How should be my every-day theological learning?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Archedreamer
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
A

Archedreamer

Guest
Hi everybody, kind answerers of my questions!

I have to ask you something which is causing some troubles for my religiousity, it 's about the way at I must grow up at the knowledge of God every day.

I am student of two demanding carrers (History and Psychology) at which I must spend many time studying to be able to become a Academic-Investigator.

But at the same time I feel that I become down If I cant a proportional study of the Gospel.

While I study I am also pleasing by that way to God?

How much time should I spend to the knowledge of God? I spend two hours of those 12 which I spend to study… Is that good? Shoud I not spend more time to God than that which I spend to study?

Would you be able to link me any Bible-study methode? All of only reading which I use does not seem me appropiate.

I thank you for all that that you do.

Gabriel 👍
 
Gabriel,

Welcome to CAF! 👋

I don’t think there’s a definitive, quantifiable number of minutes that would apply to everyone. It’s something to discern prayerfully (ideally with the help of a spiritual director).

Lots of things come into play here: job responsibilities, family responsibilities, community responsibilites, stamina for study, etc.

If you feel like you can spend 2 hours a day studying the Gospel without it negatively impacting your other obligations, then praise God! If you notice a decline in your performance in other parts of your life, you may need to make adjustments accordingly. It really depends.

I will pray for you in your discernment.
 
Welcome to CAF!

On the home page to Catholic Answers, if you scroll down, there are the “tracts” … they are outstanding summaries … fabulous. And, in fact, they are how Catholic Answers got started back in the beginning.

They are free, on line. Or you can click on the “shop” button and buy a printed set.

Karl Keating has two very specific books … “Catholicism and Fundamentalism” and “What Catholics Believe”. Perfect for someone just getting started in their studies of the Faith.
 
If you study God’s word and the teaching of the Church for two hours each day, you are probably doing better than 99.999999999999999999% of Christians on the planet.

-Tim-
 
Archedreamer said:
Hi everybody, kind answerers of my questions!

I have to ask you something which is causing some troubles for my religiousity, it 's about the way at I must grow up at the knowledge of God every day.

I am student of two demanding carrers (History and Psychology) at which I must spend many time studying to be able to become a Academic-Investigator.

But at the same time I feel that I become down If I cant a proportional study of the Gospel.

While I study I am also pleasing by that way to God?

How much time should I spend to the knowledge of God? I spend two hours of those 12 which I spend to study… Is that good? Shoud I not spend more time to God than that which I spend to study?

Would you be able to link me any Bible-study methode? All of only reading which I use does not seem me appropiate.

I thank you for all that that you do.

Gabriel 👍
Click to expand...
Hi Gabriel!

…ever heard of the expression “…three things that are important… location, location, location…?”

It is true for Yahweh God! It does not matter how much you know or how much you memorize or how much you study… what truly matters is how and why… how is your heart and why do you seek wisdom… Jesus offered a parable about a wealthy man that went out into town to gather workers for his field… those he contracted he offered to pay them a denari (the value is not important) for the day’s wages; since he gathered workers during the whole day those who started to work earlier were at the site for a longer period than those who started working just before the day was over; when collecting their earnings the order was reversed so the last person was paid first and so on… when those who had spent the whole day or more time than those who spent the least received the exact same wages they began to complain about the unfairness of their employer–he simply reminded them that they all had contracted for one denari, that they were paid accordingly, and that they should not have any problems with him if he chose to be generous with his money!

Does that mean that we can short-change Yahweh God by showing up late or evading the labor till it suits us? No! …as St. Paul states, we will be judged according to how/what we use to build on the foundation that is Christ…

…another example that comes to mind is the very first offerings that are depicted in Scriptures; Cain offered stuff; Abel offered the best that he had–only Abel’s offering was pleasing to God!

If you are seeking God’s Wisdom according to His Will (1 Corinthians 2:1-16) and your offer to God is as that of Abel, it will be the Holy Spirit Himself that will come to your aide to assist you in your Biblical studies.

…as far as a method… it depends upon your particular situation; if you are an avid reader who can retain a great portion of what you read you can try this: read the whole Bible one chapter at a time; day 1: Genesis 1 + Psalm 1 + Matthew 1–continue this sequence till you read the whole Bible (some chapters will be larger which you may have to break down into two or more parts, specially some of the Psalms); this format will surprise you as you will have Scriptures converging either in form or substance–the readings will seem quite fresh and consequential–you will have to restart the Psalms as they will be a faster read (only 150) than the rest of the Bible; another format is the daily reading used during Mass–you can visit several sites (EWTN or newadvent or the Vatican) for the schedules–it is not as engaging as the first but all three readings will be head on the topic of the day; still another method is topical–this one can be done in at least two different ways: a) use the Bible’s own guides, found at the end of the Bible, and you can choose from however many it offers or b) you can create your own topics–beginning with those that are more important to you, you can go on line to look for the initial Scriptures (preferably in the New Testament–Gospel) and, if your Bible does not have a built-in concordance you can search for one on the net, you can then follow the various passages that contain either a quote or a similar teaching (if you choose to create your own list I am willing to help you locate the passages that deal with the various topics); finally, you can do a book-at-a-time study–this method also lends itself for variation as you can select individual books or books that are related or books that are lengthly or quick read…

However you decide to continue, remember that the Bible is the Word of God and that we must predispose ourselves to the Holy Spirit’s Guidance by humbly opening our hearts and minds to His Teachings…

Maran atha!

Angel
 
I would not focus too much on time as much as quality of your study. I know for me I get as much if not more out of the time throughout the day when I ponder on what I have been studying. Thankfully for me God has provided me with the drive to devote numerous hours a day on study, and I enjoy and thrive on every second of it. Not everyone has the same passion, and I would not suggest all my methods for everyone.

As for a long term approach I would begin by learning about how the Bible is layed out. I would memorize the books of the Bible, the catagories they are arranged in such as Penteteuch, Historical, Wisdom, Prophetic, Gospels, Acts, Paul’s letters, Catholic Epistles, and Apocalypse. Then learn who the authors of the books are, and their purpose for writing them. If you learn those things first that will help you understand what you are reading so much better.

Then I would pick a book of the Bible and then try to learn that book, not just read for the sake of reading it. If it takes you a month or two to study one book of the Bible then that is time well spent. Bible commentaries are very helpful, and so are study Bibles. But my recommendation is to use material that is based upon a traditional Catholic school of thought, not the “historical critical” method.
 
It’s wonderful that you devote time daily to studying Scripture and your faith.

From my own experience, if I try to go through material too quickly, I don’t remember it very well. So, I’d say spend enough time each day to read and meditate and pray over it, without it all becoming too “mechanical” which is to say, to much work for it all to be of value.

I commend Muslims for their practice of five daily calls to prayer. We, too, should be practicing regular daily prayer and study of scripture.
 
I recommend you take one day’s study or maybe more than one day’s study to read and meditate on the following:

ewtn.com/library/Theology/heartb16.HTM

This is an essay about Pope Benedict XVI’s Biblical theology of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

I’m just starting to read the Ignatius Study Bible (New Testament). There’s 521 pages of commentary. That’s not really a lot.

I like to look at one chapter for one or more days, before moving on to the next. It dependsd on how familiar you are with the material, and how much extra research you choose to do, before moving on to the next.

God bless you.
 
Crumpy said:
It’s wonderful that you devote time daily to studying Scripture and your faith.

From my own experience, if I try to go through material too quickly, I don’t remember it very well. So, I’d say spend enough time each day to read and meditate and pray over it, without it all becoming too “mechanical” which is to say, to much work for it all to be of value.

I commend Muslims for their practice of five daily calls to prayer. We, too, should be practicing regular daily prayer and study of scripture.
Click to expand...
…actually, Jesus’ call to prayer is “Pray, always.”

Maran atha!

Angel
 
Archedreamer said:
Hi everybody, kind answerers of my questions!

I have to ask you something which is causing some troubles for my religiousity, it 's about the way at I must grow up at the knowledge of God every day.

I am student of two demanding carrers (History and Psychology) at which I must spend many time studying to be able to become a Academic-Investigator.

But at the same time I feel that I become down If I cant a proportional study of the Gospel.

While I study I am also pleasing by that way to God?

How much time should I spend to the knowledge of God? I spend two hours of those 12 which I spend to study… Is that good? Shoud I not spend more time to God than that which I spend to study?

Would you be able to link me any Bible-study methode? All of only reading which I use does not seem me appropiate.

I thank you for all that that you do.

Gabriel 👍
Click to expand...
Oh! Thank you so much because all your aide! I don’t know how thank you appropiately… I only can say that if you try to show Christ at your lifes, you go on track!
 
Gabriel -

St. Paul wrote “Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do it ALL in the Name of the Lord Jesus” - so dedicate all your study, even of non-faith topics, to Him, and He will honor and reward your efforts.

Since there is no part of life, and no truth, which is not His, you do not need to worry too much about apportioning your time. It is good and worthy to study the gospel. It is also good and worthy to dedicate your other studies, and your eventual career, to His service.
 
I agree with the poster above. Just organize your time prudently, including some time for prayer even if you can’t take much. Don’t shove too much into your day; St. Thomas Aquinas said that being able to relax and rest and even play was important both for study and advancement in holiness. Your brain needs to stay flexible.

If you can’t spend much time on studying the Bible or praying, make the time you have into quality time. Go deep instead of wide, yes.

That said, you can always combine your student interests with your religious interests. Pope St. Gregory the Great’s advice book, Pastoral Care, has a lot of psychology in it! Knowing religious history will give an extra dimension to your history studies, as you will not fear to examine people’s spiritual motives, good, bad, or indifferent. You don’t always have to talk about religion in everything, but it will just naturally inform everything you do.

You might want to look at how successful student athletes manage, or ask organized people for their strategies.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top