What Catholics Believe

by Josef Pieper, Heinz Raskop

The authors give, in brief and simple form, a summary of the fundamental teachings of the Catholic Church, and of the fruits of the faith contained in the teachings.

Genres: Catholic, Religion

110 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

Josef Pieper was a German Catholic philosopher and an important figure in the resurgence of interest in the thought of Thomas Aquinas in early-to-mid 20th-century philosophy. Among his most notable works are The Four Cardinal Virtues: Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance; Leisure, the Basis of Culture; and Guide to Thomas Aquinas (published in England as Introduction to Thomas Aquinas).

Reviews

[Trevor Smith]

I really enjoy Pieper, and have since I was introduced to him by one of my honors professors in college. He has a simple way with words that does not leave you trying to understand what he just said, but allows you to ponder the meaning of the words themselves. This was a great, straightforward look at Catholic belief and praxis. I found the section on Church history lacking in nuance, but he was also writing in a different time period.

[John]

A concise summary of Catholic belief. Some may find some sentences “politically incorrect” and dated. The explanations are succinct & I enjoyed learning from this book.

Although, Peioer was a renowned Thomist philosopher, this book is apologetics & not philosophy.

[Erik]

Recommended by James Schall in Another Sort of Learning, Intro to Part Three, as one of Fourteen Books by Josef Pieper.