New Advent
by Kevin Knight
A free library, open all night, with the Church Fathers on the shelves. Kevin Knight's New Advent has been online for decades. Its collections include the complete Catholic Encyclopedia, published in the early twentieth century, English translations of the Church Fathers, the Summa Theologiae of St. Thomas Aquinas, and the Bible, plus a daily roundup of Catholic news and commentary.
Want to read what St. Ignatius of Antioch wrote on his way to martyrdom? How Aquinas answered a particular question? An old encyclopedia entry on an obscure saint? It's all here, linked and searchable. The Catholic Encyclopedia articles are dated in places, since they were written before many twentieth-century developments, but they remain a rich historical resource.
It suits inquirers who want primary sources, students and catechists, and anyone who has heard a quote from the Fathers and wants to check it in context. Use it alongside the Catechism for current teaching.
Key Takeaways
- The full Catholic Encyclopedia from the early 1900s.
- English translations of the Church Fathers.
- The Summa Theologiae of St. Thomas Aquinas.
- A way to check quotations in context.
It puts the old Catholic Encyclopedia, the Church Fathers and the Summa online for free.
