Denver Bible School

[bobopus]

has anyone participated in or completed the Denver Bible school
program? if so how did you find it? would you recommend it?
did it meet your expectations?

 

[Penitent]

I saw this post and decided to register just so I could answer this! I had previously been a member, but “surrendered” my profile and posting privileges after reading how unChristian some of my posts were. Maybe I’ll do better this time.

I’m in the Denver Biblical Institute bible study school. I had previously done a semester with a teacher other than the one I have now. It was not everything I’d hoped for. The teacher and many of the students had ideas and attitudes (like life not beginning at conception and that the church OK’d voting for the most pro-abortion political candidate if there were proportionate reasons [yep, the misinterpreted Card. Ratzinger letter]).

I left that group after about 10 classes. Now I’m in one that is very good. It was just a matter of finding a group more in line with Church teachings.

But the workbook they use is really good. All the books are, although it took me a while to accept the Boadt book. I realize now it was easiest to just accept much of the OT literally instead of the leap of faith that it’s divinely inspired teachings and you don’t have to take everything literally and how God works miracles through the use of ordinary things.

So the program is excellent! Just be sure you’re in a group that is in line with Church teachings.

Penitent

 

[emelbee]

Hi bobopus,

The Archdiocese of Denver has a four-year-long scripture study program called the Catholic Biblical School. More info is available at archden.org/cbs/ .

I am a recent graduate of this program. I think it is excellent and is getting even better. I never encountered teachers’ opinions that were at odds with the Church. Part of the program involves small-group discussions with other students. Other students, of course, may have a variety of opinions. Sometimes you learn from others, sometimes they learn from you, but the discussions were always civil and respectful.

If there is a program named the “Denver Biblical Institute” that Penitent mentions, then that is something different that I have not heard of and do not know anything about. The Catholic Biblical School used to use a book about the Old Testament by Boadt, but no longer.

 

[Penitent]

Actually, it looks like the same program (well we use the Denver workbooK). We have the Boadt book, MacKenzie Dictionary of the Bible, and the workbook that’s from Paulist Press. Teachers come from either the clergy or Masters level Theology degrees. The one I had was not clergy; the one I have now is a nun.

Any bible study (this is a four year program beginning with OT, NT, back to OT, then epistles/letters) is going to hinge on the leader. Not all leaders share the identical view of the church. This is exactly what happened in my initial course.

Penitent

 

[emelbee]

Hi Penitent,

Where are you located, if you don’t mind saying? Somewhere other than Denver?

It sounds like your teachers are not any of the ones employed by the Catholic Biblical School to teach in the Denver area.

I agree that the teacher could make a big difference. From my experience, though, I think all of the “official” ones in Denver are excellent.

The Denver program is now directed by Tim Gray, who some may know from EWTN. There are some new teachers and the program is being revised, after being fairly stable for a while. Some of the supplementary books have been replaced. There is a list on the web site I mentioned above.

 

[Penitent]

I am far, far away from Denver, LOL…although I’m in an excellent dioceses, with a wonderful bishop, I was pretty disillusioned with that first study group. I didn’t tell the director of the program my reason for switching classes…I figured one should complain if there’s a reasonable expectation of it being corrected, but I have no reason to think my opinion would hold up against the leader or the person running the program, and I’m sure it’s difficult to get people to lead these classes since the criteria for leading is high and the hours are substantial, hence I tried to as graciously as possible just switch classes (although two others also dropped out).

But back to the original post, we do use the Denver Bible Study workbook and that workbook is absolutely fantastic. The questions asked really lead you in the right direction and hit upon things I’d have never seen on my own.

I only wish (and believe me, only briefly as I prefer less than more snow) that I could get in on the Denver Diocese program.

Penitent

 

[Exporter]

As soon as I read the name, “The Denver Bible School” I thought, ugh oh, another one of them. I wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot pole.