Resources for getting to know the Bible?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dulcie
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Dulcie said:
Thank you all very much for your responses and recommendations!

Of course, and I did specifically mention reading “prayerfully” in my OP. But I don’t see this as a reason not to read the whole Bible. Scott Hahn remarks that the Bible is to be understood as a unified whole, rather than only as a series of entirely discrete books, and so it seems to me that meditation and contemplation of particular passages can only be helped, not hindered, by much greater familiarity with the Bible as a whole. I have (intermittently) followed the daily Scripture passages for a while now, but I feel it’s time for something more.
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He never said not to read the entire Bible.
:confused:
 
TimothyH said:
What part of…

…is so difficult to understand?

-Tim-
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Nothing. But the Holy Spirit putting someone on a schedule is different than someone needing the discipline of a schedule. What part of that is difficult to understand?
 
Duane1966 said:
Nothing. But the Holy Spirit putting someone on a schedule is different than someone needing the discipline of a schedule. What part of that is difficult to understand?
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***The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit. *(John 3:8)
 
TimothyH said:
***The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit. ***(John 3:8)
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Hmmmmmmmmmmm. You got me there.
 
Duane1966 said:
Hmmmmmmmmmmm. You got me there.
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I’m not trying to get anyone.

I’m just not into having an extended argument about the modes of operation of the Holy Spirit, that’s all.

I apologize for the rude comment. It wasn’t right.
 
How good is the Navarre Bible Commentary series? It’s a bit expensive but seems interesting. I have the Ignatius Study Bible which I adore, how does it stack up compared, besides being complete?
 
Mystrx said:
How good is the Navarre Bible Commentary series? It’s a bit expensive but seems interesting. I have the Ignatius Study Bible which I adore, how does it stack up compared, besides being complete?
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I don’t have extensive on hands experience with Navarre yet (though I am hoping to pick it up soon). I’ve only ever heard good things about it. In terms of page count, it has a lot more pages than the Ignatius Study Bible, so I imagine it is able to talk more at length about each passage.
 
Dulcie said:
Scott Hahn remarks that the Bible is to be understood as a unified whole, rather than only as a series of entirely discrete books, and so it seems to me that meditation and contemplation of particular passages can only be helped, not hindered, by much greater familiarity with the Bible as a whole.
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This is my way of thinking. I like the holistic approach in reading the Bible. So here is a compromise suggestion. Find a devotion with small meditative bits of Scripture to read. Then get the whole thing on CD and listen start to finish while traveling. If you are not familiar with the different books, their language and genre, then get a dynamic translation, one that will convey more meaning and rely less on a literal word for word substitution. You loose a little in accuracy, but you reduce the possibility of cultural differences giving the narrative a whacky feel.

Maybe check some general overview of the difference books as you go on. Even wiki gives an over view that you can go on, if you take it with a grain of salt.
 
Joe_5859 said:
I don’t have extensive on hands experience with Navarre yet (though I am hoping to pick it up soon). I’ve only ever heard good things about it. In terms of page count, it has a lot more pages than the Ignatius Study Bible, so I imagine it is able to talk more at length about each passage.
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I am so tempted to pick up their copy of the gospels just to check it out. Of course if its good though then my wallet could be in for a bit of a pinch. :eek:

On the sub topic running through this thread, I read the bible the first time all the way through. Luckily for me I chose to start with the new testament. Its not bad to go through it in one straight reading. You know just to get it in your head, at a basic level. But I think you have to fall in love with its language and message and the deeper meanings of it also. Try to cultivate a desire to go back and reread it and reflect on it. It should be a life long endeavor. But first get it in your head, all of it. :cool:
 
The Navarre supplements commentary with many quotes from St. Josemaria Escriva’s writings such as The Way, Furrow, The Forge and Christ is Passing By.

escrivaworks.org/

-Tim-
 
Mystrx said:
I am so tempted to pick up their copy of the gospels just to check it out. Of course if its good though then my wallet could be in for a bit of a pinch. :eek:

On the sub topic running through this thread, I read the bible the first time all the way through. Luckily for me I chose to start with the new testament. Its not bad to go through it in one straight reading. You know just to get it in your head, at a basic level. But I think you have to fall in love with its language and message and the deeper meanings of it also. Try to cultivate a desire to go back and reread it and reflect on it. It should be a life long endeavor. But first get it in your head, all of it. :cool:
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I am working towards getting the Navarre commentaries in Verbum (a Catholic Bible software program). They are a little bit cheaper that way. :o

I agree about reading it straight through. Reading Scripture slowly and prayerfully is essential, but there is also value in reading it quickly at times to get the overall sense of what is going on. Acts of the Apostles was always very confusing to me until I did that.
 
Dulcie said:
Could anyone here recommend some solidly Catholic resources for getting to know the Bible?
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A handy little book that I’ve really enjoyed is Peter Kreeft’s “You Can Understand the Bible”. He gives an an overview/explanation of each book in a concise, witty and sometimes humorous fashion. It is light but it helps me a lot to understand the background of the books and keep that in mind while reading them. You can get that same info in the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible and the Navarre…but it is presented in a very scholarly (can I say dry?) way. Kreeft writes in sortof an entertaining way. He always makes me smile.
 
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