Catholic Church Popular Books

Catholic Church Biography & Facts

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.378 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2021. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a prominent role in the history and development of Western civilization. The church consists of 24 sui iuris churches, including the Latin Church and 23 Eastern Catholic Churches, which comprise almost 3,500 dioceses and eparchies located around the world. The pope, who is the bishop of Rome, is the chief pastor of the church. The Diocese of Rome, known as the Holy See, is the central governing authority of the church. The administrative body of the Holy See, the Roman Curia, has its principal offices in Vatican City, a small independent city-state and enclave within the Italian capital city of Rome, of which the pope is head of state. The core beliefs of Catholicism are found in the Nicene Creed. The Catholic Church teaches that it is the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church founded by Jesus Christ in his Great Commission, that its bishops are the successors of Christ's apostles, and that the pope is the successor to Saint Peter, upon whom primacy was conferred by Jesus Christ. It maintains that it practises the original Christian faith taught by the apostles, preserving the faith infallibly through scripture and sacred tradition as authentically interpreted through the magisterium of the church. The Roman Rite and others of the Latin Church, the Eastern Catholic liturgies, and institutes such as mendicant orders, enclosed monastic orders and third orders reflect a variety of theological and spiritual emphases in the church.Of its seven sacraments, the Eucharist is the principal one, celebrated liturgically in the Mass. The church teaches that through consecration by a priest, the sacrificial bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ. The Virgin Mary is venerated as the Perpetual Virgin, Mother of God, and Queen of Heaven; she is honoured in dogmas and devotions. Catholic social teaching emphasizes voluntary support for the sick, the poor, and the afflicted through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. The Catholic Church operates tens of thousands of Catholic schools, universities and colleges, hospitals, and orphanages around the world, and is the largest non-government provider of education and health care in the world. Among its other social services are numerous charitable and humanitarian organizations. The Catholic Church has profoundly influenced Western philosophy, culture, art, literature, music, law, and science. Catholics live all over the world through missions, colonization, diaspora, and conversions. Since the 20th century, the majority have resided in the Southern Hemisphere, partially due to secularization in Europe and increased persecution in the Middle East. The Catholic Church shared communion with the Eastern Orthodox Church until the East–West Schism in 1054, disputing particularly the authority of the pope. Before the Council of Ephesus in AD 431, the Church of the East also shared in this communion, as did the Oriental Orthodox Churches before the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451; all separated primarily over differences in Christology. The Eastern Catholic Churches, who have a combined membership of approximately 18 million, represent a body of Eastern Christians who returned or remained in communion with the pope during or following these schisms for a variety of historical circumstances. In the 16th century, the Reformation led to the formation of separate, Protestant groups. From the late 20th century, the Catholic Church has been criticized for its teachings on sexuality, its doctrine against ordaining women, and its handling of sexual abuse cases involving clergy. Name Catholic (from Greek: καθολικός, romanized: katholikos, lit. 'universal') was first used to describe the church in the early 2nd century. The first known use of the phrase "the catholic church" (Greek: καθολικὴ ἐκκλησία, romanized: katholikḕ ekklēsía) occurred in the letter written about 110 AD from Saint Ignatius of Antioch to the Smyrnaeans, which read: "Wheresoever the bishop shall appear, there let the people be, even as where Jesus may be, there is the universal [katholike] Church." In the Catechetical Lectures (c. 350) of Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, the name "Catholic Church" was used to distinguish it from other groups that also called themselves "the church". The "Catholic" notion was further stressed in the edict De fide Catolica issued 380 by Theodosius I, the last emperor to rule over both the eastern and the western halves of the Roman Empire, when establishing the state church of the Roman Empire.Since the East–West Schism of 1054, the Eastern Orthodox Church has taken the adjective Orthodox as its distinctive epithet; its official name continues to be the Orthodox Catholic Church. The Latin Church was described as Catholic, with that description also denominating those in communion with the Holy See after the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, when those who ceased to be in communion became known as Protestants.While the Roman Church has been used to describe the pope's Diocese of Rome since the Fall of the Western Roman Empire and into the Early Middle Ages (6th–10th century), Roman Catholic Church has been applied to the whole church in the English language since the Protestant Reformation in the late 16th century. Further, some will refer to the Latin Church as Roman Catholic in distinction from the Eastern Catholic churches. "Roman Catholic" has occasionally appeared also in documents produced both by the Holy See, and notably used by certain national episcopal conferences and local dioceses.The name Catholic Church for the whole church is used in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1990) and the Code of Canon Law (1983). "Catholic Church" is also used in the documents of the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), the First Vatican Council (1869–1870), the Council of Trent (1545–1563), and numerous other official documents. History Apostolic era and papacy The New Testament, in particular the Gospels, records Jesus' activities and teaching, his appointment of the Twelve Apostles and his Great Commission of the apostles, instructing them to continue his work. The book Acts of Apostles, tells of the founding of the Christian church and the spread of its message to the Roman empire. The Catholic Church teaches that its public ministry began on Pentecost, occurring fifty days following the date Christ is believed to have resurrected. At Pentecost, the apostles are believed to have received the Holy Spirit, preparing them for their mission in leading the church. The Catholic Church teaches that the college of bishops, led by the bishop of Rome are the successors to the Apostles.In the account of the Confession of Peter found in the Gospel of Matthew, Christ designates Peter as the "rock".... Discover the Catholic Church popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Catholic Church books.

Best Seller Catholic Church Books of 2024

  • History of the Catholic Church from the Renaissance to the French Revolution synopsis, comments

    History of the Catholic Church from the Renaissance to the French Revolution

    James MacCaffrey

    The fifteenth century may be regarded as a period of transition from the ideals of the Middle Ages to those of modern times. The world was fast becoming more secular in its tendenc...

  • Church History in Plain Language synopsis, comments

    Church History in Plain Language

    Bruce Shelley

    Church History in Plain Language makes church history clear, memorable, and accessible to every reader.Dr. Bruce Shelley makes church history come alive in this classic book that h...

  • Credible Threat synopsis, comments

    Credible Threat

    J. A. Jance

    Ali Reynolds and her team at High Noon Enterprises must race against the clock to save an archbishop who faces mysterious death threats in this “masterly study of the effects of gr...

  • Catholic Bible synopsis, comments

    Catholic Bible

    The World English Bible

    Hypertextbased navigation a) Direct access to Books and Chapters b) Navigation through the Chapters of a Book c) Direct access to a single Verse Additional reading resources a) His...

  • The Immortality Key synopsis, comments

    The Immortality Key

    Brian C. Muraresku

    THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER As seen on The Joe Rogan Experience! A groundbreaking dive into the role psychedelics have played in the origins of Western civilization, and the real...

  • Faith synopsis, comments

    Faith

    Jennifer Haigh

    "[Haigh is] an expertnatural storyteller with an acute sense of her characters' humanity." NewYork Times "We have the intriguing possibility that the nextgreat American author...

  • Catechism of the Catholic Church synopsis, comments

    Catechism of the Catholic Church

    U.S. Catholic Church

    Over 3 million copies sold! Essential reading for Catholics of all walks of life.Here it is the first new Catechism of the Catholic Church in more than 400 years, a complete summa...

  • History of the Jews synopsis, comments

    History of the Jews

    Paul Johnson

    National Bestseller"A tour de force. . . . A remarkable achievement." New York Times Book Review"A marvelous book. . . . This is history: richly textured, provocative and wise." Pl...

  • The Confessor synopsis, comments

    The Confessor

    Daniel Silva

    Dark secrets are revealed in Vatican City in this Gabriel Allon thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva.In Munich, a Jewish scholar is assassinated. In Veni...

  • Innocent Blood synopsis, comments

    Innocent Blood

    James Rollins & Rebecca Cantrell

    In this riveting followup to The Blood Gospel, the first book in the thrilling and atmospheric Order of the Sanguine series, New York Times bestselling authors James Rollins and Re...

  • NRSV Bible with the Apocrypha synopsis, comments

    NRSV Bible with the Apocrypha

    Zondervan

    Accurate. Beautiful. Trusted.Renowned for its beautiful balance of scholarship and readability, the NRSV faithfully serves the church in personal spiritual formation, in the liturg...

  • The Case for Christ synopsis, comments

    The Case for Christ

    Lee Strobel

    Is there credible evidence that Jesus of Nazareth really is the Son of God? Retracing his own spiritual journey from atheism to faith, Lee Strobel, former legal editor of the Chica...

  • Letters to a Young Catholic synopsis, comments

    Letters to a Young Catholic

    George Weigel

    “An engaging, lucid, and informative introduction to the teachings and traditions of Catholicism” (Wall Street Journal), from one of America’s most prominent Catholic intellectuals...

  • The Blood Gospel synopsis, comments

    The Blood Gospel

    James Rollins & Rebecca Cantrell

    In his firstever collaboration, New York Times bestselling author James Rollins combines his skill for cuttingedge science and historical mystery with awardwinning novelist Rebecca...

  • The Testament synopsis, comments

    The Testament

    Eric Van Lustbader

    The hit international thriller from Eric Van Lustbader, the New York Times bestselling author of The Bourne LegacyFor centuries, a hidden splinter sect of the Franciscans has guard...

  • Counting the Cost synopsis, comments

    Counting the Cost

    Jill Duggar

    INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFor the first time, discover the unedited truth about the Duggars, the traditional Christian family that captivated the nation on TLC’s hit show 19...

  • The Third Secret synopsis, comments

    The Third Secret

    Steve Berry

    Explosive in both its pace and its revelations, The Third Secret is a remarkable international thriller. Bestselling author Steve Berry tackles some of the most controversial ide...

  • The Catholic Church in a Changing World synopsis, comments

    The Catholic Church in a Changing World

    Dennis M. Doyle

    Church, and religion more broadly, exist within the context of our life stories. That’s why this readable and engaging introduction to Catholicism deftly combines personal narrativ...

  • History of the Catholic Church synopsis, comments

    History of the Catholic Church

    Cynthia Cameron PhD, Susan B. Reynolds MEd, MTS, Chris Welch PhD & Thomas H. Groome EdD

    The Credo series explores the concepts outlined in the document of The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB): Doctrinal Elements of a Curriculum Framework for Young ...

  • Wise Blood synopsis, comments

    Wise Blood

    Flannery O'Connor

    The American short story master Flannery O'Connor's haunting first novel of faith, false prophets, and redemptive wisdom.Wise Blood, Flannery O'Connor's astonishing and haunting fi...

  • The Malta Exchange synopsis, comments

    The Malta Exchange

    Steve Berry

    A deadly race for the Vatican’s oldest secret fuels New York Times bestseller Steve Berry’s next international Cotton Malone thriller: The Malta Exchange."Berry is the master scien...

  • Pope Joan synopsis, comments

    Pope Joan

    Donna Woolfolk Cross

    “Pope Joan has all the elements one wants in a historical dramalove, sex, violence, duplicity, and longburied secrets. Cross has written an engaging book.”Los Angeles Times Bo...

  • NRSV, Catholic Edition Bible synopsis, comments

    NRSV, Catholic Edition Bible

    Catholic Bible Press

    Accurate. Beautiful. Trusted.Renowned for its beautiful balance of scholarship and readability, the NRSV faithfully serves the Church in personal spiritual formation and in the aca...

  • The Catholic Church synopsis, comments

    The Catholic Church

    Hans Küng

    In this extraordinary book, the renowned Hans Kung chronicles the Roman Catholic Church’s role as a world power throughout history. He examines great schisms between East and Wes...

  • Killing Orders synopsis, comments

    Killing Orders

    Sara Paretsky

    V.I.'s battleaxe Aunt Rosa is under investigation by the FBI and SEC after counterfeit stock certificates were found at St. Albert's Priory, where she serves as treasurer. As malic...

  • Conclave synopsis, comments

    Conclave

    Robert Harris

    The bestselling author of Enigma and Fatherland turns to today's Vatican in a rippedfromtheheadlines novel, and gives us his most ambitious, pageturning thriller yetwhere the power...

  • The Articles of Faith of a Biblical Tradition Catholic Church synopsis, comments

    The Articles of Faith of a Biblical Tradition Catholic Church

    Yared, Guzman

    A short manual on faith, the Articles of Faith of the Biblical Tradition Church

  • The Future of the Catholic Church with Pope Francis synopsis, comments

    The Future of the Catholic Church with Pope Francis

    Garry Wills

    The New York Times bestselling historian takes on a pressing question in modern religionwill Pope Francis embrace change?Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope and the first from the ...

  • Jesus of Nazareth synopsis, comments

    Jesus of Nazareth

    Pope Benedict XVI & Joseph Ratzinger

    “This book is . . . my personal search ‘for the face of the Lord.’” –Benedict XVIIn this bold, momentous work, the Pope––in his first book written as Benedict XVI––seeks to salvage...

  • Light a Penny Candle synopsis, comments

    Light a Penny Candle

    Maeve Binchy

    Beloved author Maeve Binchy's first published novel, an engrossing coming of age tale about the incredible bond of friendship.To escape the chaos of London during World War II...

  • The Autobiography of Henry VIII synopsis, comments

    The Autobiography of Henry VIII

    Margaret George

    The Autobiography of Henry VIII is the magnificent historical novel that established Margaret George's career. Evocatively written in the first person as Henry VIII's private journ...

  • Poison synopsis, comments

    Poison

    Sara Poole

    In the simmering hot summer of 1492, a monstrous evil is stirring within the Eternal City of Rome. The brutal murder of an alchemist sets off a desperate race to uncover the plot t...

  • Absolute Monarchs synopsis, comments

    Absolute Monarchs

    John Julius Norwich

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER   In a chronicle that captures nearly two thousand years of inspiration and intrigue, John Julius Norwich recounts in riveting detail the histories...

  • Catechism of the Catholic Church synopsis, comments

    Catechism of the Catholic Church

    Catholic Church

    Catechism of the Catholic Church is a summary of the principles and practices of the Catholic Church in a questionandanswer format. This classic edition was used as a valuable teac...

  • Catholicism synopsis, comments

    Catholicism

    Robert Barron

    “Catholicism takes a path less traveled in leading us to explore the faith through stories, biographies, and images.”Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New YorkWhat is Catholicis...

  • The Vatican Diaries synopsis, comments

    The Vatican Diaries

    John Thavis

    The New York Times–bestselling inside look at one of the world’s most powerful and mysterious institutionsFor more than twentyfive years, John Thavis held one of the most remarkabl...

  • Sanctus synopsis, comments

    Sanctus

    Simon Toyne

    “If a thriller has to be one thing it’s thrilling, and Simon Toyne’s Sanctus is thrilling with bells on….A roller coaster ride through a dark world of conspiracy and betrayal.”Paul...