Romanist Systematic Theologies

Including systematic works and works defending Romanism.

.

.

Order of Contents

Systematics  12+
Latin  3


.

.

Systematics

1200’s

Thomas of Aquinas  d. 1274

See especially, ‘St. Thomas Aquinas’s Works in English [& Latin]’

Summa Theologica in English, HTML  PDF (4,183 pp., with an extended table of contents)

Volumes:

1  Introductions, Existence & Attributes of God
2  Trinity, Creation, Cause of Evil
3  Angels, the Six Days of Creation
Man, the Will, Understanding, Propagation
5  Divine Government, Angels, Human Propagation
6  Chief End of Man, the Human Will, Passions
7  Habits, Virtues, Sin, Original Sin
8  Law, Kinds of Law, Grace, Merit
9  Faith, Unbelief, Love, Vices
10  Prudence, Justice
11  Devotion, Oaths, Superstition
12
13  Temperance, Vices Opposite to
14  Of Prophecy, Tongues, Miracles, the Contemplative Life, States of Life
15  The Incarnation
16  Mary, Virgin Birth, Christ’s Life, Death, Resurrection
17  The Sacraments
18  Sacraments, Power of the Keys
19  Abode of the Dead, Resurrected Bodies
20  The Last Things
21
22  Indexes

Contra Gentiles, on the Truth of the Catholic Faith

Commentary on the Sentences

Contra the Errors of the Greeks

A Compendium of Theology

.

Bibliography

Thomas Aquinas in English, a Bibliography  with references and links to all of Thomas’ writings in English

.

1500’s

Eck, Johann – Enchiridion of Commonplaces against Luther & other Enemies of the Church  (1529; Baker, 1979)  320 pp.  ToC

Eck (1486–1543) was a main opponent of Luther.

Allen, William – A Treatise made in Defense of the Lawful Power and Authority of priesthood to remit sins: of the people’s duty for confession of their sins to God’s ministers and of the churches meaning concerning indulgences, commonly called the Pope’s Pardons  1567

Various – Catholic Tractates of the Sixteenth Century, 1573-1600  1901

Richard Bristow – A Reply to Fulke, in defense of M.D. Allen’s Scroll of Articles and book of Purgatory  1580

Fulke was an English reformer.

Burne, Nicol –The Disputation Concerning the Controversial heads of Religion, held in the Realm of Scotland in 1580  1581

.

1600’s

Bellarmine, Robert  (1542-1621)

Controversies of the Christian Faith  (Keep the Faith, Inc., 2025)

Controversies of the Christian Faith
1. Word of God
2. Christ the Head of the Whole Church
3. Sovereign Pontiff

An Ample Declaration of the Christian Doctrine  1604

A Short Catechism  1614  116 pp.

Jacob’s Ladder consisting of Fifteen Degrees or ascents to the knowledge of God by the consideration of his creatures and attributes  1638

Anderton, Lawrence

The Protestants’ Apology for the Roman Church, Divided Into Three Several Tracts  1608

The Triple Cord, Or, A Treatise Proving the Truth of the Roman Religion: By Sacred Scriptures Taken in the Literal Sense, Expounded by Ancient Fathers, Interpreted by Protestant Writers  1634

Becanus, Martinus – A Defence of the Roman Church. Wherein is Treated Whether the said Church of Rome has fallen in faith, or no?  1612

Binet, Etienne – Purgatory Surveyed, or a Particular Account of the Happy, and yet thrice unhappy, state of the souls there  (d. 1639)

Wallenburch, Adrian & Peter – General & Special Tracts on the Controversies of the Faith, 2 vols.  (1670)  Latin 1, 2  ToC

ToC & Summary

8. Perpetual Visibility of the Church  (1647)  52 pp.

13. Purgatory  (1656)  91 pp.

41. Eucharistic Adoration  44 pp.

43. Communion under One Kind & 36. Sacrifice of the Mass  16 pp.

73. Merits of Good Works  (1636)

The Dutch Walenburchs (d. 1669 & 1675) were auxiliary bishops.  Peter, the chief author, wrote arguing through almost the whole of systematic theology that Protestants’ views on each topic are not warrant for separation from the Roman Catholic Church.

For the Reformed case for separation from Romanism, see ‘On the Legitimacy & Necessity of Separation from Rome’.

Altham, Michael

Some Queries to Protestants Answered, & an Explanation of the Roman Catholic’s Belief in Four Great Points Considered. I. Concerning their Church. II. Their Worship. III. Justification. IV. Civil Government  (1686)

The Creed of Pope Pius IV, or a Prospect of Popery Taken from that Authentic Record: with Short Notes  (1687)

.

1700’s

Bossuet, Jacques  d. 1704

An Exposition of the Doctrine of the Catholic Church in Matters of Controversy

History of the Variations of the Protestant Churches, vols. 1, 2

A Treatise of Communion under Both Species

‘Both species’ refers to both bread and wine.

.

1800’s

Arnauld, Antoine – The Perpetuity of the Faith of the Catholic Church on the Eucharist: With the Refutation of the Reply of a Calvinistic Minister  1834

Denzinger, Henry

The Sources of Catholic Dogma  (d. 1883; 1957)

Enchiridion Symbolorum:  Compendium of Creeds, Definitions, and Declarations on Matters of Faith and Morals  (d. 1883; 1911)

Scheeben, Matthias – Handbook of Catholic Dogmatics  trans. Miller  Buy  (d. 1888; 2019)  multiple volumes

.

1900’s

Wilhelm, Joseph & Thomas Scannell – A Manual of Catholic Theology: Based on Scheeben’s ‘Dogmatik’, vols. 1 & 2  (1906/1908)  Also here.

Pohle, Joseph – Manual Of Dogmatic Theology, 12 vols.  ed. Arthur Preuss  (1911-1920)

1. God: His Knowability, Essence & Attributes
2. Divine Trinity
3. God: Author of Nature & the Supernatural
4. Christology: A Dogmatic Treatise on the Incarnation
5. Soteriology: A Dogmatic Treatise on the Redemption
6. Mariology: A Dogmatic Treatise on the Blessed Virgin Mary
7. Grace, Actual & Habitual
8. The Sacraments, vol. 1
9. The Sacraments, vol. 2
10. The Sacraments, vol. 3
11. The Sacraments, vol. 4
12. Eschatology, or the Catholic Doctrine of the Last Things

Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P., Reginald

Reality: a Synthesis of Thomistic Thought  (St. Louis, 1950)  No ToC

Commentaries on St. Thomas’s Summa Theologica  Buy  multiple volumes

Ott, Ludwig – Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma  (St. Louis, 1955)  First published in German in 1952

Niesel, Wilhelm – pt. 1, ‘The Gospel & Roman Catholicism’  in Reformed Symbolics: a Comparison of Catholicism, Orthodoxy & Protestantism  tr. David Lewis  (Oliver & Boyd, 1962), pp. 169-303

.

2000’s

Sacra Doctrine  (Catholic University of America Press)

Development of Dogma: a Systematic Account – Mansini  (2024)
Fundamental Theology – Mansini  (2018)
On Creator God & in Aquinas & Contemporary Theology – Dodds  (2020)
Satisfaction in Aquinas – Cessario  (2020)
Fundamental Soteriology – Paluch & White  (2026)
Ecclesiology – Mansini  (2021)
Theology of the Eucharist – Blankenhorn  (2021)
Mary, Mother of God’s Word made Flesh – Schrader  (2026)
Intro to Vatican II as an Ongoing Theological Event – Levering  (2017)

Nicolas, Jean-Herve – Catholic Dogmatic Theology: a Synthesis  in Thomistic Ressourcement Series

1. Trinitarian Mystery of God
2. Incarnation & Redemption
3. Church & Sacraments
4. Creation & Creator

Nicolas (1910-2001) was a French Dominican friar and professor of dogmatic theology at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland.  He was one of the most important representatives of the new scholasticism of the second half of the 20th century.

White, Thomas Joseph

Principles of Catholic Theology, vol. 1 (Nature of Theology), 2 (Rational Credibility of Christianity), 3 (God, Trinity, Creation, Christ), 4 (Church, Mary, Nature & Grace), 5 (Presence of God in World)  (Catholic University of America Press, 2023)

White (b. 1971), a member of the Dominican Order, is an American priest and theologian who has served as rector of the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome since 2021.

The Light of Christ: an Introduction to Catholicism  (2017)

Wisdom in the Face of Modernity: A Study in Thomistic Natural Theology  (2009)

The Trinity: on the Nature & Mystery of the One God  (2022)

ed. White et al.

The Analogy of Being: Invention of the Antichrist or Wisdom of God?

Divine Impassibility and the Mystery of Human Suffering

Thomism & Predestination: Principles & Disputations

Thomas Aquinas & Karl Barth: an Unofficial Catholic-Protestant Dialogue  (2013)

The Incarnate Lord: A Thomistic Study in Christology  (2017)

Contemplation & the Cross: a Catholic Introduction to the Spiritual Life  (2025)

.

.

In Latin

.

1600’s

Bellarmine, Robert – Disputations on the Controversies of the Christian Faith Against the Heretics of these Times  (Sartori, 1601)

vol. 1, Of the Word of God, of Christ the Head of the Whole Church, of the Most High Pontiff

Subject & Scripture Index to this volume.

vol. 2, Of Councils & the Church, of the Members of the Church, of the Church which is being Purged in Subterranean Places, of the Church which is Triumphant in Heaven

Subject & Scripture Index

vol. 3, Of the Nature & Causes of the Sacraments, of the Effect, Number & Ceremonies of the Sacraments

Subject & Scripture Index

vol. 4, of the Grace of the First Man, of the Loss of Grace and of the State of Sin, of Grace & Free Choice, of the Justification of an Ungodly Person, of Good Works in Particular

Subject & Scripture Index

Petavius, Dionysius – Work of Theological Dogmatics, 8 vols.  (d. 1652; 1864-1870)

Petavius (1583-1652) was a French Jesuit.  “A huge collection of the sentiments of the fathers, lucidly arranged.” – Howard Malcom

Arsdekin, R.P. Richard – Universal Theology in Three Parts, Now Completing a Perfect Library for the Churchman, following the order: Book 1, Of Controversies, Heterodoxies & Scholastica; Book 2, Part 1, A Brief & Whole, Comprehensive Method of Speculative Theology; Part 2, Universal Practical Theology; Book 3, A Practical Apparatus for Every Function of the Churchman Going Forward  10th ed. 1693  Each of the three books have separate pagination: 195 pp., 400 pp., 232 pp.  Here are the tables of contents for the three books, which are at the beginning of each book: 1, 2, 3

Arsdekin (1618–1693) was Irish and a professor of theology for Jesuits.  “Archdekin’s work displays much order, knowledge, and precision, but some of his decisions in cases of conscience have been controverted by higher authority in the catholic church.” – DNB

“Held in great esteem by Romanists, and truly valuable as a great magazine of authorities. ” – Howard Malcom (graduate from Old Princeton Seminary)

.

.

1800’s

Migne, Jaques Paul – A Complete Course of Theology, 28 vols.  (Paris: 1837-45)

The purpose of Migne (1800-75), a French priest, was to collect in one series a comprehensive course in Roman Catholic theology.  Many or most of the authors are from the Early and Medieval Church and are arranged roughly in the order of a systematic theology; hence the importance and great value of this massive work.

Migne was also the editor of the important Patrologia Graeca & Latina series.

Denzinger, Henry – Enchiridion Symbolorum:  Compendium of Creeds, Definitions, and Declarations on Matters of Faith and Morals  (d. 1883; 1911)  ToC

.

.

.

Related Pages

Romanism

Authoritative Documents of Romanism

The Antichrist

The Church