In reading the press and talking to friends, I have come to realize that people who grew up in secular homes—and there are many today—have very little idea about religion. Yet, religion is relevant for many people’s values and culturally, in historical art and literature. It is, however, difficult to sift through a plethora of low-quality religious writings on one’s own.
I have then decided to post references. My selection is mostly Catholic, simply because it is the literature that I know best. There is an estimated 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide. So, if you are just curious about religious beliefs, it’s not a bad place to start. But I encourage followers of other religions to also post references.
If you are an academic economist interested in the dialogue between the Church and the academy, I encourage you to join CREDO. The links below are mostly pdf documents or books from Amazon for convenience.
I Bible
Here is a copy of the bible. (The Catholic bible has a few more books than protestant bibles.) There are numerous well-known passages of the bible and a fair selection does not exist. The examples below are just to give you a flavor of it if you have never opened a bible. I suggest reading one or two subheadings at a time. You lose a lot if you read it all at once without reflection.
I.A. Excerpts from the Old Testament
Genesis 1-3 The two creation stories and the fall, to be read allegorically, not literally.
I Samuel 8:10-18 Prophet Samuel's warning to the Jewish people when they asked for a king. The warning is valid for all the peoples that have, in so many times and places asked for a dictator. It never ends well.
Deuteronomy 30: 15-20 I find this passage poignant for those struggling with addiction or depression.
Job 1: 6-22 The world's major religions all struggle with the apparent contradiction between evil and an all good and omnipotent God. Scholars often turn to the book of Job in that debate. But what strikes me in this passage is how ephemeral are the goods in this world.
Psalms Many faithful turn to the book of Psalms for prayer. I selected very few passages, not doing justice to it.
Ecclesiastes 1, 3:1-8 In this book of wisdom, the agnostic Kohelet searches in vain for meaning in life without God.
Isaiah 9:1-5, 11:1-9, as interpreted by Christians, are examples of prophesies of the coming Messiah.
I.B. Excerpts from the New Testament
Matthew 5-7 The Sermon of the Mountain (shortened version)
Mark 4 Various parables of the kingdom of God and the calming of the storm
Luke 15:11-32 The parable of the prodigal son
John John is the more philosophical gospel. I have included in the pdf several passages.
Luke 22, 23 The passion of Jesus according to Luke. The passion appears in all gospels.
The celebration of Easter starts on Easter Sunday, with the resurrection of Jesus (John 20: 1-9, Lucas 24:1-12, Mathew 28: 1-8, Mark 16: 18-8). It ends with Pentecost (Acts of the Apostles 2:1-13). You do not need to be a biblical scholar to contrast this passage with the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-7 same pdf).
I Corinthians 13 is the most common reading in marriage celebrations.
Mathew 21:13-46 In contrast to my own frequent fear of expressing my thoughts, the boldness of Jesus in this passage strikes me. The Pharisees are seeking to plot against him and to kill him. The parable is not subtle at all. They understood that Jesus was talking about them: that people like them had killed the prophets, that they were going to kill him, and that he was claiming to be the son of God. The paragraph that follows the passage seems like an abrupt change of topic. I kept it because scholars often interpret it as an integral part of the parable, which refers to the Jesus’ resurrection.
II Biblical Exegesis
If you pick up the bible on your own, I encourage you to start with the gospels. They are accessible and amenable to many interpretations. You will certainly have your own, which may depend on your personal struggles at the moment. But it helps to read the interpretation of those who have thought and meditated over the bible for years.
Evangelii Gaudium (2013, The Joy of the Gospel) is Pope Francis' first apostolic exhortation. It is in book format here.
The Beginning of Wisdom: Reading Genesis by Leon R Kass (2006) Contrary to what is sometimes claimed, most religious people believe in the big bang and evolution as much as their secular counterparts. The Judaic tradition, Catholicism and most Protestant Churches all interpret the creation story in the Genesis (link above) as an allegorical story about human nature, our relation to each other and to God. Scholars typically interpret the Genesis in the light of the rest of the bible, but Leon R Kass, a Jewish philosopher, reads it as a philosophical writing.
Unflatteringly, the press nicknamed Pope Benedict XVI Rottweiler for his defense of Church teachings. But for many Catholics, he is better known as a theologian. Here is a series of short books that he wrote on Jesus:
Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives (2012)
Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration (2007)
Jesus of Nazareth: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection (2011)
A Marginal Jew by John P. Meyer (1991-2009)
In the series, Fr John P Meyer puts on his historian hat. He draws from the gospels and its contemporaneous writings, including the apocryphal gospels, to ask whether Jesus existed, and if so, which of his acts and teachings are most likely to be linked back to the historical figure of Jesus.
The Memoirs of St. Peter by Michael Pakaluk (2019) A new more literal translation and detailed reading of the Gospel of Mark. Recently, Pakaluk and other scholars have argued that the Mark who wrote the gospel is the same Mark that accompanies St. Peter, possibly as a in preaching to Greek audiences in the Acts of the Apostles. Using several passages of the Acts and details of the gospel styles and accounts, they argue that Mark may have acted as a sort of "ghost writer" in writing down Peter's memories of Jesus' life and preaching.
III Saints and Spirituality
Catholics often turn to the example of saints for spiritual growth and exercises.
Confessions by Saint Augustine (2009 translation by Chadwick, original writing from 397-400AD)
President Biden cited St Augustine in his Inaugural Address. Confessions is his most accessible book. St Augustine describes his own psychological struggles with the timeless temptations of glory, riches, power and pleasure. He is very perceptive, and even for someone who is not religious, it is hard not to identify oneself with St Augustine even though the book was written more than 1600 years ago.
St Francis of Assisi by G. K. Chesterton (2020 edition, original 1924)
Pope Francis named himself after St Francis of Assisi, one of the most influential saints of all times. Chesterton's biography is short and delightful.
The Story of a Soul by St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1996 edition, original 1898)
St Theresa of Lisieux died at the age of twenty-four. Yet, she is a doctor of the Church and one of the most popular saints. The Story of a Soul is her own biography and Fr. Jean C. J. d Elbée's I Believe in Love: A Personal Retreat Based on the Teaching of St. Thérèse of Lisieux (2001) nicely explains her spirituality.
Alas, not for the first time in its history, Catholics and non-Catholics alike agree that the Catholic Church needs reform. And nobody expects reform to come from the Roman curia. During the reformation, reform came from the lowliest.
A Jesuit, Fr Ciszek, spent 23 years in Soviet prisons, mostly in labor camps in Siberia. He has two autobiographical books with Flaherty. He Leadeth Me is about his spiritual journey during this time.
Time for God and Interior Freedom by Fr. Jaques Philippe
These are accessible introductions to prayer and spiritual life. Do not expect a guidebook. For Catholics, true devotive prayer is a gift from God, not the fruit of techniques that we can perfect. If I were to summarize it, silent prayer is time spent with God who dwells in the depth of our hearts. This tradition follows Jesus' promise: "Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him." John 14:23.
IV Miracles
OK. Catholics do not believe in creationism, but their beliefs are even more farfetched. God, the Creator of the World, was incarnate of a virgin, the Virgin Mary, and became man, Jesus. He proclaimed the kingdom of God, was rejected by his own people and crucified. He resurrected. Through His sacrifice, He saved us from our sins. We participate in this sacrifice and eat His body and blood in the form of bread and wine during mass.
Many of the passages of the gospels refer to the eucharist (see for example chapter 6 of John pdf above and the last supper in chapter 22 of Luke pdf above). In Sinu Jesu (2016), written anonymously by a Benedictine Monk, captures its devotion well.
Catholics also believe that God continues to intervene in the world. The more difficult it is for science to explain some events, the more popular they become. These events are not dogmas, and science may eventually come to grips with them. The most famous are:
YouTube link to a presentation by Fr Robert Spitzer. The first half of the presentation argues that the shroud of Turin is the burial cloth of Jesus (no miracles). The second half is the evidence on the shroud of the resurrection. He references academic writings throughout (links at the end).
Our Lady of Guadalupe by Carl Anderson, Eduardo Chavez (2017)
Fatima, a movie by Marco Pontecorvo (2020).
The reviews complain about the incompleteness of the account of the events at Fatima. But the movie contains their essence and is intended to be artistic and pleasant. You can read Sr Lucia's own memoirs later if interested. You can also read about Pope St. John Paul II devotion to it (due to my failing memory, I don't have good references here).
V Polemics
It is no secret that the most polemic teachings of the Catholic Church are on human sexuality. Here, more than on any other topic, I see a lot of writings, about writings, about writings. We get lost in translation as in the telephone game.
It is hard to think of more reliable sources of the Church's teachings than the writings of canonized popes. I selected three particularly accessible pieces:
Humanae Vitae (1968) by Pope St. Paul VI
Love and Responsibility (1993) by Pope St. John Paul II
Evangelium Vitae (1995) by Pope St. John Paul II
The most polemic of Pope Benedict XVI’s speeches was addressed to the academy, at the University of Regensburg.
Cardinal Zen's critique of the Chinese government and the Vatican's agreement with it. Cardinal Zen was arrested in Hong Kong in May, 2022.