St Peter if you need some help acquiring it. It is a collection of various authoritative texts from the popes on ecclesiology, gathered from written documents and allocutions. Available online from The Catholic Archive and Internet Archive.
The Popes Against Modern Errors (and UK readers) A compendium of certain key encyclicals, with intrusive subtitles and missing key things like Mediator Dei and Mystici Corporis Christi.
Leo XIII – A Light in the Heavens – The Great Encyclicals Letters of Pope Leo XIII (and for UK readers)
Pius XII – The Pope Speaks: the Teachings of Pope Pius XII (and for UK readers)
Denzinger is a necessary part of any moderately serious library. However, the Deferrari translation, edited by Karl Rahner, into English is far from perfect. It is sometimes jarringly different from other official versions of well-known magisterial documents, and some allege that it lacks clarity when it does so.13
Specific Papal Encyclicals
Read the papal encyclicals and other documents widely – but of particular interest to the modern state of theology and how to approach it as a science:
Leo XIII – Aeterni Patris. On the importance of the philosophy of St Thomas Aquinas in the study of theology.
Pius X – Pascendi Dominici Gregis. Systematising and condemning the errors of modernism.
Pius XII – Humani Generis. On the “new theology,” including many important observations on ecclesiology.
There are many other texts relevant for our current situation. The following are of particular interest in relation to ecclesiology, a recurring focus for this website:
Leo XIII – Satis Cognitum. On the unity of the Church.
Pius XI – Mortalium Animos. On the unicity of the Church.
Pius XII – Mystici Corporis Christi. On the Church, particularly as the mystical body of Christ.
Novus Ordo Watch have also gathered a collection of magisterial texts on the Church, some of which are their own exclusive translations. They are available here.
Conciliar Documents
Those particularly interested in the Church and Ecclesiology are, of course, advised to read the entirety of Vatican I, namely the two documents:
Dei Filius. On Faith.
Pastor Aeternus. On the Roman Pontiff.
Both are available here.
Conclusion to Part I
In the next part we will consider how to study theology itself, focusing on how to obtain an overview of the body of dogmatic theology, and how to study fundamental theology in a more detailed way. The third part will consider the remaining courses in Pius XI’s list.
To repeat what others have expressed better elsewhere: our Lord Jesus Christ instituted a visible Church, and gave it the authority to teach, rule and sanctify in his name. He requires us to believe all of the things which he has revealed: not in the way that seems best to us from reading in a vacuum, but in the sense in which they have been taught by the Church.
But we face grave problems today, in that Christ’s Church is to a great degree eclipsed, and those of us in the West are all but unable to hear the voice of her authoritative magisterium. Some sneer at the idea of autodidacts: but who, precisely, is going to teach us? Secular universities? The universities where we might have studied, even as laymen, are hostile to the traditional Catholic religion. Are the programmes at modern “Catholic” universities going to deliver what is needed?
Perhaps those who sneer think we should all either go to such institutions for their “formal training and qualifications”, or perhaps that we should all bury our talents in the ground and get our doctrine from bloggers and YouTubers instead.
No, in fulfilling our duties, we are essentially forced to teach ourselves, seeking what guidance we may. We must carefully work out the right meaning of doctrine using authoritative sources and our reason. To this end, we need 1) the authoritative texts in which the Church has taught us, and 2) the correct interpretation of those texts.
This is why this and subsequent parts will suggest those books written by theologians over the last few hundred years. These are reliable sources because their authors have read all the great theologians, and are therefore able to tell us what is “agreed” by all and what remains unclear (“disputed”).
To learn sacred theology safely, we must consult such approved writers. Their qualifications, their standing, the approval of their works, are all evidence of the extent to which the Church trusts them to represent her. Just as we cannot base our knowledge of the faith and theology on modern crisis polemics, so also can we not simply rely on things like an English translation of Denzinger in a vacuum, even if it were to be translated well. This, according to an image used elsewhere, is equivalent to imagining that one has a living body, when in fact one has a mere part of a skeleton, whose bones are broken and in disarray.14
Appendix: Higher-level modern philosophy texts
Regarding Feser and Oderberg: some of their texts may not be so suitable for students at this stage – and it may be helpful to read a brief introduction to analytic philosophy for context. However, here are some titles for those interested:
Feser – Scholastic Metaphysics. Editiones Scholasticae (UK readers)
Feser – Aristotle’s Revenge. Editiones Scholasticae (UK readers)
Oderberg – Real Essentialism. Routledge (UK readers)
Oderberg – Metaphysics of Good and Evil. Routledge (UK readers)
For some context on the “analytic philosophy” with which these writers are engaging, one could look at something like this:
Beaney – Analytic Philosophy: A very short introduction. OUP (UK readers)
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Read Next:
We have compiled these notes from the Bellarmine Forums with the permission of the owner. Here are the three main inspirations: Learning Sacred Doctrine; Theology Manuals in English; and How to Form a Catholic Mind.
Apostolic Constitution Deus Scientiarum Dominus 1931. Available at https://www.vatican.va/content/pius-xi/la/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-xi_apc_19310524_deus-scientiarum-dominus.html
Mgr Joseph Clifford Fenton, The Concept of Sacred Theology, published as What is Sacred Theology? Cluny Media, Providence RI, 2018. (UK readers) p 214 n. 4
J.B. Hogan, How to Study Dogmatic Theology, in Clerical Studies, Marlier, Callanan & Co, Boston1898, p 180. (UK readers). Available at https://tradcath.proboards.com/thread/1672/study-dogmatic-theology-hogan-1898
Frank Sheed, Are we really teaching religion? 1953. Available at EWTN at https://web.archive.org/web/20220109233505/https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/are-we-really-teaching-religion-4068
Fenton 118
Pius XI, Apostolic letter Officiorum et munerum. Available at https://www.vatican.va/content/pius-xi/la/apost_letters/documents/hf_p-xi_apl_19220801_officiorum-omnium.html
Vatican I, available here: https://www.papalencyclicals.net/councils/ecum20.htm
Fr Michaele Nicolau SJ, Introduction to Theology, in Sacrae Theologia Summa IA trans. by Kenneth Baker SJ, Keep the Faith 2015. No. 6
Ibid.
For instance, it has been suggested that the following section from Vatican I lacks clarity:
“Further, by divine and Catholic faith, all those things must be believed which are contained in the written word of God and in tradition, and those which are proposed by the Church, either in a solemn pronouncement or in her ordinary and universal teaching power, to be believed as divinely revealed.” (Dei Filius, Ch. 3, “Concerning Faith”, Dz 1792.)
It has been suggested that this makes tradition something distinct from the word of God, and that it gives two separate categories of truths to be believed with divine and Catholic Faith: those which are contained in the written word of God and in tradition, and those which are proposed by the Church. As a point of comparison, see that of J.S. Daly:
“All those things are to be believed with divine and Catholic faith which are contained in the Word of God, written or handed down, and are proposed by the Church either by a solemn judgment or by her ordinary and universal magisterium to be believed as divinely revealed.”
This section of the text is adapted from the open letter Twisted Quotations, available here: https://web.archive.org/web/20060820033017/http://www.strobertbellarmine.net/twisted.html