College Library
The College library provides the best collection of theology books in the English language to be found in Rome. It contains reference works, books available for loan, and periodicals. Most of the volumes are on theological and spiritual topics, but selections of other materials (e.g. literature, history, and philosophy) are also available. The periodical room provides a wide-ranging selection of current Catholic periodicals and theological journals, as well as general interest magazines.
eBooks
Many students prefer to use eBooks in Rome because they are easier to keep without needing to send them back and forth. There are many formats and varieties of eBook readers available. Sometimes purchasing one can pay for itself in the long run since some of the titles can be purchased for less, and shipping large numbers of books back and forth can be very expensive. The Kindle through Amazon.com is one of the preferred options by many NAC seminarians. If you plan to purchase an eBook reader to make the reading of eBooks easier on your eyes and more portable, it is recommended to purchase it before coming and bring it with, as international versions can be slightly different or incur additional costs.
Purchasing Books
Several local bookstores carry a substantial number of books in English. Most of these are academic books, particularly theological books, and can be expensive. Some students have found that ordering books in English through the on-line booksellers can be less expensive than buying the same books here. One of the best websites to utilize for this is www.bookdepository.com (free shipping anywhere in the world). Sometimes books can be found for the lowest price at www.amazon.it. The Italian version is somewhat new and www.amazon.co.uk or www.amazon.fr sometimes have a much larger selection with reasonable shipping costs to Italy.
While there are only a few books that are absolutely indispensable (Bible, Liturgy of the Hours, Missal, and Vatican II documents), there are some academic books that are needed for class-work. Near the beginning of each semester professors provide a bibliography from which students may choose to gain more understanding of the course subject. Although these books are available in the College library, many students have found it useful to have personal copies. Although they can be bought in Rome, students can probably purchase them for considerably less in North America and have them shipped with other belongings before arrival.
Useful books and other resources for learning Italian are covered under Italian: Learning the Language.
Recommended General Bibliography:
All seminarians:
- Bible – The most popular translations seem to be the RSV, New Jerusalem, or NAB
- The Liturgy of the Hours. The four volume set as approved for the U.S. and Canada is the official one used by the College.
- The Documents of Vatican II. (Recommendation: Flannery, Vatican Council II, ISBN: 0-918344-39-5 or 1-871552-60-5)
- The Catechism of the Catholic Church – Second Edition
- The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, ISBN: 0-13-614934-0
- The Dictionary of Fundamental Theology, R. Latourelle & R. Fisichella, eds., St. Paul, 1994.
- A Greek-English New Testament
- Greek-English New Testament, Nestle-Aland, 27th Edition. ISBN: 3-438-05408-6
- The Greek New Testament, Aland. et. al., eds., 4th Edition, United Bible Societies
- Greek, English, and Italian Dictionaries
- Spiritual reading.
Pontifical Gregorian University:
- Introduction to the New Testament by Raymond Brown
- New Short History of the Catholic Church by Fr. Norman Tanner (available on Kindle)
- The Councils of the Church: A Short History by Fr. Norman Tanner
- The Pentateuch by Joseph Blenkinsopp
- The Fathers of the Church by Hubertus Drobner
The Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas
Recommended Works of St. Thomas Aquinas:
- Summa Theologica
- Summa Contra Gentiles
- Summa of the Summa by Peter Kreeft
The Pontifical University of the Holy Cross
- This university has an arrangement with a local bookstore where students can purchase their texts.
Ultimately, when it comes to books, none will be impossible to get here. But if you already have it and plan to use a personal copy while at the NAC, it would be worth shipping. Remember, you will likely be here for four to five years.
Updated 27 March 2012
