Looking for a quick reading guide for how Catholics should approach Scripture

  • Thread starter Thread starter 3DOCTORS
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
3

3DOCTORS

Guest
Wondering if what I’m thinking of already exists, because I don’t want to reinvent the wheel.

I have a friend, a revert, who wants to read the Bible a lot and use it to deepen her faith and guide her daily living. That’s a good thing.

Sometimes, though, she gets hung up on certain things if a literal interpretation is not immediately obvious. I think maybe she’s influenced by the Protestant Sola Scriptura mindset.

She’s kind of an idealist - what I mean by that is, though she’s certainly intelligent, she isn’t a big reader of books like, say, yours truly!😃 She doesn’t want to spend a lot of time on intellectual backgrounding in how Catholics study the Bible. She just wants to read it directly. She’s also very much a “feelings person.” So I know I couldn’t just print off a copy of Dei Verbum and say, “Here, read this, it’s fascinating!” :newidea:

I have a little book from TAN about Sola Scriptura which I might be able to give her a copy of later, but I was thinking - wonder if there’s sort of a quick, yet accurate, condensed version of the Church’s teachings about how to study Scripture that others have found helpful? This might be a good thing for many in RCIA and converts as well.

Back to the friend I mentioned - she doesn’t have a computer, doesn’t like them :eek: and has zero interest in the Internet. But I can print stuff out so that’s no biggie - just mentioning this because it would have to be something that’s just a sheet or pamphlet size and not an interactive website, in this case.

Thanks for any help you can give. 👍 :bible1:
 
3DOCTORS said:
Wondering if what I’m thinking of already exists, because I don’t want to reinvent the wheel.

I have a friend, a revert, who wants to read the Bible a lot and use it to deepen her faith and guide her daily living. That’s a good thing.

Sometimes, though, she gets hung up on certain things if a literal interpretation is not immediately obvious. I think maybe she’s influenced by the Protestant Sola Scriptura mindset.

She’s kind of an idealist - what I mean by that is, though she’s certainly intelligent, she isn’t a big reader of books like, say, yours truly!😃 She doesn’t want to spend a lot of time on intellectual backgrounding in how Catholics study the Bible. She just wants to read it directly. She’s also very much a “feelings person.” So I know I couldn’t just print off a copy of Dei Verbum and say, “Here, read this, it’s fascinating!” :newidea:

I have a little book from TAN about Sola Scriptura which I might be able to give her a copy of later, but I was thinking - wonder if there’s sort of a quick, yet accurate, condensed version of the Church’s teachings about how to study Scripture that others have found helpful? This might be a good thing for many in RCIA and converts as well.

Back to the friend I mentioned - she doesn’t have a computer, doesn’t like them :eek: and has zero interest in the Internet. But I can print stuff out so that’s no biggie - just mentioning this because it would have to be something that’s just a sheet or pamphlet size and not an interactive website, in this case.

Thanks for any help you can give. 👍 :bible1:
Click to expand...
A Pocket Guide to the Bible by Scott Hahn sounds like just what you are looking for. It’s $6.95 and you can find it online or at any Catholic bookstore.

Using straightforward, accessible language, Scripture expert Scott Hahn explains the “nuts and bolts” of the Bible – how it came to be, the types of literature found within it, and the thrust of each book – in a handy, yet thorough, way that demystifies the Bible and simplifies understanding.
Table of Contents
Introduction
  1. What Is the Bible?
  2. The Shape of the Bible
  3. Who Wrote the Bible?
  4. What Belongs in the Bible?
  5. The Bible and the Church
    **6. How to Understand the Bible
  6. Your Reading Program **
  7. The Books of the Bible
 
It sounds like your friend kind of needs to have her feet in two places-- she wants to read the Bible in a devotional, un-overintellectualized manner to deepen her faith and to apply God’s Word to her daily life. This, of course, is a good thing.

She also, at the same time, wants to know the mind of the Church when it comes to certain biblical books, passages or verses so she can have some confidence that she is not going astray theologically. This is also a good thing.

My recommendation would be a two-pronged approach. To meet her devotional, everyday Scripture needs, I would suggest she subscribe to a daily devotional that would give here a basis for reading Scripture everyday, plus a thoughtful and prayerful meditation on those readings that can aid her in “taking away” something that can nourish her spiritually. One suggestion I have for that is “The Word Among Us” magazine. You can find out more about it here:

The Word Among Us Magazine

For the reference part, I would recommend she pick up the new Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, New Testament. It is only the New Testament at this time but, page for page, it is the best Catholic study Bible available today–and the paperback edition is only around $14.00. When she runs into those places in the New Testament that she needs more information about, this is a great resource.

Both of these together sound what she might be looking for. For more resources and suggestions, please visit (or have your friend visit) my humble website at the link below, especially the Getting Started article.

Hope that helps!🙂
 
Fidelis said:
It sounds like your friend kind of needs to have her feet in two places-- she wants to read the Bible in a devotional, un-overintellectualized manner to deepen her faith and to apply God’s Word to her daily life. This, of course, is a good thing.

**She also, at the same time, wants to know the mind of the Church when it comes to certain biblical books, passages or verses so she can have some confidence that she is not going astray theologically. This is also a good thing.
**
My recommendation would be a two-pronged approach. To meet her devotional, everyday Scripture needs, I would suggest she subscribe to a daily devotional that would give here a basis for reading Scripture everyday, plus a thoughtful and prayerful meditation on those readings that can aid her in “taking away” something that can nourish her spiritually. One suggestion I have for that is “The Word Among Us” magazine. You can find out more about it here:

The Word Among Us Magazine

For the reference part, I would recommend she pick up the new Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, New Testament. It is only the New Testament at this time but, page for page, it is the best Catholic study Bible available today–and the paperback edition is only around $14.00. When she runs into those places in the New Testament that she needs more information about, this is a great resource.

Both of these together sound what she might be looking for. For more resources and suggestions, please visit (or have your friend visit) my humble website at the link below, especially the Getting Started article.

Hope that helps!🙂
Click to expand...
Actually, the part in blue is more my idea…:o I know, maybe I come off sounding a bit controlling, but I know some things my friend reads in the Bible out of context cause her unneeded confusion and questioning of the Church.

The resources people have listed here are good - but, alas, I’m poor, can’t purchase anything . . . for now, I was looking just for something I might download in PDF and that’s short so my friend won’t think I’m giving her “homework.” :eek: She’s working in a demanding job and has stated that she’s not very into other books besides the Bible at this time.

But let’s keep brainstorming, and thanks - the ideas are good.👍 Hopefully, too, I will get further along in my own Bible study and be able to field questions better - and I guess it wouldn’t hurt to pray for guidance, too! :gopray:
 
Made a discovery today - can’t buy it yet but thought it looked good: St. Joseph Guide to the Bible from Catholic Book Publishing Co. Has Nihil Obstat & Imprimatur and I thought my friend might get a lot out of it and I would too. We were in a Catholic store so I casually showed it to her and she responded positively.

I’m wondering if I’m called to start a home Bible study sometime soon…:newidea::bible1:
 
Hopefully it will be the start of something big! I’ll keep you both in my prayers.
 
3DOCTORS said:
Wondering if what I’m thinking of already exists, because I don’t want to reinvent the wheel.

I have a friend, a revert, who wants to read the Bible a lot and use it to deepen her faith and guide her daily living. That’s a good thing.

Sometimes, though, she gets hung up on certain things if a literal interpretation is not immediately obvious. I think maybe she’s influenced by the Protestant Sola Scriptura mindset.

She’s kind of an idealist - what I mean by that is, though she’s certainly intelligent, she isn’t a big reader of books like, say, yours truly!😃 She doesn’t want to spend a lot of time on intellectual backgrounding in how Catholics study the Bible. She just wants to read it directly. She’s also very much a “feelings person.” So I know I couldn’t just print off a copy of Dei Verbum and say, “Here, read this, it’s fascinating!” :newidea:

I have a little book from TAN about Sola Scriptura which I might be able to give her a copy of later, but I was thinking - wonder if there’s sort of a quick, yet accurate, condensed version of the Church’s teachings about how to study Scripture that others have found helpful? This might be a good thing for many in RCIA and converts as well.

Back to the friend I mentioned - she doesn’t have a computer, doesn’t like them :eek: and has zero interest in the Internet. But I can print stuff out so that’s no biggie - just mentioning this because it would have to be something that’s just a sheet or pamphlet size and not an interactive website, in this case.

Thanks for any help you can give. 👍 :bible1:
Click to expand...
I’d recommend the Catechism of the Catholic Church para 50-141.

Also, the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults. chapters 2 and 3 (chapter 3 may be most helpful).
 
It sounds like she needs:

Biblical Fundamentalism, What Every Catholic Should Know by Ronald Witherup, S.S.

and

And God Said What, An Introduction to Biblical Literary Forms by Margaret Ralph. This is used in many adult scripture education classes.

These are both inexpensive paperbacks and they directly address the issues you mention as opposed to more general statements such as in the catechism.
 
My continued thanks for the helpful resources. I did start paging through the Catechism this weekend and I think that’ll be a good basic help right there.

As for the other books, I looked them up on Amazon. Even if I can’t buy them right now, they sound good. 👍

I’m actually thinking of going through “Dei Verbum” with a highlighter and making my own summary of the main points “at a glance.” :yup:

Keep the good ideas coming!🙂
 
3DOCTORS said:
I’m actually thinking of going through “Dei Verbum” with a highlighter and making my own summary of the main points “at a glance.”
Click to expand...
I did a class talk outline on Dei Verbum for an Adult Confirmation class I helped to teach. It is about 2 1/2 pages in Word format. If you’d like a copy, please e-mail me directly.
 
3DOCTORS said:
I’m actually thinking of going through “Dei Verbum” with a highlighter and making my own summary of the main points “at a glance.” :yup:

Keep the good ideas coming!🙂
Click to expand...
Another enlightening document you can read online is the Instruction on the Historical Truth of the Gospels by the Pontifical Biblical Commission and Pope Paul VI. There is also an interesting commentary on this document by its English translator, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, S.J.
 
Fidelis, if you’d be willing to share that, I’d sure be grateful!👍 It would come in handy in lots of ways.

I did give my friend a copy of the “Read the Bible and Catechism in a Year” checksheet and she liked it, so maybe she will get into reading the Catechism, which I think would be very helpful in and of itself.

And I think if I am able to get a small group of folks together we will do both Bible and Catechism. I’ve already started the group for that on CAF here and so it would help me to stay focused and disciplined in my own reading.

Now I just have to clean up my house so I can have people over, LOL:o
 
How to Book of the Bible from Our Sunday Visitor (best first guide)
You Can Read the Bible by Peter Kreeft from Ignatius Press
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top