“A man is known by the books he reads.” That quotation, attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson, is a good reminder of the call to read good, if not great, books. For a Catholic man, in particular, regularly reading suitable writing is of utmost importance if he is to know Christ and conform his intellect to the truth. One cannot be devoted to that which is not known. If he is to know God and be united to Him in Christ, man must learn the truths of his faith. Living in a culture entombed in endless errors means one cannot simply “absorb” sound dogma and right reason in the course of daily life. Writing in 1946, the great Trappist spiritual writer Dom Eugene Boylan says, “People do not go to hear sermons now as they used to; religion is not talked about, at least with any accuracy; our neighbors often have ideals that are far from Catholic — if indeed they have any at all; and there is little in our general surroundings that is of direct help to incite us or to help us to find God” (This Tremendous Lover, p. 99). All the more today. Dom Boylan continues, “But there is no reason why any educated Catholic should not . . . bring his knowledge of Catholic theology up to the standards of the other branches of his knowledge — in principle if not in detail” (ibid. p. 104). This may be a lofty goal, but it is definitely a sound rule of thumb for a man to measure his theological study and an encouragement to tolle lege.
Having briefly considered why prudence demands that one reads, the natural next question is what to read. This commentary is not meant to be a reading list, but it will provide some general guidance taken from the wisdom of Church tradition and the author’s personal experience. Holy Mother Church teaches that “Sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit of the word of God” with the task of “interpreting the word of God . . . entrusted exclusively to the living teaching office of the Church” (Dei Verbum, para. 10). In this statement from the Church one finds the full scope of what to read: Sacred Scripture, official documents of the Church (e.g. catechisms, Papal documents, etc.) — especially those addressed to the faithful and all men of good will — writings of the Saints, and the classical philosophical tradition that underpins much of the theological tradition. Notice that the list here does not include the proliferating popular devotional and apologetic writings of laymen and clergy that fill so many of the catalogues today. Devotional and apologetic works often have their place in one’s spiritual reading plan, but they must be properly balanced with Scripture, dogma, and philosophy. Remember, the prudent man seeks the Church’s teaching, not John Doe’s conversion story or Jane Doe’s ideas on Catholic living or John and Jane’s ten rules for winning arguments with your protestant friends. These things are not incompatible but they are different. Just like the body needs more than dessert to thrive, so the mind needs more than popular light fare.
Dom Boylan reminds us that the “primary purpose of our reading is not so much to educate ourselves so as to produce goodness of life — to help us live in union with Christ”; however, education is an important prerequisite to living well (ibid. 102). Sacred Scripture — particularly the Gospels and New Testament — is a great place to start. Catholics have the “advantage” of reading Scripture in the light of the Church, which helps to avoid errors in personal interpretation. Besides Scripture commentaries, one might supplement reading of Scripture with a doctrinally sound life of Christ. If Christ communicates Himself to man through the Sacraments administered by the Church, man would do well to study these Sacraments, ultimately to increase his devotion to the Sacraments. This study can be accomplished through reading a catechism, Church documents, and writings of the Saints. To paraphrase John Senior on the topic of good spiritual reading, find any book written by someone with “Saint” in front of their name and you can’t go wrong. Finally, a Catholic man cannot avoid some philosophical study. Pope Saint John Paul II wrote eloquently of the marriage between theology (faith) and philosophy (reason) in his Encyclical Fides et Ratio: “Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth” (Fides et Ratio, introduction). Philosophy helps to train the mind to more readily grasp the spiritual realities presented in theological study.
The breadth and depth of study necessary to live up to Dom Boylan’s challenge — to bring one’s knowledge of Catholic theology up to the standard of knowledge in other branches — may seem overwhelming. One must avoid the temptation proffered by Satan to not begin, either because of despair or because of uncertainty about what to read first. The important thing is to begin and begin again. Form the habit of daily spiritual reading and you may be surprised at how much you can read in a year.
Recommendations
Theology — Theology for Beginners by Frank Sheed
Philosophy — An Introduction to Philosophy: The perennial principles of the classical realist tradition by Daniel Sullivan
Scripture commentary — Catena Aurea by St. Thomas Aquinas (St. Thomas’s compilation of Church father Scripture commentary)
Spirituality — Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales
Catholic Periodicals — Sword and Spade (quarterly)