
Over the years I have done a lot of Bible study and reading to learn and grow in my faith. Reading the Bible, the early church fathers and various church catechisms are really helpful to help you know what you believe.
One thing that has really helped me to understand what Catholics believe (as a Protestant) is the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It has the teachings on the church in one place. It really easy to find a teaching on a particular topic and it has references.
The Catechism is arranged in four principal parts:
- The Profession of Faith (the Apostles’ Creed)
- The Celebration of the Christian Mystery (the Sacred Liturgy, and especially the sacraments)
- Life in Christ (including the Ten Commandments)
- Christian Prayer (including the Lord’s Prayer)
From my initial understanding the beliefs are drawn from the Bible, the writings of the early church Fathers, church tradition and Magisterium, the various ecumenical church councils down through the ages.
I am still working my way through it, but have found it very useful. I like the simplicity of the layout and the contents page that points right to the numbered sections. Copies online usually have hyperlinks that are really helpful.
If you are interested in looking you can find a PDF version here.