Recommended Books: Fr. Laux's "A Course in Religion" series

Fr. Laux's Course in Religion is a rigorous, in-depth, passionate study about our Catholic Faith. Now I'm not going to lie, these books are a struggle.  The writing - and content, in some places - is dull and dry, but the messages and doctrines are unforgettable.  If there is an area of faith that you have questioned or are interested in, these books contain it! Trust me, they have it all.  If you're wondering whether an action is sinful, under what circumstances you have to fast, what fasting entails, what heaven might be like, how the Pope is elected, what the word "virtue" really means, or even if you question the existence of God Himself, the answers are here!!!

Published in the late 1920's, these texts are Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur.  They are logic and scripture-based, frequently providing logical examples, citing scripture, and referencing texts from the early church fathers. These four lovely books are the prized weapons of my Faith-defense arsenal!

This exceptional series can be used as reference material, or read cover-to-cover.  It's very easy to consult the table of contents or index to answer a specific question; however, I do highly recommend reading these books straight on through.  From the very beginning, they provide a thorough overview of our Faith on the whole.  It's overwhelming, an uphill battle, and a lot of information.  The advice I can give you is not to worry about trying to remember it all. Once you've read it, you know an answer is there, even if you cannot remember precisely what that answer is.

Ultimately, these books are like a tough hike.  You feel the struggle, your muscles ache, your lungs burn, you feel like you can't take anymore...you wonder why you're doing this to yourself.  But then, you reach the top of the mountain, and you gaze in wonder out at the clear, crisp, rewarding view.  You feel the cool breeze.  Now, with your strong muscles and your accomplishments, you can clearly see why you chose to hike up that mountain.

Yeah, that's basically how these books are. Reading paragraphs over and over again, squinting at the page, thinking "what the heck is he trying to say?!" falling asleep, only to suddenly reach a flowing fountain of interesting information! Then, you complete a chapter and realize: "I have learned so much about my Faith!"

My favorites of the series were Chief Truths and Catholic Apologetics (Books I and IV).

They piece together a puzzle which I personally believe is the foundation of theological study.  Chief Truths explains things that we need to know as Catholics: foundational doctrines, definition of terms we're familiar with (like Faith, Grace, Virtue, etc.), what we know of Heaven, etc., while Apologetics explains how we got those doctrines.  It starts from the very beginning of how we can reason that there is a God - with logic and scripture!

"Catholic Apologetics" is sort of my source of life.  It is the book that made me confident that the Catholic Faith is the True Faith, and it makes me feel confident in defending it. It starts from the very beginning and proves the existence of God before moving on to anything else.  It proves that the Bible is the Word of God, that Christ is the Messiah, that He founded a Church and that the Catholic Church is the true Church.  Honestly, reading that book made me realize that in 2,000 years of Church history, there's an answer for pretty much everything. Except for the Mysteries. But hey, God's not going to reveal everything to us!

I frequently to "Catholic Morality" and "The Mass and the Sacraments" for reference questions.  Catholic Morality takes you logically through the steps of what makes an act moral or immoral.  Then, it goes into specifics: our duties to God, ourselves, and our neighbor. Mass and the Sacraments provides a summary of all of the sacraments: proof they were instituted by Christ, who may minister the sacrament, how the sacrament is ministered, and all of the details about how the sacrament is conferred.

In short, if you're looking for a reference to answer specific questions regarding Morality, Doctrine, Sacraments, or Apologetics, these books are good ones!  If you're looking to deepen your knowledge of faith by delving into an intricate study, these are definitely the ones for you.