asymptotes

We don't have to go through life without a map. Many people have already gone to where we ought to go; we just have to follow their lead. These people have left us maps for understanding the terrain, showing us where the true path lies and where to expect dangers. I am, of course, referring to books on how to live life to the full. In this article, I have provided a shortlist of books I recommend for understanding and living better life in general and the Christian Life in particular. Basic Catholic Doctrine Books for systematically studying the Catholic faith; good reference materials for consulting articles of faith The Faith Explained by Leo Trese Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church The Catechism of the Catholic Church Living the Faith Books that give insights and suggestions on how to live the demands of the faith according to one's circumstance. Also useful for spiritual reading. Jesus as Friend  by Francisco Fernandez-Carvajal Friends of Go...

Tells the history of mankind from an anthrocentric and Christocentric point of view- it explains why man is not just another kind of animal and why Christianity is not just another kind of religion. Chesterton is a master of wit, juggling ideas and words with extreme mastery. The book is a bit difficult to read at first, but read it the second and third time and you'll begin to appreciate (and love!) the author's fine humor and witty arguments. Read an online copy of the book View articles and quotations on The Everlasting Man See my   list of suggested books .

More than Many Sparrows / Wisdom Shall Enter / Many are One Answers to Critical Questions About Faith, Loving and Living by Leo J. Trese  I especially liked Wisdom Shall Enter , the second portion of this trilogy. As a cradle Catholic, I was struck at how the author provided reasons (and excellent ones at that!) for the many beliefs that I held but was not diligent enough to find the reasons for believing them. Another excellent thing about this book is that it explains the Catholic faith and its teachings from ground up- it doesn't assume you're Catholic, Christian or even Theist (one who believes in God). It provides explanations on why we have to believe in God, what is man's purpose on earth, why Jesus Christ is not just an extraordinary man, why Jesus Christ really and historically resurrected, why the Catholic church contains the fullness of faith, etc. An excellent book for non-Catholics interested in knowing more about the Catholic faith or for Catholics who...

The authoritative document on the teachings of the Catholic Church. An excellent reference. The book is more than 800 pages. You may find some portions of it a bit deep in its philosophical and/or theological content, but I suggest that you still courageously plunge into its pages in order to get a deeper understanding of the faith. Just ask a priest or a learned Christian friend to help you sort out the more complex ideas in the book. You can view the html document   here . See my  list of suggested books .

An excellent reference on the teachings of the Catholic Church. Gives a concise version of the central points of the Catechism of the Catholic Church without losing the essential aspects. It is more accessible to more people because of it's "three principal characteristics... : the close reliance on the Catechism of the Catholic Church; the dialogical format; the use of artistic images in the catechesis." (Benedict XVI, Introduction to the Compendium) A great and handy reference. Each Catholic household should own one. You can view the actual document   here   or download the pdf file   here . See my  list of suggested books .

Leo Trese is a chaplain of a university in the U.S. The Faith Explained is a good beginner's book on learning about the faith. It provides explanations of the central aspects of the Christian belief in a way that is easy to understand, thanks to the excellent illustrations and examples the author provides. See my   list of suggested books .

This was previously published as Man the Saint . This one is a personal favorite. Originally published in Spanish under the title "El valor divino de lo humano" (Literal translation: The divine value of what is human), this powerful book highlights the importance of human virtues in living our supernatural vocation as Christians. Fr.Urteaga writes with fire and passion. This book is not for the lukewarm, mediocre or faint-hearted. See my list of suggested books .

I've  set up a web notebook on faith, science and reason.   I also call it Asymptotes . I collected some articles (personal and otherwise), quotations and notes on the topics mentioned above.  It's a continuous project. I intend to continue adding items as I progress in my readings. I used TiddlyWiki , an amazing tool that allows one to keep notes, organize them through tags, and retrieve them by searching- and all of that done by editing just one file! It's pretty amazing.   I'm in the process of developing a TiddlyWiki flavor customized for basic note-taking. I hope to be able to share it soon. Here's the link to my web notebook . Here's the link to TiddlyWiki's homepage .

I highly recommend  the official site of Peter Kreeft .   The site contains excellent resources for knowing the rational basis of Christian belief.    Dr.Kreeft is a professor of philosophy at Boston College. He is perhaps one of the best Christian apologists (one who defends Christianity against intellectual objections) of our time.  The site contains free downloadable  lectures in written and audio formats. I've listened to some lectures and I find them engaging,  enlightening, and entertaining   (My favorite quote so far: "If there was a Big Bang, there must be a Big Banger!").   Here is the listing of Peter Kreeft audio lectures . Kreeft is also a prolific writer.    I recommend the following books:  Handbook of Christian Apologetics — Hundreds of answers to life's most crucial questions Your Questions, God's Answers  — Solid responses for Catholic teens I've read some sections of the...