Understanding Catholic Dogma

Floyd Johnson · December 2014

This site recommends three books for understanding Catholic Dogma from a Catholic perspective:

I can find two of them in LOGOS, but the last is not obviously available:

Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma by Ludwig Ott

Ott, also a German professor of dogmatic theology, wrote this fairly comprehensive compendium of dogmatic teaching in the early 1950’s. Considering its subject matter, it is surprisingly succinct, numbering only about 500 pages in length. Ott begins with the teachings on the existence of God and ends with the teachings on the final judgment.

In the preface, Ott says that his “aim was to present the essentials of Church teaching and the foundation of such teaching in clear and concise form.” Judging by its reception among orthodox Catholic theologians, he seems to have succeeded admirably.

In some ways, Ott’s presentation is much easier, more accessible, and more digestible than Denzinger. It is organized according to subject rather than by chronology, and provides a wealth of useful commentary. The typical formula goes as follows. The dogmatic teaching is clearly stated in bold. It follows with where this dogma is defined, and then provides Scriptural references, conciliar references, papal statements, and writings of the fathers and doctors of the Church that pertain to the teaching. Ott then provides his own commentary. From the book:

Further, God’s love for creatures is a benevolent love (amor benevolentiae), that is, God loves creatures not with a receiving, but with a bestowing, and therefore a most unselfish love. (p. 45)

Am I missing something or does it need to be added to the collection. (A special thanks to Mark Shea for pointing these out to me.)

NB.Mick · December 2014

Floyd Johnson said:
Am I missing something or does it need to be added to the collection

Both/And, not Or!

This is once again a publishing rights issue. Logos had Ott in their early this-decade Catholic offerings, but was forced to retract it due to rights issues that so far have not been resolved.

Floyd Johnson · December 2014

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/675365#Comment_675365

NB.Mick said:
Both/And, not Or!

Thanks for the details.

fgh · December 2014

All of these books have problems:

The CCC is available, but only to customers in America.[:'(]
Denzinger is available, but only in an old pre-Vatican II edition -- useful for historical studies, but less so for today's teachings.[:'(]
Ott was available, but later withdrawn -- presumably because they found that it wasn't Public Domain after all. It is also said to be a not fully reliable translation.[:'(]

Please support adding the latest edition of Denzinger at Just Released! (forums) and Denzinger Hunermann Enchiridion Symbolorum 43rd Edition (Uservoice).[:)][G]