/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.18443524]

I've decided I want to dedicate all my free time to studying about the only Christian God, the history of the Church, the life and work of the Saints. Perhaps some fiction books which are respectul to Christianity, too. I don't care about a specific denomination, I just want to know what to read to understand the most I can of my religion.

[Anonymous No.18443534]

Get the Wycliffe edition bibble then, it's one of the closest English translations to the original holy texts (aside from the KJV).

This is assuming you're a native English speaker like meself.

[Anonymous No.18443548]

>>18443524
Nietzsche and Marx tell you everything you need to know about chr*stianity.

[Anonymous No.18443559]

>>18443524
Based. I started a Christian library a few years ago and have over 500 books in it now. A few bible commentaries, lots of books by Orthodox, Protestants and Catholics to understand their respective views, a ton of patristics, etc.

I can recommend St Vladimirs Seminary Press and their Popular Patristics series as an easy starting point. There's also the Faith of the Fathers three volume set which provides an excellent selection of quotes from Ignatius of Antioch all the way up to Fulgentius of Ruspe. There's a book called the Sayings of the Desert Fathers you'll want to grab. If you really want to go all out you can get the Ancient Christian Commentary set, it's over 20 volumes and has quotes from various early Christians on almost every passage in the Bible.

In terms of general theology I can recommend basically anything published by Emmaus Academic for the Catholic perspective, and of course the Summa Theologica published by Christian Classics. The four volume set of Reformed Dogmatics by Herman Bavinck for the Reformed view, and Byzantine Theology by John Meyendorff for the Orthodox view.

[Anonymous No.18443596]

>>18443548
Not a tranny, sorry.

[Anonymous No.18443616]

>>18443559
Oh and definitely look into Maximus the Confessor. By far my favorite theologian before the schism. Grab the Cosmic Mystery of Jesus Christ and Cosmic Liturgy by Hans Urs Von Balthasar. I'll go as far to say that if you understand Maximus then you understand Christianity. The beauty of Maximus' vision of the faith has never been surpassed.

[Anonymous No.18443789]

>>18443524
Based, but flee /lit/, this board isn't for Christians sadly. Here's a small list of books i've enjoyed,
Saint of the Prisons - Monk Moise
Christ, the Eternal Tao - Hieromonk Damascene
The Way of the Pilgrim - Olga Savin translation
Saint Augustine - Confessions
Philokalia Complete Vol. 1
The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works - Penguin
Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future - Seraphim Rose
Pseudo-Dionysius Complete Works
if you want fiction I can only recommend Dostoevsky, Godspeed bro.

[Anonymous No.18443794]

Why not all the other gods that exist?

[Anonymous No.18443810]

>>18443794
I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, - Isaiah 45:5

[Anonymous No.18443818]

>>18443789
Solid selection. Christ the Eternal Tao is really good, though it isn't exactly what I expected when I bought it. I was expected an explanation of the similarities between the Tao and the Logos but it ended up being more of a Tao like paraphrase of Christian theology. It was still a good read and I enjoyed the poetic expression of the Christian faith from an asian cultural perspective.

[Anonymous No.18443826]

>>18443810
That’s what all of them claim. Besides, you’re quoting from the Old Testament, whose writers probably wouldn’t have accepted Jesus as the messiah

[Anonymous No.18443828]

https://www.fisheaters.com/catholiclibrary.html
https://www.fisheaters.com/books.html

[Anonymous No.18443829]

>>18443524
https://www.ccel.org/fathers

This will give you a lot to read!

[Anonymous No.18443832]

>>18443826
The writers of the Old Testament were divinely inspired and knew of Christs coming that's why they wrote of him.

[Anonymous No.18443836]

>>18443548
jew!

[Anonymous No.18443837]

>>18443832
How do you know they weren’t actually writing about Muhammed?

[Anonymous No.18443847]

>>18443837
Jesus Christ didn't say they were writing about Muhammad, the validity of the scriptures is confirmed by the fact that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead.

[Anonymous No.18443854]

>>18443524
Your religion is its denominations. Read Luther, Calvin, Henry 8 and then the anabaptist saints of munster

[Anonymous No.18443859]

>>18443794
Not OP, but after reading every major text from most major religions and philosophies, I was left with the same feeling towards each of them. They all felt a mile wide, but an inch deep. None of them gave any spiritual satisfaction except for Christianity, specifically Orthodoxy. This is just my experience, if you can name the text I've probably read it in my last 5 years of searching, so I'm pretty set in stone on my beliefs at this point, but if you honestly believe in something and think it can change my mind please share it.

[Anonymous No.18443930]

>>18443524
>St. Bonaventure - Breviloquium
>Ignatius Study Bible
>ESV - DRB - Knox or otherwise Vulgate or Septuagint translated Holy Bible
>Ludwig Ott - Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma
>Aristotle - Nicomachean Ethics
>Alasdair MacIntyre - After Virtue
>Dante - De Monarchia
>Brant Pitre - The Case for Jesus
>Catechism of the Council of Trent
>St. Augustine - Confessions
>St. Augustine - City of God
>St. Bonaventure - Journey of the Soul to God
>Dante - The Divine Comedy
>St. Thomas Aquinas - Summa Theologiae (McDermott concise transl.)
>Richard Bauckham - Jesus and the Eyewitnesses
>Jean Borella - The Secret of the Christian Way
>St. Cyprian of Carthage - Treatises
>Pope St. Leo the Great - Sermons

and then for the cooler Neoplatonic strain in Christian theology:
>Eric Perl - Thinking Being, Theophany, Methexis
>Plato - Phaedrus, Symposium, Timaeus, Parmenides (read alongside Ficino's commentary)
>Plotinus - Enneads (same as above)
>Proclus - Elements of Theology
>Origen - De Principiis
>St. Augustine - De Trinitate, City of God, On Grace and Free Will
>Boethius - Consolation of Philosophy
>Dionysius the Areopagite - The Complete Works
>St. Maximus the Confessor - Ambigua
>John Scotus Eriugena - Perisphyseon
>The Cloud of Unknowing
>St. Bernard of Clairvaux - Commentary on the Song of Songs
>St. Hildegard von Bingen - Scivias
>St. Thomas Aquinas' Commentary on "the Book of Causes" [that's the Medieval title of Proclus' Elements of Theology]
>Meister Eckhart - Parisian Questions, Commentary on John
>St. Bonaventure - Itinerarium
>Marsilio Ficino - Platonic Theology
>Nicholas of Cusa - On Learned Ignorance, On the Hidden God
>Cloud of Unknowing
>St. Teresa of Avila - Interior Castle

If you want to tackle the final boss of 20th Century Theology, look into Hans Urs von Balthasar's Epic trilogy
>1. The Glory of the Lord
>2. Theo-drama
>3. Theo-logic

Good luck on God bless anon ~

[Anonymous No.18443932]

[Anonymous No.18443943]

>>18443930
oh and above all in regards to the lives of the saints, read Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History

[Anonymous No.18443948]

>>18443524
There is no God. Just a waste of time. Thinking there is a god out there to help you will make you fall back and worsen your behavior. I went 1 year nofap hard mode (no masturbation, no sex) as an atheist. When I larped into believing in God, I couldn't make it more than a few weeks. That's because it's a cop out. You think someone is there to help you. There isn't. Its up to you alone.

[Anonymous No.18443978]

>>18443948
Pray tell is everything that is subject to being and not being such that it is possible to be, in that it is, and possibly not being, in that it can substantially change or be destroyed?

Our senses tell us as much.
Therefore, if everything that is possibly does not exist, then at one time there could have been nothing in existence. Now if this were true, even now there would be nothing in existence, because that which does not exist only begins to exist by something already existing. As the parmenidean dictum goes, ex nihilo nil fit, from nothing comes nothing.

Therefore, if at one time nothing was in existence, it would have been impossible for anything to have begun to exist; and thus even now nothing would be in existence — which is absurd. Therefore, not all beings are merely possible, but there must exist something the existence of which is necessary. But every necessary thing either has its necessity caused by another, or not. Now it is impossible to go on to infinity in necessary things which have their necessity caused by another. Now, infinite regresses are logically fallacious. To demonstrate, if a set of things is truly infinite, it can't be traversed because the end of the set can't ever be reached, because, by definition, it has no end. For our purpose, our “end”, or conclusion is that there are things that are mutable in everyday experience. The regress must terminate otherwise we cannot account for this conclusion. No conclusion can be reached if it has to traverse an infinite set of premises.

Again, every necessary thing either has its necessity caused by another, or not. Now it is impossible to go on to infinity in necessary things which have their necessity caused by another. Therefore we cannot but postulate the existence of some being, or more rightly said, some principle, having of itself its own necessity, and not receiving it from another, but rather causing in others their necessity. We shall call this principle, the principle of absolute necessity. The principle of absolute necessity is the most ontologically fundamental principle, for there to be beings instead of nothing.

This is God.

The "to be" of beings which is what YHWH ("haje" which "hawa" in jahweh means translates closest to the "to be", hence Ex. 3:14 "I AM WHO AM")

[Anonymous No.18443984]

>>18443948
>I went 1 year nofap hard mode (no masturbation, no sex) as an atheist. When I larped into believing in God, I couldn't make it more than a few weeks.
Do you know how dumb you sound right now? Basing your entire world view on not being able to hold in your coom. Probably the most dogshit reason I've seen someone give for being an atheist.

[Anonymous No.18444001]

>>18443948
>When I larped into believing in God, I couldn't make it more than a few weeks
What was your prayer life like? Were you praying the rosary at least once a day?

[Anonymous No.18444007]

>>18443524
Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton or any of his fiction, especially The Man Who Was Thursday.

[Anonymous No.18444010]

>>18443984
I think he's saying that he resisted the urge to masturbate for a year but couldn't manage to believe in God for a few weeks. Which seems to point to his problem, he thinks belief in God is an act of willpower rather than a subordination of the will.

[Anonymous No.18444011]

>>18443948
It's ok to study a religion because you find it to be interesting and fulfilling

[Anonymous No.18444019]

>>18443984
>Basing your entire world view on not being able to hold in your coom.
This is the only thing that matters. Abstain from this, I'm reading 2 books a day if I'm not working and am submerged in good habits and self improvement. Chasitity is the highest and only self serving virtue. If you don't have it, you don't have shit. You ejaculate, you lose your essence, your willpower and become mediocre.

[Anonymous No.18444021]

>>18443948
God respects free-will, kid. He also resists the proud, and cannot be fooled by a 'larp.'

[Anonymous No.18444036]

>>18443948
Read Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton and Confessions by St Augustine. That's how people come to the faith, when you understand the journey of others you can understand your own.

[Anonymous No.18444039]

>>18443524

[Anonymous No.18444056]

>>18444036
>Confessions by St Augustine
Already read it, good book. It wasn't God's doing, it was Augustine's. The only reason religion was somewhat based back then was because it was absolutely clear in it that cooming was inferior to abstaining. Even within marriage, it was considered to be marital fornication. Clement of Alexandria mentioned the consequences of the loss of seed, saying god departs from the man. The only reason the church so successful was because of semen retention. Without it, most of the church fathers wouldn't have written jack shit.

[Anonymous No.18444063]

>>18444056
>It wasn't God's doing, it was Augustine's
Augustine disagrees with you

[Anonymous No.18444070]

>>18444063
Easy to believe in a god if you abstain and pretty good culture surrounding it at the time so no wonder he would attribute it to God. Doesn't make him correct. Abstaining can make you feel like a God even.

[Anonymous No.18444108]

>>18444056
>>18444070
You can't 'larp' your way into faith.
Without God's grace, nobody has anything.
Without Christ, there is no Christianity.

John 15:4-5
>Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.

[Anonymous No.18444117]

>>18444019
>still thinking masturbating is about willpower
ngmi

[Anonymous No.18444290]

>>18443548
BEGONE TROON

[Anonymous No.18444327]

>>18444108
Most Christians are coomers. If there was a supernatural effect, christ would not allow them to be so.

[Anonymous No.18444365]

>>18443524
Go to an Orthodox Book store and look at the lives of the saints section and general spirituality section.

[Anonymous No.18444403]

>>18444365
all were notorious celibate which begs the $50,000 question, was it God or semen retention?

[Anonymous No.18444410]

>>18444365
>Go to an Orthodox Book store
Do these actually exist

[Anonymous No.18445137]

>>18444410
do you guys just not go outside anymore?

[Anonymous No.18445329]

>>18443847
And Muhammed flew to Jerusalem on a horse, and climbed a ladder to God. Also, according to the Quran, Jesus didn’t rise from the dead

[Anonymous No.18445642]

>>18443524
I recommend you start with these:
>orthodox study bible
>the complete apocrypha (with enoch jasher and jubilees)
>the lost books of the bible and the forgotten books of eden

[Anonymous No.18445688]

>>18443616
quick rundown?

[Anonymous No.18446390]

>>18443930
Based Borella reader

[Anonymous No.18446427]

>>18443596
>>18444290
Need I say more?

[Anonymous No.18446432]

>>18446427

[Anonymous No.18446439]

>>18446432

[Anonymous No.18446444]

>>18446439

[Anonymous No.18446447]

>>18446390
>Based Borella reader

More like based non-reader. If he thinks Hans Urs Von Balthasar is the best of the 20th century, then half the stuff on his list are garbage accordingly. Balthasar is pretty much the anti-Borella, who is just a coping Guenonian.

[Anonymous No.18446453]

>>18446444

[Anonymous No.18446454]

>>18443794
A little tip, anon: They're all the same God.

[Anonymous No.18446455]

If you like short stories kind of stuff check st.Paisios of mount athos books.

[Anonymous No.18446462]

[Anonymous No.18446463]

>>18446444 (checked)
I'm inclined to agree with him.

[Anonymous No.18446476]

>>18443559
>I started a Christian library a few years ago and have over 500 books in it now
Kek are you Jay Dyer? In all seriousness though how do you find the time/money to read all those books? I’m in uni and my professors tell me that you won’t have any time to read in the corporate world

[Anonymous No.18446481]

>>18446453
I want to fuck his bussy on the altar ngl

[Anonymous No.18446489]

>>18443548
>Marx
Gas yourself

[Anonymous No.18446501]

>>18444410
https://www.eighthdaybooks.com/
http://www.easternchristiansupply.biz/

Also OP if you begin a serious study of the Church Fathers and want to emulate them, you're going to need to shed your individualistic tendencies and seek the obedience of at least a parish priest, and if you become more serious, an actual monk. Christianity and salvation as a personal journey is a modern idea. Without the guidance of someone with experience you may fall into delusion or spiritual pride, thinking you know more than you do, etc. My advice would be to reach out to an Orthodox priest or visit a local monastery, which can be difficult depending on where you are. I will be spending Pentecost at St. Anthony's Monastery in Arizona with some of my church buddies.

[Anonymous No.18446560]

>>18444403
SR.

[Anonymous No.18446796]

>>18446427
>>18446432
>>18446439
>>18446444
>>18446453
Do protestants really?

[Anonymous No.18446797]

>>18443524
>A good KJV reference Bible
>ESV Study Bible
>1662 Book of Common Prayer
>The Books of Homilies
>The Writings of John Bradford
>The Practice of Piety by Lewis Bayly
>The Christian in Complete Armour by William Gurnall
>The Sermons of Samuel Ward
>The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
>Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners by John Bunyan
>The Works of Robert Traill
>The Sermons of George Whitefield
>The Works of Augustus Toplady
>The Works of J.C. Ryle
>Knowing God by J.I. Packer

[Anonymous No.18446946]

>>18446797
Cringe. No reason to read past 14th century, even that is pushing it. You could spend the rest of your life reading the Fathers from the first four centuries and never run out of material

[Anonymous No.18446959]

>>18443524
extremely based start with Plato and Aristotle and the Bible obviously. continue with the church fathers.

[Anonymous No.18446970]

>>18446959
>Gadsen mug
Dare I say, based?

[Anonymous No.18446971]

would also recommend primers like beginning biblical studies and anything by peter kreeft. matter of fact go listen to his lectures rn on youtube.

[Anonymous No.18447166]

>>18444327
>Most Christians are coomers. If there was a supernatural effect, christ would not allow them to be so.

You failed when you started larping.

[Anonymous No.18447238]

>>18444108
100%

>>18444327
>Most Christians are coomers.
*all Christians are sinners
ftfy

>If there was a supernatural effect, christ would not allow them to be so.
This sentence doesn't make any kind of sense. Not the least reason being we have the gift of free will, we aren't locked into behaving a certain way. We may attain God's help if we ask for it.

[Anonymous No.18447259]

>>18447166
>>18447238
Most saints weren't coomers and practiced celibacy and semen retention. The rest of Christian's were scum. The only way christianity could ever make sense is the fewness of the saved theology.

[Anonymous No.18447279]

>>18447259
I don't disagree because Jesus is quoted in scripture that many will suffer, the wheat from the chaff etc, but imo you have an unhealthy preoccupation with semen.

[Anonymous No.18447405]

>>18447259
It's true that most saints were celibate but the idea that they do so for the purpose of retaining their semen is a worldly way of looking at it. They do it in obedience to Christ, not because of physical benefits. Most moderns would be horrified by the ascetic practices of older monastic traditions. Also, I'm not sure where you get your understanding of salvation from, but entrance into the kingdom is not based on living a perfect, sinless life, but an ongoing life of repentance and struggle, contrition of heart, accepting responsibilities for one's failures, and trying to the best of one's abilities to live a Christlike life. Every one of us fails at doing this every day, but a sinner that sins a million times and repents a million and one is more righteous than a man that only sins once and never repents.

[Anonymous No.18447430]

>>18447405
they would have amounted to nothing if it wasn't for semen retention

[Anonymous No.18447457]

>>18443559
>I can recommend St Vladimirs Seminary Press and their Popular Patristics series as an easy starting point.
If you're an ereader person, there's some of them on Libgen. There's also Kindle versions on Amazon, which I recommend getting so you can do a corporal work of mercy and be able to share them freely with others through putting them on libgen.
I also recommend reading The Life of Moses, but not the epub version on Libgen, since that translation is poor; I'd recommend the Paulist Press edition.

[Anonymous No.18447485]

>>18446946
>Cringe. No reason to read past 14th century
Smoothbrain take.

[Anonymous No.18447502]

>>18447430
Semen retention is just a cherry on top of the ultimate goal - unity in Christ

[Anonymous No.18448329]

>>18447405
>Most moderns would be horrified by the ascetic practices of older monastic traditions
Reading the sayings of the desert fathers was a weird and humbling experience