Introduction to the Catechism of the Catholic Church

This book arrived quickly, was in amazing condition (possibly better than store bought quality) and is simple to understand reading!

This short (under 100 pages) treatise is a wonderful addition to one of the newest gems of the Church; the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Written by two true intellectual powerhouses of modern times, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI) and Bishop (now Cardinal) Christof Schönborn, it is full to brimming with insights into the motivations behind putting together a new universal catechism, what options they considered before starting such a monumental task, and how one might prepare himself before embarking on reading or teaching the Catechism. Don't be put off by its relatively small size...while it is not necessarily a hard read by any means, its wisdom is concentrated and will definitely deserve several read-throughs to fully appreciate. This belongs on the bookshelf right next to the Catechism itself, along with Ignatius Press' "Companion to the Catechism" right next to them both! A must-have for any serious student of Catholic doctrine.

I purchased this book as a requirement for a class on the CCC. Both Ratzinger and Schoenborn give very detailed information on the Catechism, from its early history to how it is built up. Though the book is titled as an "introduction", I would only recommend this book to those, who have a deeper interest in the Catechism, or those with prior knowledge of its content. It is not always an easy read and I had to read many things more than once. All in all, you cannot get a better duo writing a book on the Catechism than Ratzinger and Schoenborn.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a beautiful work which seeks to break open the Catholic faith both for believers and those with questions about Catholicism. This book which is a collection of short essays by then-Cardinal Ratzinger and then bishop Schönborn now Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal Schönborn,serves as a backdrop to the Catechism, it explains the development of the Catehchism, the rationale for its construction, why certain things were included and others weren't. Then it goes on in a very brief but insightful manner to give a thumbnail sketch of the Catechism. It's a short read, and very useful in doing what the title claims.

Introduction to the Catechism of the Catholic Church by Pope Benedict XVI is an excellent resource in and of itself, it serves as an introduction not only to the history of the Catechism and the Catholic views on truth it also has excellent short introductions to each of the four sections in the Catechism.