After half a century, still the greatest one-volume
compendium of Catholic teaching ever published
First published in German in 1952, Professor Ludwig Ott’s
Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma instantly became an indispensable
reference for priests, teachers and families. Comprehensive yet concise,
it provides in a single large volume clear explanations of every Catholic
doctrinal teaching—along with their foundations in Scripture,
Tradition, Church councils, papal pronouncements, and the Fathers
and Doctors of the Church. And unlike any other compendium of
doctrine before or since, it provides the “Theological Grade of
Certainty” for every teaching it contains. Now this timeless masterwork
is available in durable hardcover for the first time in decades.
Ott begins with an introduction to the science of theology itself,
explaining its principles, methods, vocabulary, and system of
classification. He also shows you how to distinguish the Catholic
understanding of the “development of dogma” from the heretical
version, and how to differentiate the three kinds of Catholic truth
and the six grades of theological certainty.
The book is organized into five major sections, covering the entire range
of Catholic teaching according to the divisions of traditional catechesis:
THE UNITY OF GOD: HIS EXISTENCE AND NATURE
topics include: The Natural Knowability of the Existence of God
* Proofs of God’s Existence * Errors Regarding the Knowability
of God’s Existence (e.g., atheism) * God’s Existence as an Object
of Faith * The Nature of God * The Attributes or Qualities of
God * The Doctrine of the Triune God * The Antitrinitarian
Heresies * Proof of the Existence of the Trinity from Scripture
and Tradition * Speculative Explanation of the Internal-Divine
Processions * The Relation of the Trinity to Reason
GOD THE CREATOR
topics include: The Divine Act of
Creation * Motive and Purpose of the Creation of the World *
The Trinity and Creation * Freedom of the Divine Act of
Creation * The Temporal Character of the World * The
Continuous Preservation and Governing of the World *
Revealed Doctrine concerning Material Things, i.e., Christian
Cosmology * The Doctrine of Evolution in the Light of the
Revelation * The Origin of the First Human Pair and the Unity
of the Human Race * The Essential Constituent Parts of
Human Nature * The Origin of the Individual Human Souls *
The Relation between Nature and Supernature * The
Supernatural Endowment of the First Man * The Various States
of Human Nature * The Fall * Original Sin * The Lot of
Children Dying in Original Sin * Angelology
THE DOCTRINE OF GOD THE REDEEMER
topics
include: The Historical Existence of Jesus Christ * The Two
Natures in Christ * Christ's True Humanity * The Adamite
Origin of Christ's Human Nature * The Hypostatic Union *
Attributes of Christ's Human Nature * Christ’s Infused
Knowledge and Acquired Knowledge * Christ's Sinlessness and
Impeccability * Christ's Capacity for Suffering * The Purpose of
the Incarnation * Redemption through Christ * The Three
Offices of Christ * Christ's Vicarious Atonement * Christ's
Descent into Hell * Christ's Resurrection * Christ's Ascension
*Immaculate Conception * Mary's Freedom
from Evil Concupiscence and from Personal Sin
* Mary's Perpetual Virginity * Mary’s Bodily
Assumption into Heaven * Mary's Co-operation
in the Work of Redemption * The Mediatorship
of Mary * The Veneration of Mary
THE DOCTRINE OF GOD THE
SANCTIFIER
topics include: Doctrine of
Grace * Classification of Grace * Principal
Errors Concerning Grace * The Necessity of
Grace * The Distribution of Grace *
Predestination * Reprobation * Grace and
Freedom * Heresies Concerning Grace *
Justification * Sanctifying Grace * Actual
Grace * The State of Grace * The Doctrine Concerning Merit
* The Divine Origin of the Church * The Purpose of the
Church * The Constitution of the Church * The Primacy of St.
Peter * Papal Primacy * Papal Infallibility * The Bishops *
Christ and the Church * The Holy Ghost and the Church *
Essential Attributes of the Church * The Necessity for
Membership in the Church * The Communion of Saints * The
Communion of the Faithful * Poor Souls in Purgatory * The
Nature of the Sacraments * The Efficacy and Effects of the
Sacraments * The Sevenfold Nature of the Sacraments * The
Necessity of the Sacraments * The Minister and Recipient of
the Sacraments * Sacramentals * Baptism * Confirmation *
The Eucharist * The Real Presence * Transubstantiation * The
Sacrificial Nature of the Mass * Penance * The Church's
Power to Forgive Sins * Contrition * The Necessity of
Confession * Sacramental Satisfaction * Absolution *
Indulgences * Extreme Unction * Holy Orders * Matrimony
THE DOCTRINE OF GOD THE CONSUMMATOR
topics include: The Doctrine of the Last Things (Eschatology)
* Death * The Particular Judgment * Heaven * Hell *
Purgatory * The Second Coming of Christ * The Resurrection
of the Dead * The General Judgment * The End of the World
“Quite the most remarkable work of compression of its kind that
I have encountered”.—James Bastible, University College, Cork
“German scholars are famous for first-rate handbooks; this is a
splendid specimen. It covers the field of dogmatic theology and is
translated into clear, readable English…Excellent summaries are
given of disputed questions…highly recommended to priests
engaged in teaching religion in high school or college. For
educated laymen it is a fine summary of what the priest learned
in the seminary.”—America (1956)
How well do you (and your family) know your Catholic faith?
1.True or false: Christ could not possibly have sinned in any
circumstance.
2.What two factors must be present for a Church teaching to be
considered a formal “dogma”?
3.Name three of the six degrees of theological certainty.
4.The absolute worship which is due to God alone is called
latria. The veneration due to Mary is called ______.
5.True or false: God, by an Eternal Resolve of His Will, has
predestined certain men to eternal blessedness or eternal rejection.
Now in durable sewn
hardcover, for the
first time in decades
Detailed table of contents with over 250
entries * 18-page index of Old and New
Testament (the best of its kind ever compiled)
Index of Persons * Index of Subjects
Extensive Bibliography
