Catholic Info
Traditional Catholic Faith => The Sacred: Catholic Liturgy, Chant, Prayers => Topic started by: WorldsAway on April 28, 2025, 09:41:57 AM
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avemariapress.com (http://avemariapress.com) Code is FLASH25
Most of it looks like Novus Ordo slop but you can get the Summa (Fathers of the Dominican Province translation) for what is probably the best price currently available
Hardcover 5 volume set (https://www.avemariapress.com/products/summa-theologica?_pos=1&_sid=1c55c7a4a&_ss=r) is $165 after discount
Softcover 5 volume set (https://www.avemariapress.com/products/summa-theologica-1?_pos=2&_sid=1c55c7a4a&_ss=r) is $117 after discount
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avemariapress.com (http://avemariapress.com) Code is FLASH25
Most of it looks like Novus Ordo slop but you can get the Summa (Fathers of the Dominican Province translation) for what is probably the best price currently available
Hardcover 5 volume set (https://www.avemariapress.com/products/summa-theologica?_pos=1&_sid=1c55c7a4a&_ss=r) is $165 after discount
Softcover 5 volume set (https://www.avemariapress.com/products/summa-theologica-1?_pos=2&_sid=1c55c7a4a&_ss=r) is $117 after discount
You can download the Summa for free online.
There is little need anymore to buy traditional Catholic books, as many of them are available on archive.org for download. Much of this material is in the public domain and can be downloaded freely with no scruple of conscience. (If you want to be really safe, keep archives and a spare laptop in a Faraday-like container. That's what I do. Then if EMP hits, you have much more of a chance of not losing digital media and a way to retrieve it. I also have a small solar array in case the power grid would be disabled.)
The old TAN company from when Mr Nelson owned it would have a harder time nowadays, since many TAN titles were reprints of very old books.
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There is little need anymore to buy traditional Catholic books, as many of them are available on archive.org for download.
I have to take the role of "Devil's Advocate" here ... in my humble opinion there is no substitute for physical books, especially those printed on acid free paper with tight hardback binding. An attractive dust cover is nice also. I appreciate the utility of digital reference works when, with certain platforms, one can do searches, set bookmarks, highlight passages, make annotations, etc., but I usually always want the hardcopy also. There is nothing quite like a physical book for reading or praying, and they are an attractive accent for any home decor. My cataloged library is at about 1,100 books, probable 70% of the collection, but I keep buying, usually at used book shops or Better World Books, occasionally from e-Bay.
Working at a funeral home, with Catholic services the priest or deacon always uses a hard bound or soft leather covered Missal or Ritual. At many protestant services the officiant shows up with a tablet or sometimes reads the service from their phone :facepalm:, which hugely detracts from the dignity and solemnity of the occasion.
And don't get me started on videos, so popular here. I sometimes wonder if many can no longer read or write and can only understand pictures and voice overs :jester:. I've often thought ... if St. Thomas Aquanis was alive today, would he still write the Summa Theologica or would he just make a bunch of videos like the Dimond Bros ... I'm pretty sure I know the answer.
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You can download the Summa for free online.
There is little need anymore to buy traditional Catholic books, as many of them are available on archive.org for download. Much of this material is in the public domain and can be downloaded freely with no scruple of conscience. (If you want to be really safe, keep archives and a spare laptop in a Faraday-like container. That's what I do. Then if EMP hits, you have much more of a chance of not losing digital media and a way to retrieve it. I also have a small solar array in case the power grid would be disabled.)
The old TAN company from when Mr Nelson owned it would have a harder time nowadays, since many TAN titles were reprints of very old books.
Electronic format is definitely more convenient (and much cheaper!), but I agree with Moneil that there is nothing quite like a physical copy. The aesthetic appeal of a nice hardcover aside, I benefit from not being able to open a new tab or check my email when reading a physical book. :laugh1: And I must confess I do enjoy the "thrill of the hunt" in looking for obscure Catholic works, that is fun in itself..I have been looking for The Mouth of the Lion by Dr. David Allen White (RIP+), at a reasonable price, for over a year now. An interesting anecdote: I purchased a set of theology manuals on ebay a couple years ago, and when I received them I discovered the previous owner was Dr. (Fr.?) Rama P. Coomaraswamy. Each volume had his name, phone number, and address stamped in the front
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there is nothing quite like a physical copy
I use LuLu.com to reprint PDFs of old catholic works. I have a nice quality print of the Theology of Christian Perfection by Fr. Royo Marin for about $20. If you can find a scan with a white background of any work you can get a good quality book for cheap (look on isidore.co, run by a user of this site).