How do the Protestants do it?

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LeahInancsi

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…and why can’t the Catholics do it? Teach the Bible, that is.

It’s no secret that the Catholic church has not been big on teaching the Bible. I fully understand that over 2,000 years the very wise men of the Magisterium have studied every detail of the Bible thoroughly and interpreted it via the Catechism.

That’s all well and fine, but I want to know about all of the Bible stories and their meaning. Situations such as Zechariah and Elizabeth who had a very similar experience to Abraham and Sarah, etc., etc., etc… I want to know EVERYTHING!

Protestants: How do your churches teach the Bible?

Catholics: What type of Bible study do your parishes have?
 
More Scripture is read through the years in Catholic Masses than any other services on the panet. Do you not listen at Mass?:ehh:

Most parishes have Bible study groups. If yours does not, then start one 🙂

Worst comes to worst–you could always crack it open and read it yourself. Have you ever done lectio divina? Now THAT is Catholic Bible study 👍

See here for info in lectio divina:
ocarm.org/lectio/lecteng1.htm
 
Yes, I do listen at Mass. I know that in the years, the entire Bible is read at Mass. That is one of the great things about the Catholic Mass. The problem is that it is sometimes difficult to learn about people and events in context.

My parish’s Bible study class is the reason I posted this topic. My parish’s Bible study class consists of several groups of about ten people reading their answers to about ten study questions. That’s it. We have two priests and a Religious Education Director, but they’re nowhere to be seen during these study classes. I really would like to have someone who could lecture on the reading assignment who knows more about the subject matter than I read from my New American Study Bible.

Yes, I have all the Biblical commentaries I can get my hands on and I will do it on my own. Next Fall, I will go to a neighboring parish who uses Scott Hahn’s Bible study program. In the meantime, it’s just me.
 
My parish uses the Little Rock Scripture Study, which is an approved Catholic Bible study program. I have been attending classes for about 4 years now. We have studied many books of the Bible and also had topical Bible studies (such as the Infancy Narratives and the Passion and Resurrection Narratives). Right now, we are studying Romans and Galatians. I have learned much about God’s Word through these programs, and some of the people in my Sunday school class have also provided great insight since they are converts to the Catholic faith, originally Lutheran, Methodist, etc.
 
lak611 said:
My parish uses the Little Rock Scripture Study, which is an approved Catholic Bible study program. I have been attending classes for about 4 years now. We have studied many books of the Bible and also had topical Bible studies (such as the Infancy Narratives and the Passion and Resurrection Narratives). Right now, we are studying Romans and Galatians. I have learned much about God’s Word through these programs, and some of the people in my Sunday school class have also provided great insight since they are converts to the Catholic faith, originally Lutheran, Methodist, etc.
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I found a parish about 10 miles away from me that is using Little Rock Scripture Study. I may have to check them out.

Thanks for the suggestion
 
LeahInancsi said:
Protestants: How do your churches teach the Bible?
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After worship with the adults, the children go to sunday school.

We start with the Babies in the nursery teaching them verses like “Children obey your parents in the Lord” and teaching them concepts like “God is powerful” or “I can talk to God (prayer)”

Then we move on to Bible stories, Creation, the flood, the Coat of many colors, Shadrach Meshach and Abendigo (Yep I probably misspelled all that!), the plagues of Egypt, Moses parting the red sea, etc etc. By the time kids are teens they know all the stories they’ve heard them all many times over. Each lesson usually has some way for the kids to apply it “Share your toys”, “help others”, “Obey God”, and others.

When I was a kid I was also encouraged to read other books about the Bible. I had a book that had interesting Bible trivia… stuff that would make me think “Really??!” and go look it up. I also had a children’s commentary that covered every book of the Bible. My 4yo’s Bible is a devotional Bible for Children and every day she does the devotionals… I read her the scripture and she reads the devotion on it and does the activity. Today’s had her write a letter to God, thanking Him for creating her in His image.

Pre-teens and Teens start with more indepth Bible study. They start learning to apply historical information we have about the culture of the times and usually have it explained that the Bible was not origionally written in English. Good Youth pastors spend alot of time getting teens to study their Bibles daily at home and help them understand it.

By the time they are adults they have the basics down… they know what God expects, they know alot about the nature of God and should have a basis in how to understand scripture. Most protestant churchs have Adult Sunday School for an hour before or after the church service for Bible study as well as cell groups where we meet in homes in small groups for Bible Studies. There are tons of choices of what kind of Bible study to attend and most people go to different types at different times. Some are based on a common trait… such as only women or only parents or only singles or only men and they try to teach things that people in that group struggle with the most… Others have verse by verse studies. Those will study an entire book of the bible verse by verse and consider the origional text, and discuss the context and the meanings behind every word. there are topical studies… like “What does the Bible say about divorce/baptism/dealing with others/insert anytopichere”. There are also usually new member classes or beginning Bible Studies for those who don’t join the church until after they are adults. Those generally focus on the New testament and the story of Jesus Life.
 
LeahInancsi said:
…and why can’t the Catholics do it? Teach the Bible, that is.

It’s no secret that the Catholic church has not been big on teaching the Bible. I?
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you and I must belong to two different Catholic Churches. The Catholic Church invented bible study, exegesis, interpretation. Have you read the Church Fathers, Augustine etc. I had 12 years of bible study in Catholic school, and opportunities for adult bible studies ever since (even when I did not take advantage of them). My dad and in-laws had bible study in Catholic school, and both dad and FIL had a life-long interest in bible study, privately with good Catholic books, and through parish programs.

Every parish I have lived and worked in in several dioceses through the last 50 years has had bible study programs of one sort or another.

lectio divina the ancient practice of prayer through immersion in scripture is the hallmark of Catholic spirituality.

Just because we as adults have not always searched out and taken advantage of opportunities for Catholic bible study–which abound in the net world by the way–does not mean “the Church is not big on Bible study”. These generalizations without historical back-up are not really helpful in a discussion like this.
 
LeahInancsi said:
My parish’s Bible study class is the reason I posted this topic. My parish’s Bible study class consists of several groups of about ten people reading their answers to about ten study questions. That’s it. We have two priests and a Religious Education Director, but they’re nowhere to be seen during these study classes. I really would like to have someone who could lecture on the reading assignment who knows more about the subject matter than I read from my New American Study Bible.
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“my parish has a poorly run bible study” is not the same thing as “it is no secret the Catholic church is not big on bible study”. The best advertising is by word of mouth, so ask around for other opportunities around you. Our diocese has one priest assigned to find out and publicize all bible studies, missions, and similar programs in the parishes and make sure the word gets out, and that parishes get the resources they need to provide good programs. Might be worth a call to your diocese or check their website to see if they do the same.
 
puzzleannie said:
you and I must belong to two different Catholic Churches. The Catholic Church invented bible study, exegesis, interpretation. Have you read the Church Fathers, Augustine etc. I had 12 years of bible study in Catholic school, and opportunities for adult bible studies ever since (even when I did not take advantage of them). My dad and in-laws had bible study in Catholic school, and both dad and FIL had a life-long interest in bible study, privately with good Catholic books, and through parish programs.

Every parish I have lived and worked in in several dioceses through the last 50 years has had bible study programs of one sort or another.

lectio divina the ancient practice of prayer through immersion in scripture is the hallmark of Catholic spirituality.

Just because we as adults have not always searched out and taken advantage of opportunities for Catholic bible study–which abound in the net world by the way–does not mean “the Church is not big on Bible study”. These generalizations without historical back-up are not really helpful in a discussion like this.
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You are blessed to have had Bible study available to you in all of your parishes. I am 37 years old. The parish I belonged to as a child did not have Bible study. I never studied the Bible in high school or in college. Thankfully, the parish I currently belong to has had Bible study for adults for over 5 years now. Maybe it is a regional phenomenon. I don’t know where you are from. I am from Cleveland, OH. My parish is using the Little Rock Scripture Study. I know that Bible study is more common in the South (whether Catholic or Protestant) since that is the “Bible Belt”.
 
LeahInancsi said:
Protestants: How do your churches teach the Bible?
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It’s the wider scale of participation in Sunday School, and other varioius group meetings for Bible study that really does it, I think.

If the battle cry of your whole religion is “Sola Scriptura,” most people in it are going to take studying the Bible very seriously.

Most of the Catholic Parishes I’ve seen (but keep in mind I live in the South) have opportunities for Bible study, but they seem to be seen as more of an extracurricular type thing that few people have time for, like Parish dinners.
 
sea_oat said:
It’s the wider scale of participation in Sunday School, and other varioius group meetings for Bible study that really does it, I think.

If the battle cry of your whole religion is “Sola Scriptura,” most people in it are going to take studying the Bible very seriously.

Most of the Catholic Parishes I’ve seen (but keep in mind I live in the South) have opportunities for Bible study, but they seem to be seen as more of an extracurricular type thing that few people have time for, like Parish dinners.
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Although, I would say that it is changing. Although Protestants in general do emphasize studying the Bible, I know it isn’t mandatory for them to do so. I have a friend who is Methodist, and he did not even have a Bible until I gave him one as a Christmas present two years ago. Almost all Christians own Bibles. For example, my parents who are Catholic have a very nice Bible, but they don’t read it. They use it to record important family history (marriages, births, Baptisms, deaths, etc.). I feel blessed that I have discovered and studied the Bible because it has made the teachings of the Catholic Church make sense to me. For example, even the book of Leviticus has meaning to me because it foreshadows the sacrificial offering of Jesus on Calvary and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. By the way, my parish has an adult Sunday school (Bible study) and also has coffee hour after Mass. We even have a parish dinner on Holy Thursday before the Mass! It actually is well-attended.
 
lak611 said:
Although, I would say that it is changing. Although Protestants in general do emphasize studying the Bible, I know it isn’t mandatory for them to do so. I have a friend who is Methodist, and he did not even have a Bible until I gave him one as a Christmas present two years ago. Almost all Christians own Bibles. For example, my parents who are Catholic have a very nice Bible, but they don’t read it. They use it to record important family history (marriages, births, Baptisms, deaths, etc.). I feel blessed that I have discovered and studied the Bible because it has made the teachings of the Catholic Church make sense to me. For example, even the book of Leviticus has meaning to me because it foreshadows the sacrificial offering of Jesus on Calvary and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. By the way, my parish has an adult Sunday school (Bible study) and also has coffee hour after Mass. We even have a parish dinner on Holy Thursday before the Mass! It actually is well-attended.
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Yeah, things seem to be fortunately changing, as more people are becoming cognizant of the prevalent lack of Biblical knowledge.

As for your Methodist friend, I can’t say I know much about how Methodist churches work, but at the risk of sounding rude, their beliefs, worship styles, and church atmospheres seem to WIDELY vary.

Everytime I talk to 2 Methodists, it seems like I’m talking to 2 people of different denominations. My best friend is Methodist, and some of the stuff she tells me about her church is notably inconsistent with what I’ve heard from other Methodists about their churches.
 
sea_oat said:
Yeah, things seem to be fortunately changing, as more people are becoming cognizant of the prevalent lack of Biblical knowledge.

As for your Methodist friend, I can’t say I know much about how Methodist churches work, but at the risk of sounding rude, their beliefs, worship styles, and church atmospheres seem to WIDELY vary.

Everytime I talk to 2 Methodists, it seems like I’m talking to 2 people of different denominations. My best friend is Methodist, and some of the stuff she tells me about her church is notably inconsistent with what I’ve heard from other Methodists about their churches.
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Unfortunately, I don’t know any other Methodists, so I don’t know how their churches vary. The rest of my family and friends are Catholic or Lutheran.
 
sea_oat said:
Everytime I talk to 2 Methodists, it seems like I’m talking to 2 people of different denominations. My best friend is Methodist, and some of the stuff she tells me about her church is notably inconsistent with what I’ve heard from other Methodists about their churches.
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Yup, there’s been a simmering for quite a while.
 
Protestants don’t always know the bible as well as you think. HEre in the south there is a lot of emphasis on memorizing bible verses. The churches start with Awanas at a very young age, so little kids can recite verses. This doesn’t mean that they know the bible though.

I have found that when I explain the whys of Catholicism to such Christians they don’t know as much as one expects. For example, I was explaining the bible basis for relics to my friend. SHe had never heard the story of the man being healed in 2 Kings when his corpse touched Elisha’s bones.
 
deb1 said:
Protestants don’t always know the bible as well as you think. HEre in the south there is a lot of emphasis on memorizing bible verses. The churches start with Awanas at a very young age, so little kids can recite verses. This doesn’t mean that they know the bible though.

I have found that when I explain the whys of Catholicism to such Christians they don’t know as much as one expects. For example, I was explaining the bible basis for relics to my friend. SHe had never heard the story of the man being healed in 2 Kings when his corpse touched Elisha’s bones.
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Deb1:

You are right on. When my husband and I (Baptist Upbringing) went to see The Passion of The Christ … the scene where Jesus is praying in the Garden - my husband leaned over and asked me if that was in the bible :eek: :eek: :eek:

Mgeising
 
LeahInancsi said:
Yes, I have all the Biblical commentaries I can get my hands on and I will do it on my own. Next Fall, I will go to a neighboring parish who uses Scott Hahn’s Bible study program. In the meantime, it’s just me.
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Scott Hahn’s Bible Studies are available via the WEB. You can use them at home. Currently that is what I’m doing, becuase the Bible Studies at my parish are offered at a time that I’m unable to go to. Check out Scott’s WEB Page: salvationhistory.com/
 
LeahInancsi said:
…and why can’t the Catholics do it? Teach the Bible, that is.

It’s no secret that the Catholic church has not been big on teaching the Bible. I fully understand that over 2,000 years the very wise men of the Magisterium have studied every detail of the Bible thoroughly and interpreted it via the Catechism.

That’s all well and fine, but I want to know about all of the Bible stories and their meaning. Situations such as Zechariah and Elizabeth who had a very similar experience to Abraham and Sarah, etc., etc., etc… I want to know EVERYTHING!

Protestants: How do your churches teach the Bible?

Catholics: What type of Bible study do your parishes have?
Click to expand...
If you attend Mass daily, you will have received practically all of the New Testament and about 2/3 of the Old.
 
LeahInancsi said:
It’s no secret that the Catholic church has not been big on teaching the Bible.
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It would be more correct to say that the Catholic Church has not “been big” on teaching and studying the Bible as an entity separate from the rest of our faith teaching.

When you study the Catechism, you see all of those Scripture references, for example.

Homilies, which often explain “all of the Bible stories and their meaning.” are embedded in the Mass, not held at a separate day or time.

Religious education for Children is not called “Bible Study” but contains not only the telling of all of those Bible stories but how the lessons in those stories are useful in modern life as well as how the OT relates to the new.

Organized Bible study groups are relatively new in most parishes. I have yet to see a large parish that doesn’t have one or more going at a time. Smaller parishes often do not offer them due to manpower available but I would bet that even for small parishes, there is another parish in the same deanery that has them going and available to attend.
 
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