The Spirit of Catholicism

One of the greatest works of popular ecclesiology ever written, The Spirit of Catholicism describes how the Church’s core identity—the communion of saints united in Christ’s mystical body—informs Catholic doctrine and practice.

The 20^th-century German theologian and priest Karl Adam begins by asking what Catholicism essentially is, and in response offers a profound yet accessible meditation on the Church’s unique character: in its distinctive teachings like the papacy and the sacraments, but also in the mystery of its eternal fulfilment in heaven.

A must-read for apologists, catechists, and any Catholic who wants to understand the Church more deeply.

"As a fervent Evangelical Protestant on an often agonizing journey to the Catholic Church, this singularly outstanding book was, and is still, my most treasured. From over 200 sources that informed my 5-year search, I found The Spirit of Catholicism to be the most theologically and apologetically coherent and eye-opening and a magnet for the heart that longs to know "the whole Christ" and the Church that is our home." —Mother Miriam of the Lamb of God, O.S.B.

Catholic Answers Classics are the perfect addition to your home library.

Recapturing the brilliance and elegance of books from the golden age of apologetics, the new Classics series from Catholic Answers Press is sure to become a cherished part of your home library. Each volume has been hand-picked from our rich inheritance of works that explain and defend the Faith. And just as those classic works have endured, Catholic Answers Classics are durably and beautifully bound with hard cloth covers and heavy paper, designed to delight and edify readers for generations to come.