(Part 2) Best christian saints according to redditors
We found 620 Reddit comments discussing the best christian saints. We ranked the 240 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
28. Theology of Augustine: An Introductory Guide To His Most Important Works
3 mentions
Baker Academic
Newman expresses this opinion in his most famous work, the Apologia Pro Vita Sua.
> 5. And thus again I was led on to examine more attentively what I doubt not was in my thoughts long before, viz. the concatenation of argument by which the mind ascends from its first to its final religious idea; and I came to the conclusion that there was no medium, in true philosophy, between Atheism and Catholicity, and that a perfectly consistent mind, under those circumstances in which it finds itself here below, must embrace either the one or the other. (Norton, p. 156; Penguin, p. 182)
He reiterates later in the book that "there are but two alternatives, the way to Rome, and the way to Atheism", and "Anglicanism is the halfway house on the one side, and Liberalism is the halfway house on the other."
I don't think I've ever heard of Peter being described as an archetype of the Church. Mary, on the other hand, has been spoken of in that way extensively (particularly by Hans Urs von Balthasar). I would recommend picking up a copy of "Mary: The Church at the Source" by von Balthasar & Cardinal Ratzinger, which will give you a sense of why it seems appropriate to call her such.
There are two (or more) aspects to "proving God exists" - you could prove His existence intellectually and still not feel Him, if you know what I mean.
Books that deal mainly with the intellectual arguments abound, from the Summa contra Gentiles to The Last Superstition or Answering Atheism.
But that doesn't directly address the emotional side; for that I'd recommend things like going to Adoration and just sitting there, and reading books such as The Confessions (this is a good introduction).
So many good ones - try I Burned for Your Peace: Augustine's Confessions Unpacked.
I'm going to add an extra day of fasting to each week. Gluttony has bedeviled me for years, so I'm hoping and praying God will use this to help me.
I also want to follow The School of Jesus Crucified for my added prayer/devotional time. It's only 31 days, so I'll offer up a novena for the last nine days.
That's my plan for now.
Dude have you read the testimonies of people at her rehabilitation trial? She had an angelic moral character, literally glowing testimonies of her devout faith and incredible virtue. Read this book and you'll understand why she was.
First of all, welcome back, brother. I am especially touched that your fiancée would even suggest to find a Catholic Church. (As an aside, you're not a convert; you're a revert since you're already baptized into the Church. I thought maybe you'd appreciate that factoid.)
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>I am looking for information about your Church, whatever you think is important to know.
There is a lot to know and many here would recommend a million and one things to study, especially since it sounds like you enjoy a good intellectual pursuit. I'm not going to discount others' recommendations, but I do want to highlight one thing: learn more about Jesus first. Find out what He taught, who He is, what His disciples and closest friends said about Him, what the Old Testament said about Him, etc. To that end...
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>I am looking for recommendations for a Catholic-approved version of the Bible, geared towards someone who appreciates philosophy and prefers something close to the original translations, or the most accepted by the Church.
First thing to note, all Catholic Bibles have 72 books. Protestants have 66. If you can't get a hold of a Catholic Bible, a Protestant one will do for now until you do get around to buying a Catholic one. Now, as for Catholic Bibles, if you speak/read Latin you can't go wrong with the Vulgate Bible. It's a Bible that was translated by St. Jerome who was fluent in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin; he had the original manuscripts -- some of which are lost to us today -- so his translations are widely accepted as authentic and faithful.
There's also the English version of the Vulgate Bible known as the Douay-Rheims. It's an almost word-for-word translation of the Latin so the English will sound archaic to our modern ears. It's not as frustrating as, say, reading Shakespeare but it's pretty close. I personally prefer (and currently use) a Douay-Rheims Bible that has the Clementina Vulgata beside it. It's essentially Latin and English side by side. You can find one here.
If want one with plain English, the New American Bible Revised Edition would suffice. (If you use this website, let me know. I have a discount code from my last purchase.)
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>I know nothing of the culture or norms of the Church, or what to expect as a new member.
One major rule to remember is that you can't receive Holy Communion until after you've gone to Confession. Given your situation, I would recommend setting up an appointment with a parish priest so he can give his full attention to you and your needs.
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>I do not know how to introduce myself to the congregation
There's usually no need to introduce yourself to the congregation since parishes tend to be big. If you would like to formally introduce yourself, however, give the parish priest a call and set up a meeting with him. It would also be a great chance to speak with him about your situation and get some pastoral guidance.
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>or tell a good Catholic church from a lesser one
Many here would recommend a more traditional parish. If that's not available, I'd say any Catholic church would do. If you're unsure about a particular church's standing, just give us the details on this sub. I'm sure someone here would be able to double check for you.
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>I know nothing of the Saints or the miracles, or what has been confirmed by the Church and what hasn't.
These are things you can learn later on. Focus on Jesus first. Rebuild your relationship with Him. Start with the basics; if you don't, you might burn yourself out. There is A LOT to learn about the Faith. Some say it's a lifelong endeavour. :P
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>I am also looking for a reading list to explore Catholic philosophy beyond those you typically encounter in standard philosophical reading, such as Aquinas or Pascal.
Hmmm... this depends on what sorts of things interest you. A good one that lightly touches on philosophy is Socrates Meets Jesus by Peter Kreeft (anything by this guy is pretty good, by the way).
A book that may be more pressing to your current situation is Why Be Catholic? by Patrick Madrid and Abraham Skorka, Why We're Catholic by Trent Horn, as well as Why I am a Catholic by Brandon Vogt. (They might need to work on a more original title, though :P) Since you have an Evangelical background, Crossing the Tiber by Steve Ray might be helpful (although it can be a bit dry; also, it mostly deals with the Church's teaching on Baptism and the Eucharist) as well as Rome Sweet Home by Scott and Kimberly Hahn.
You can never go wrong with classics such as a collection of C. S. Lewis' works, The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, The Seven Story Mountain by Thomas Merton, and Confessions by St. Augustine.
If you want a historical examination of Jesus and the Early Church, a good place to start is The Case for Christ by Brant Pitre, The History of the Church: From Christ to Constantine by St. Eusebius, and The Fathers Know Best by Jimmy Akin. I'd like to thrown in Jesus, Peter, and the Keys by Scott Butler, Norman Dahlgren, and David J. Hess. This last one pertains to the Catholic claim regarding the papacy (and which I think is one of the strongest arguments in favour of the Catholic Church being the original one that the Lord founded).
Finally, there are YouTube channels you can follow/binge watch such as Bishop Robert Barron and Ascension Presents. Also, an amazing video about the Catholic Faith is a series made by Bishop Barron when he was "just" a priest called Catholicism.
I'm sorry if that's overwhelming but you raised some good questions. :P Anyway, I imagine it may be a lot right now so take it slowly, don't dive in through all of it at once. Find a local Catholic church, call up the priest, set up a meeting, then take it from there. And remember, you can always pray; God's always willing to talk with you.
Greetings, brother!
Regarding the Sacraments, of which there are seven, and of which the Eucharist (the center of the Mass) and Confession are two, I cannot recommend highly enough Dr. Scott Hahn's book "Swear to God: The Promise and Power of the Sacraments". Dr. Hahn explains the Sacraments by understanding them through the lens of the covenants God makes with His people throughout salvation history. It was an eye-opener for me. In addition, Dr. Hahn has written a book specifically regarding Confession. I have not yet read it, but it is on my list, for sure.
https://www.amazon.com/Swear-God-Promise-Power-Sacraments/dp/0385509316/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517466807&sr=8-1&keywords=Scott+hahn+sacraments
https://www.amazon.com/Lord-Have-Mercy-Healing-Confession-ebook/dp/B000FCKGL6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1517466807&sr=8-3&keywords=Scott+hahn+sacraments
Take care and God Bless!
I converted from Buddhism to Catholicism, and my spidey-sense tingled when I encountered centering prayer.
The basic technique of centering prayer may be used to recollect yourself to God. But to use that technique as the main method of your prayer life is to veer away from Roman Catholic prayer and its emphasis on a relationship with God.
Personally, I avoid any group advocating or promoting its use.
For a good read on centering prayer, you may wish to read Is Centering Prayer Catholic?: Fr. Thomas Keating Meets Teresa of Avila and the CDF.
If you want to read a good book on the mystical tradition of prayer that is thoroughly Roman Catholic, read any of Father Thomas Dubay's books on prayer, especially Fire Within.
EDIT: fixed links
Welcome to the family! I read a chapter from this book before every Sunday mass and it always hits home.
https://www.amazon.com/My-Imitation-Christ-Thomas-Kempis/dp/1618908243
I recommend this book, especially given your position: http://www.amazon.com/My-Imitation-Christ-Thomas-Kempis/dp/1618908243
The book isn't itself Jesuit or Franciscan, but as the description notes:
>Countless saints from Therese of Liseux to Ignatius of Loyola have kept this book on their nightstands, used it to direct their minds during adoration, and carried it in their pockets as a soldier carries his weapon into battle.
Read it one page per day, or open it to a random page once a day.
When I returned to the church I kept myself on a steady daily diet of the above and "My Daily Bread." There's a lot of spiritual sobriety to be found in these pages, and I think it'll serve you well.
Also, seriously look into this novena. I've found it very pertinent to those who return to the faith after having been away: http://www.theholyrosary.org/maryundoerknots
Welcome back to the faith. I'm personally very happy that you've decided to return, and want you to know that you'll be in my prayers.
Age: 47
Currently reading:
Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul
The Cold Dish: A Longmire Mystery
The Cook's Herb Garden
Mary: The Church At The Source
Interests: running, bicycling, bikepacking, travel, dogs, religion.
Spiritual dryness is a thing that happens, yeah. You ask yourself "is it something I've done?" and then if it's not something you did, you endure it patiently without turning away from God. God is not something that we can feel or understand, so the positive feelings that we have in prayer are not, themselves, God, and if we always felt positive feelings, we would not know whether we are praying because we love God, or because we want to feel great. In dryness, you at least have the comfort of knowing with some certainty "I'm doing this completely unrewarding thing because I love God."
St Ignatius would say that in "desolation" (the opposite of "consolation" when you feel that God is close), you should not change your prayer routine or other faith-related decisions - he has a bunch of other useful tips, and you might be interested in reading The Discernment of Spirits (Gallagher) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0824522915
Reading Psalms might help you feel less alone in this. I like the Liturgy of the Hours because it is basically constantly throwing psalms at you and some of them stick, and otherwise I would not get around to reading them.
I also like to recommend Fire Within (Dubay) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0031B09YC (it is more organized than reading St John of the Cross directly.)
Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code: A Historian Reveals What We Really Know about Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Constantine
I'd read Matthew Levering's The Theology of Augustine and read the works he suggests. Absolutely read Augustine's homilies on 1 John. Read the Enarrationes in Psalmos. Read as much of Augustine's Biblical exegesis as possible, really.
No Life with the Saints? This book converted quite a few in my RCIA class.
>Very few people know that Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) wrote a major work on Joan of Arc. Still fewer know that he considered it not only his most important but also his best work. He spent twelve years in research and many months in France doing archival work and then made several attempts until he felt he finally had the story he wanted to tell. He reached his conclusion about Joan's unique place in history only after studying in detail accounts written by both sides, the French and the English.
Because of Mark Twain's antipathy to institutional religion, one might expect an anti-Catholic bias toward Joan or at least toward the bishops and theologians who condemned her. Instead one finds a remarkably accurate biography of the life and mission of Joan of Arc told by one of this country's greatest storytellers. The very fact that Mark Twain wrote this book and wrote it the way he did is a powerful testimony to the attractive power of the Catholic Church's saints. This is a book that really will inform and inspire.
http://www.amazon.com/Joan-Arc-Mark-Twain/dp/0898702682/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421281959&sr=8-2&keywords=joan+of+arc
>Using historical documents and translated by Régine Pernoud, Joan of Arc seeks to answer the questions asked by Joan's contemporaries as well as us: Who was she? Whence came she? What had been her life and exploits? First published in the United States in 1966 by Stein and Day, this book reveals the historical Joan, described in contemporary documents by her allies as well as her enemies.
http://www.amazon.com/Joan-Arc-Herself-Her-Witnesses/dp/0812812603/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421282282&sr=1-6&keywords=joan+of+arc+biography
Duffin, Jacalyn. Medical Miracles : Doctors, saints, and healing in the modern world. Oxford New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.
A very interesting read.
I'd highly recommend Love is a Radiant Light: The Life & Words of Saint Charbel. It's a great book I haven't finished (though short). I've really enjoyed his homilies--they're so simple but profound and timeless.
>The bible clearly says Jesus had brothers and sisters.
http://www.catholic.com/blog/matt-fradd/jesus-had-brothers
>The constant praying to Mary is not biblical and was not started until the 11th century.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/1778354/posts
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031987_redemptoris-mater_en.html
http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Fathers-Church-Blessed-Patristic/dp/0898706866
Highly suggest: http://www.amazon.com/Mary-The-Church-at-Source/dp/158617018X/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
God bless you on your journey!
Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code: A Historian Reveals What We Really Know about Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Constantine by Bart D. Ehrman.
I am not well versed enough in either Thomism or Orthodoxy to make my own personal comments on the matter, but you may be interested in this book I came across a while back:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Ground-Union-Deification-Aquinas/dp/0195124367
Seems a bit expensive, so here's a pdf link:
http://bookos.org/book/1309487/67a8d1
One of the boilerplate books for this kind of thing is Scott Hahn's Rome Sweet Home. If you're unfamiliar with it, it's Scott's and his wife's journey from Protestant Christianity to the Catholic Church. He wasn't Lutheran, but was a Presbyterian minister (I believe in the OPC denomination, specifically).
The book mentions Martin Luther quite a bit and juxtaposes his claims against what the Council of Trent actually taught, plus some low level biblical exegesis on the matter. It's more of an emotional read than an intellectual one (though Dr. Hahn has a bunch of books with a more intellectual approach), so if your co-worker is quite theologically minded, it may not be the best fit.
If that's the case, I'd maybe recommend any of G.K. Chesterton's works that deal a bit closer to his own conversion, namely the aptly named The Catholic Church and Conversion, or John Henry Cardinal Newman's Apologia Pro Vita Sua.
As for easy essays to link and send, say, by this afternoon... here are a few:
Best of luck on the talks. Will be praying for you and for her!
Peace,
DK
The debate/book Mary: A Catholic-Evangelical Debate co-authored by Dwight Longenecker and David Gustafson is really great and highlighting both views and goes through all the Protestant's problems as well as all of the Catholic's reasoning. Naturally, this being /r/Catholicism, we're on Fr. Longenecker's "side" but I really thought that Mr. Gustafson brought up good points, and even some rather florid Marian devotions that I (along with Padre) thought were a bit over the top.
I'm not getting paid for this plug, I promise. I just finished it last night, though, so it's at the front of my mind!
Bart Ehrman is a pretty widely recognized New Testament scholar/historian deeply involved in analysis of the oldest existing source manuscripts for the NT. He's a secular scholar, so his interpretation is less likely to be skewed by any kind of predetermined conclusion.
In a book of his called Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene: The Followers of Jesus, he says that there isn't any historic material, or anything in the earliest surviving NT manuscripts, that reveals anything about Jesus' sexuality. He speculates that Jesus was celibate based on Mark 12:25 and some other sort of tangential stuff, but his bottom line is that any answer is little more than a guess based on possible contextual indicators like Paul's celibacy.
IMO, that's about as straight an answer as you can get without changing professions to become a NT scholar or finding the spirit willing to whisper the answer in your ear. AFAIK everything on it is tenuously speculative and/or dogma based.
As to why I was ever interested enough to have looked into it, my background is in a tradition that believes Jesus was married. Then The Da Vinci Code told that same story, and its popularity resulted in people who cared, including Ehrman, jumping on that train. Ehrman wrote a whole book about setting The Da Vinci Code straight.
> I’m seeing psychiatrists and doctors so don’t worry about that part
Good for you!
If you thought you were good enough, you would misunderstand Christianity completely. If we could be good enough, there would be no need for Jesus. If anybody is beyond Jesus' ability and will to save, then Jesus was a worthless loser and is now a long-rotted corpse.
All of the feelings you describe come straight from your mental illness; they are, all of them, diametrically opposed to Christian teaching. You may as well ask if voices saying "Hail Satan" were God. So this is mostly an issue of managing your mental illness. Maybe learning more about the doctrine of Grace would help, though. For that, there are a million resources, since it's literally Christianity's cornerstone teaching; I'd recommend Accidental Saints by Nadia Bolz-Weber.
you want to talkabout tactical autism observations - i noticed that there is a black bag that is carried out in procession and laid under the stage when Trump spoke with Sessions at Texas - looks like the same bag or similar that Ivanka was holding when she got off the helicopter at Turnberry - the weight of it with how she is walking with it as well as how it was ceremoniously brought out in texas to Trump indicates something heavy and important is inside. I was trying to imagine what it could be - at the time, maybe some kind of signal-jamming device i was thinking at the time.
What if Trump has the crown, or a holy grail, - or some type of artifact that gives power - that is normally only in possession of the true leader of the world - whether he took it or it was given it him would be the question of whether he is the true-rebel leader or just the anti-christ that comes after the black pope ( obama ), so to speak. After all, it is the Vatican who is pushing this migration heavily, and making money off of it heavily and massively - and the Bible does say that the anti-christ will deceive all and come from the false church which could theoretically ironically be the catholic church itself - if you subscribe to the idea ( I do ) that James the brother of Jesus was actually the one who was given the keys and founded the Church of Jerusalem, which was co-opted by the self-appointed non-apostle Paul. This is a fascinating read on that subject of James vs. Paul.
I support Trump - but I always retain my brain, my free-agency, and consider the possibility that perhaps there are no good guys in this - and everyone is just colluding to create this false us vs. them to justify and hasten the next phase of the NWO plan - that for all of our meming, it's all just in vain, we are just completely being played by something beyond control, and we are just along for the ride. Trust but verify.
The idea I believe to be true until proven otherwise, is that Trump is a force for good completely outside of the NWO. There would be others who would seem to fit the bible-story of who would be the anti-christ after the black pope: soros, or some as-of-yet revealed character. Worth noting, if you read the Infinity Gauntlet series #1-6, I think it is in #2 that you see in the universe-reality-ending cataclysm on Earth...that there Trump Tower is depicted as being swallowed in a vortex of water. If there has ever been an unexplainable conspiracy theory in my view, but the most interesting one of all - is the fact that there seems to be some kind of general author of this all, as if we are just part of a story. I have always done my best to be in the good graces of this author - and I think this author has always loved me, as I have loved the author. I believe this author is G_D. I realize I lost many of you I am sure - that is fine - you don't have to understand what I am saying, my gifts are unique and I accept that - but someone has to be the Priest class here. I am the one who wears the real hat - the others are false priests wearing false hats. I am Truth.
> "So are we all just talking past each other on this issue?"
It's my belief that we are, unfortunately. You'll find this book to be a help in understanding the controversy.
She was a ~17 year old peasant girl from a backwards part of France. She lived during the 100 years war, when the king of England claimed the French crown and invaded to enforce that claim.
She was a pious girl who attended Mass daily and received Communion and Confession weekly (this was before daily communion for laity was prevalent). She often took pilgrimages to a nearby shrine and used all of her earnings from selling her needlework and whatnot to pay for food, alms, or to give to the Church.
She eventually began to hear her Voices: St. Michael, and two other saints (I forget whom at the moment). They told her that she was to save France by raising the siege of Orleans and then having the crown prince of France crowned king (this hadn't happened because the traditional place of coronation was in English hands).
She managed to convince the local governor of her divine mission (one purported sign is that she managed, with no horse-training whatsoever, to ride a feisty charger on her first try). He sent her with a handful of men to the prince. This required going through enemy territory, but they were never detected and reached the prince in safety.
There, she was able to identify the prince, despite him disguising himself as a courtier and placing another man on the throne (she had never seen the prince or his painting before). This convinced him enough to have her investigated by the Church. Various prelates investigated her and found her to be of good character, a virgin, and in good standing with the Church. She then proceeded to identify where a sword was hidden in a nearby church, and claimed it as hers. She also had a banner made that she would subsequently carry into battle.
The prince raised a very small relief force and she led it to Orleans. Despite the intrigues of her commanders (who didn't think they could lift the siege and only wanted to smuggle food and supplies in), she managed to get into Orleans with some of the force. Within a week, the siege was lifted. Several top military generals at the time said that it was impossible, without a miracle of God, for it to be lifted in that time given the number of French vs. English and their respective strongholds.
After the miraculous lifting of the siege, the Maid (as she called herself and came to be called by others), took part in some minor skirmishes. She then convinced the prince to march on Rhiems (the coronation site). They managed to get all the way there without having to fight a single battle; every city opened it's gates peacefully and surrendered to the French. At Rhiems, the prince was crowned.
A little later, Joan was captured by the English. They quickly got some priests and bishops together and tried her for heresy. This trial was invalid, as the presider did not have standing to run a trial in that diocese.
However, she was found guilty and was executed by burning. It is said that her heart could not be burned, despite several attempts.
Years later, when the French finally won the war, the king of France sponsored a case from Joan's mother basically suing the Church for a mis-trial. A new trial was held and the previous trial was found to be faulty and the sentence was lifted. During this time, much evidence was brought forward not only discrediting the first trial, but supported the holiness of Joan's life. This material was eventually to be used in her case for canonization.
You can read about the retrial and some eyewitness testimonies about Joan in this book.
Some fun stories:
Joan hated the prostitutes who made up some of the camp-followers of the army. One man remembers her chasing a prostitute with her bared sword, using it as a paddle to spank her as the prostitute was driven out of the camp.
Joan had a male page who, because he dressed her, saw her naked. Despite the fact that he was a healthy young man (who later got married) and he flat-out said she was extremely attractive, he (and any other men who were near her) never lusted for her. Whenever their thoughts would turn in that direction, the idea simply became unthinkable to them, as she was just too pure and holy for her to be sullied in that way, even in thought.
Joan was wounded during a battle fairly early in the day by an arrow to her shoulder. Despite that, she managed to recover and lead the assault again a few hours later.
Joan could not read nor write and she was uneducated. However, she managed to stump various highly intelligent men trained in canon law, theology, and philosophy with her answers during her first trial. She had an excellent memory and would often refer them to previous answers given days earlier when they would try to re-do a line of questioning to catch her in a contradiction. She also would correct the judges when they accidentally contradicted themselves.
> So why not this one? And how many miracles have been rigorously verified by outside sources as having not even the possibility of a natural explanation?
Analysis on sealed containers is not allowed by the church, as it might cause irreplacable damage to the relic inside. Spectroscopic analysis of the vial and its contents were performed first in 1901 and again in 1989, which claims that hemoglobin is indeed present inside. These results [were put into question] (http://www.cicap.org/new/articolo.php?id=101014) in 1994, but the exact same paper still discounts the phenomenon as unexplained. Interestingly, the Catholic Church has not issued this particular miracle as a [genuine miracle] (http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/90841) (link in Italian) in light of lack of scientific analysis, which again, it cannot do. The Church says anyone is allowed to believe what they want on this particular issue.
I can't find a source on how many scientifically-verified miracles are in existence, but at least every saint who has been canonized since he 16th century has required at least three confirmed miracles (dropped to two since the 80's). This [book] (http://www.amazon.com/Medical-Miracles-Doctors-Saints-Healing/dp/019533650X/?tag=ththve-20) examines the case for 1400 such miracles in the span of 400 years. Then there are the ones that are not medical in nature, such as the Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano (confirmed in 1976). Again, St. Gennaro's blood is not a confirmed miracle... yet. We may hold out hope that they verify it, but I'm not seeing it anytime soon.
> If miracles were being verified on a routine basis, convincingly verified, I'd think it would be big news.
I disagree. Religious people think miracles happen every time. It would probably be big news in secular circles, but people are as ready to deny any "valid" miracles as there are those who'd readily accept them. It's too divisive to sensationalize in the media. The miracle that canonized St. John Paul II, for example, did not make waves in the media. Even if an atheist doctor testified that it was indeed unexplainable.
Go with Chadwick's.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you'd have to read pretty widely to get a handle on St. Augustine. We have a ton of his works and he was writing from his conversion in the 380s to his death in 430.
As a guide, I would look at Matthew Levering's The Theology of Augustine: An Introductory Guide to His Most Important Works.
Read the book "Why be Catholic? Ten Answers to a Very Important Question Image https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307986438/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_hZTbzb4TDJAK7
I liked Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life by Archbishop Charles Chaput when it was first published in 2008.
I also read and liked My Life with the Saints.
Wow haha! I didn't expect seeing a post like this on r/atheism. Like you, Joan of Arc has always been one of my heroes. She was an incredible woman - virtuous and intelligent. Of course, as a Catholic, I believe she was the real deal but anyway...from one Joan of Arc fan to another, I suggest reading Mark Twain's Joan of Arc (yes, Mark Twain) and Regine Pernoud's Joan of Arc: By Herself and Her Witnesses (which also includes transcripts from her trial). These books are widely regarded to be the best books on Joan. They are both very well-written and researched; the authors even travelled to France to look into the archives and study the actual documents we have about her. Another book by Pernoud, The Retrial of Joan of Arc: The Evidence for her Vindication also covers her retrial. Also, if you do end up using that medal, I suggest getting it blessed even if you're a non-believer. If Catholicism is true, then you'll be under her care and who wouldn't want that? You have nothing to lose.
EDIT: Your friend should have given you a book instead. It's an obvious choice and makes much more sense!
Why Buddhism is True
Feeling Good
Things I have lying around that I intend to read real soon, roughly in this order:
Streams of Living Water
Evangelicals on the Canterbury Trail
Eckhart
Open Mind, Open Heart
Accidental Saints
Is this it?
No, not blogs where you cut-and-paste prooftexts out of context to push your narrative. Actual scholarship by actual scholars.
And if Palamas were a heretic, he would not be celebrated on the calendar of Byzantine Catholics. Period.
Awesome book recommended by The Catholic Gentleman blog:
Love is a Radiant Light: The Life... https://www.amazon.com/dp/1621384322?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Apologia pro Vita Sua is what you'll want to look at. (That's an amazon US link, btw. I assume you'd use amazon UK)
I'm glad you have an understanding of the Eucharist. It can be a hard thing for non-catholics to overcome in their conversion.
Are you familiar with Catholic Answers Live? They have a video discussing just about any question one could ask. They have several about the Pope if you're interested.
The Theology of Augustine by Matthew Levering
Four Views on the Historical Adam by 4 different authors
The Question of Canon by Michael Kruger (unfortunately I doubt I'll get to this but I'll try)
Finishing books for school
And my comic books
Mary: A Catholic - Evangelical Debate
Are you familiar with the term "spiritual dryness?" It's quite a common experience.
If it's just confession that doesn't feel emotive to you, I highly recommend Lord, Have Mercy: The Healing Power of Confession by Dr. Scott Hahn. I read it on a vacation, weeping through most of it. It got me back in the confessional after 4 years away. HTH!
>You seem to be implying that the Catholic Church could have been wearing a disguise from the very beginning.
You seem to be implying something along the lines of what is talked about in this book:
>"While Peter is traditionally thought of as the leader of the apostles and the “rock” on which Jesus built his church, Jeffrey Bütz shows that it was James who led the disciples after the crucifixion."
Unless you are suggesting something else?
Here is one article on documented medical miracles: https://www.rd.com/true-stories/inspiring/medical-miracles/
Here's another: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3782141/ns/health-health_care/t/doctors-ponder-medical-miracles/
And another: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2845699/
Here's a book on the subject: https://www.amazon.com/Medical-Miracles-Doctors-Saints-Healing/dp/019533650X
Or watch the 700 Club, they feature those kinds of things all the time in video testimonies....
Or don't believe in miracles. That works too.
But keep in mind that even Christ, when He entered a certain region, was only able to perform a few miracles because of the unbelief of the inhabitants of that area. Matthew 13:58
To see miracles we have to believe in them, we have to have faith. If one has neither then it is not surprising that miracles don't happen in their life.
Clean up your amazon links and I will approve your post:
Here's an article from a skeptic physician who looked into medical miracles past and present, and a link to the book she wrote from her findings.
Here's a breakdown of the rigorous process the Catholic Church uses to verify miracles, if that matters to you
Here's an example of a recent miracle from three years ago, a communion host begun to bleed. (I wish I would've been able to find a different source for this, but alas it seems no english-speaking publications have picked it up- here's a polish one). Also, please don't confuse this one with the one in Utah, which turned out to be just fungus growing on the wafer, here's the part that I think would be relevant to a skeptic:
>Then-Bishop of Legnica, Stefan Cichy, created a commission to monitor the host. In February 2014, a small fragment was placed on a corporal and underwent testing by various research institutes.
>The final medical statement by the Department of Forensic Medicine found: “In the histopathological image, the fragments were found containing the fragmented parts of the cross striated muscle. It is most similar to the heart muscle.” Tests also determined the tissue to be of human origin, and found that it bore signs of distress.
Another example would be incorruptible bodies of saints, which are still something you can go see in the flesh in the present day. Skeptoid did an article on this arguing that they are mummified, but it's not that cut and dry, as some examples set for by this howstuffworks article show.
Not trying to convince you that any of these are true, but simply support my argument that miracles never stopped being reported, and they have continued to be addressed and investigated consistently and with skepticism by the Catholic Church, and anyone who wants in on investigating.
Um, no. Whether one thinks they were "made up" or not, the four gospels of the New Testament were written well before then. So were some of the ones that didn't make it.
The words "Da Vinci Code" and "historians" should never be used in the same sentence, unless that sentence is something like, "Historians laugh at the claims of The Da Vinci Code to historical accuracy."
Awesome!!!
>As I am very new to the faith, I was wondering if I could receive some advice/answers from people here. What would the best writing be to look at for talks through various denominations. Do I need a specific denomination? What other Christian works would be good to read in order to gain a better understanding of the relationship with God and general Christian concepts (I have already ordered a collection of C. S. Lewis’s works as a start).
Well, I would of course want you to join the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Some great resources, in general, include Bishop Barron (anything by him, he's fantastic), Peter Kreeft's works, and Scott Hahn's works. C.S. Lewis, who was highly influenced by Tolkien and Chesterton, both Catholic, is a fantastic starting point. [This] (https://www.amazon.com/Why-Be-Catholic-Important-Question/dp/0307986438) book, [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Lambs-Supper-Mass-Heaven-Earth/dp/0385496591) book, and [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Catechism-Catholic-Church-Complete-Updated/dp/0385479670) Catechism aregreat reading resources. I'd recommend getting a kindle if you don't have one so you can do what I did and just pour through tons of books. If you have a past with Orthodoxy, check out the Orthodox Way by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware as well as the Eastern Catholic Churches. [This] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/057803834X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493667291&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=origins+of+catholic+christianity&dpPl=1&dpID=41bsQ2nPSxL&ref=plSrch) book, as well as the other two parts of it, are very interesting as well, and include part I, the Crucified Rabbi, part II, the Catholic Paul, and part III, the Eternal City. Sorry for the boatload of information; Bishop Barron, overall, is the best place to start. You can find him on YouTube.
I'd also recommend that you go on the sidebar to each and every denominational subreddit and ask them why they think they are the True Church. The one thing I can't recommend enough is to not make a grocery list of doctrines you like and then pick the denomination that suits you best. That isn't how Christianity works; there is one Pillar and Bulwark of Truth, one Body of Christ, and one Church-- the next step for you is figuring out which one it is. You'd probably want to start with Catholicism or Orthodoxy, the two Churches that can directly trace their roots back to the Apostles, yet sadly one split from the other in 1054.
If you haven't yet, get a good, solid Bible (preferably one with the original canon, not the Lutheran one) and start reading the Gospels prayerfully, as well as the Epistles. For the epistles especially, keep in mind the audience of the letter and the context. For the New Testament, the Ignatius Study Bible is incredible; however, the Old Testament has yet to come out. You can get a bundle deal on Amazon with the Catechism and a Study Bible.
God bless, and we'll keep praying for you on your journey!