Rick Warren...in a Catholic Bible Study!?

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My Church has two bible studies, one of them right now is studying the gospel of Matthew. The other is reading a book by Rick Warren, called “God’s Power to Change Your Life”. This is the second Rick Warren book that this bible study group has read, and I am very concerned. Does anyone know anything about this book. I am assuming it is not fit for a “Catholic Bible Study”, but since I don’t read Rick Warren, I would not know this for a fact.
 
rick warren, popular protestant author, wrote that best selling book Purpose Driven Life.
appropriate?
no
need to pray for them?
yes
maybe you could go to it and see whats goin on? see what the feel is
 
I would, but it is at a time that is impossible for me to make due to school. I wrote the lady who is running it when she did it over The Purpose Driven Life a few months ago, but she assured me it was ok. Still, this is the SECOND Rick Warren book. Surely there are plenty of good Catholic books to choose from…or even the Bible itself (what an idea).
 
I had a similar problem in my Bible study class, a preference for using Protestant materials. At first I was the only one who was having a problem with it, but eventually a few other people did speak up. I did continue going, and we did eventually switch to Catholic Bible studies. Although, when I had suggested a Scott Hahn Bible study, it was turned down because he is too “anti-Protestant”. That one really left me scratching my head. Oh well, I had to stop attending anyhow due to my new job. Just thought I’d let you know that sadly you are not alone.
 
Kevin42 said:
My Church has two bible studies, one of them right now is studying the gospel of Matthew. The other is reading a book by Rick Warren, called “God’s Power to Change Your Life”. This is the second Rick Warren book that this bible study group has read, and I am very concerned. Does anyone know anything about this book. I am assuming it is not fit for a “Catholic Bible Study”, but since I don’t read Rick Warren, I would not know this for a fact.
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I haven’t read his books, but I have seen him interviewed countless times on TV and he has always answered the really tough questions with a very Catholic perspective. He is pro-life, pro-family and seems to have a solid understanding of the redemptive aspects of suffering. I have never heard him speak in a “prosperity” Gospel sort of manner.
 
Kevin42 said:
My Church has two bible studies, one of them right now is studying the gospel of Matthew. The other is reading a book by Rick Warren, called “God’s Power to Change Your Life”. This is the second Rick Warren book that this bible study group has read, and I am very concerned. Does anyone know anything about this book. I am assuming it is not fit for a “Catholic Bible Study”, but since I don’t read Rick Warren, I would not know this for a fact.
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It’s these kind of Protestant “fluff” books that are keeping Catholics away from the confessional. These books are not healthy for Catholics to read. I know first hand as a convert to the Catholic church. These are easy believism books that seperate Jesus Christ from the sacraments He instituted and the Church He created.
 
blessedtoo said:
I haven’t read his books, but I have seen him interviewed countless times on TV and he has always answered the really tough questions with a very Catholic perspective. He is pro-life, pro-family and seems to have a solid understanding of the redemptive aspects of suffering. I have never heard him speak in a “prosperity” Gospel sort of manner.
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Yeah he’s a nice guy and is not kooky like a lot of televanglist but when your Bible study is having back to back studies by protestants and not using catholic sources your having a problem. Some of Warren’s stuff is actually compatible with catholic teaching and has been critisized by protestants as similar to catholcism as it emphasizes the corporal works of mercy.

But he also misses out that we Catholics recharge our spiritual batteries by way of the sacraments in order to these works that are not of our power but God’s power that enbable us to do HIS work. Big piece missing here and any work of his should be taken with scissors take what is good and cut out what is bad. You could use his works in modified fashion in conjunction with catholic sources but not as the sole source of information and shunning catholic sources and that is the problem here.
 
It’s been a few years since I’ve looked at PDL and PDC, but I remember discovering that all of his teachings about “purpose” are already in the Catechism on the first few pages. I remember pointing out the parallels to other people, who did double takes and said, “Hey, you’re right!”

Try it and see.
 
dulcissima said:
I had a similar problem in my Bible study class, a preference for using Protestant materials. At first I was the only one who was having a problem with it, but eventually a few other people did speak up. I did continue going, and we did eventually switch to Catholic Bible studies. Although, when I had suggested a Scott Hahn Bible study, it was turned down because he is too “anti-Protestant”. That one really left me scratching my head. Oh well, I had to stop attending anyhow due to my new job. Just thought I’d let you know that sadly you are not alone.
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:confused:
 
Kevin42 said:
My Church has two bible studies, one of them right now is studying the gospel of Matthew. The other is reading a book by Rick Warren, called “God’s Power to Change Your Life”. This is the second Rick Warren book that this bible study group has read, and I am very concerned. Does anyone know anything about this book. I am assuming it is not fit for a “Catholic Bible Study”, but since I don’t read Rick Warren, I would not know this for a fact.
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Being an ex non-Catholic and have read Purpose Driven Life twice, I have great respect for Rick Warren. (I have two close friends that use to attend his Church, but are doing ministries in other parts of the country now) He is not anti-Catholic and he is not a tele-envangelist. God, I believe is using him to spread the gospel (though it is not the fullness of the faith), but for Catholic Bible studies I believe they should be Catholic centered.

A priest Fr Joseph M. Champlin wrote A Catholic Perspective on the Purpose Driven Life which would be good to use if a Catholic was going to read or do a group study of Purpose Driven Life, It points out the difference of some of the theology or perspectives were Warren’s teaching differs as to Catholic teachings. Now as far as I know there is no such Catholic guide to go along with his new book.

I have suggested to others to read Purpose Driven Life, but I point out to them to pay speciel attention to Day 21, which is about being loyal to ones own Church, that is for us Catholics, to be loyal to the Church and its teachings.

If the group wants to use Rick Warren books I feel they need to balance it with solid Catholic studies. And I disagree that Scott Hahn is “anti-protestant”, he just want others to see the fullness of faith. :twocents:

amazon.com/Catholic-Perspective-Purpose-Driven-Life/dp/0899421326

P.S. I pray for Rick Warren’s conversion to be complete and he will come into full communion with the Church, if that is to God’s will.
 
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