The Catholic Church has plenty of competent scholars!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Senyorico
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
S

Senyorico

Guest
Recently, I’ve been watching some debates between Dr. James White (Greek scholar), who is very knowledgeable of his field, and Catholic apologists. It seems that almost all of the well-known Bible scholars are Protestants. Are there still respected Catholic and Greek scholars today? Thanks!
 
Last edited:
…yeah? Of course. Lots and lots.

I mean if you do a Google search or Youtube search it will probably be mostly protestant scholars but that is because the United States is predominately protestant and the search algorithms prioritize the more heavily trafficked parts of the internet.
 
Last edited:
Too many to count, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI being, IMO, the worlds greatest living theologian. Prof. Peter Kreeft. Years ago, Fr. Mitch Pacwa debated White using settled Christian truth, but White’s enormous ego would have none of it. Fr. Pacwa does not hate White’s congregation. White hates Fr. Pacwa’s Church.

Q: Where is hate in the bible as a Christian virtue?

Bible only “scholars” must, because of their lack of foundation, argue scripture incessantly. They must make a profit as they engage in ‘private enterprise religion’. And no one knows if they are correct or not. Slick Matt at C.A.R.M. disagrees with White on certain things. The same with Joel Osteen, and all of the others. Who’s right? Who decides? Is Christianity really a DIY project?

They are all - 100% of them - spouting personal opinion.
 
Lol! An ever-burgeoning number of do-it-yourself popes, for sure!
 
And many of them, not being baptized, are not even Christian. They are religious fanboys.

Them: “Did we not eat and drink with you?”
Our Lord: “I do not know where you are from. Away with you, evildoers!”
 
Senyorico said:
Can you name a few of them?
Click to expand...
Since you specifically mention Greek specialists, take a look at these two series of NT commentaries (link below), Sacra Pagina and Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. The authors include:

Kelly Anderson

Brendan Byrne

Raymond F. Collins

John R. Donahue

Benjamin Fiore

Pablo T. Gadenz

Scott W. Hahn

Daniel J. Harrington

Wilfred Harrington

Patrick J. Hartin

Mary Healy

Luke Timothy Johnson

Daniel Keating

William S. Kurz

Jan Lambrecht

Margaret MacDonald

Francis Martin

Frank J. Matera

Curtis Mitch

Alan C. Mitchell

Francis J. Mohoney

George T. Montague

John Painter

Edward Sri

William M. Wright

https://www.amazon.com/Sacra-Pagina...johnson,p_28:acts&s=books&sr=1-4&unfiltered=1

https://www.amazon.com/Apostles-Cat...27:kurz,p_28:acts&s=books&sr=1-1&unfiltered=1
 
Two extremely important (and essentially unknown by most) are Christos Karakolis (Orthodox) and Stephen Pisano (Catholic, also a Jesuit).

They sit on the editorial board for the Nestle Aland, which is the critical text of the Greek NT used for all modern Bible translations.

Edit: I know of few very who take seriously the claims of Dr James White being a scholar considering that all his degrees (including his doctorate) were undertaken via correspondence through unaccredited institutions.
 
Last edited:
Bithynian said:
Edit: I know of few very who take seriously the claims of Dr James White being a scholar considering that all his degrees (including his doctorate) were undertaken via correspondence through unaccredited institutions.
Click to expand...
This is a good point. Many, though not all, of the so-called Protestant “scholars” or “experts” you find on places like YouTube don’t have very good credentials. True scholarship takes place within academia, and many of the experts there are more interested in publishing to and discussing with their academic peers rather than marketing themselves to the general public.
 
Last edited:
Try the entire theology departments at Franciscan University, Christendom College, Catholic University of America, or Thomas Aquinas College. Or, if you prefer, there are half a dozen pontifical universities in Rome, and a dozen and a half pontifical institutes. Unlike a lot of Protestant “degree”-granting institutions, these are all real universities with actual scholarly degrees. After all, the Catholic Church is responsible for the development of universities in the first place.

Whoever is telling you that the Catholic Church doesn’t have any scholars is uninformed.
 
Maybe someone could edit the title of this thread. It’s pretty clear that the Catholic Church has dozens, probably hundreds, of “competent scholars” and that the OP had a misinformed opinion probably based on whatever he’s been reading or watching online.
 
  1. Biblical scholars - what kind do you mean? Most of the biblical scholars mentioned on this link are scholars, and they do discuss the bible, some brilliantly, by studying and writing about the Bible and the text of the bible. Yes, there are Catholic biblical scholars of that kind today.
  2. However, when the general public mentions biblical scholars they tend to mean the scholars who write books that argue and debate with other biblical scholars about such questions as whether Paul founded Christianity, or whether or not the early Christians knew Jesus was God of the universe. People who argue with the likes of atheists Bart Ehrman and John Crossan.
This is a very different kind of scholar and let me assure you there is scarcely a Catholic scholar like that anywhere. (Please, please please all of you who read this pray for such scholars. please!) Oh, there are one or two very elderly types and a tiny smattering such as Brant Pitre, John Bergsma and Michael Barber (I think all of them studied under the wonderful Scott Hahn) and there is Dom Bernard Green, a monk at Oxford who recently published the brilliant “Christianity in Ancient Rome” but for the most part, Catholic biblical scholars like that today are as rare as it gets.
  1. Sigh, if you want a biblical scholar who is famous and whose books have made an impact against the vast hordes of atheists, someone to go to for arguments against the atheists, you will have to head for Protestant scholars.
Here’s one: Richard Bauckham “Eyewitness to Jesus” a bombshell of a book that seems to have changed the trajectory of biblical scholarship. It would appeal to any Catholic curious about earliest Christianity and the formation of the New Testament. Another worthwhile book by Bauckham is his “The Gospel for all Christians”. “Gospel” was published around the same time as Crossan’s “Jesus” yet although nobody mentions Crossan now, “Gospel for all Christians” is cited in journal after journal, book after book.

Another: Larry Hurtado’s “Lord Jesus Christ” a very, very important recent book which is now constantly cited. Also it disproves Erhman’s claims (in his Jesus-was-an-angel theory) by intense investigation of Pauline texts. It is a great, great book.

Or N T Wright - not a sprightly writer (I practically have to force myself to turn the page) but an Anglican bishop and solid Christian and makes many important points. The worst Wright could do to anyone is turn them Anglican or put them to sleep.
 
Dr. Brant Pitre is brilliant. His Mass Readings Explained series is great and so informal, making connections I never thought of!
Glad he was mentioned!
 
A lot of Catholic scholarship - majority of it in fact - does not take place in the English language. The US Church is a very small part of the global Church. There are renowned Catholic universities… we invented the modern university after all. Frankly, the idea that the a Catholic Church lacks serious scholarship is hilarious.
 
A lot of Catholic scholarship - majority of it in fact - does not take place in the English language.

I know of many Catholic European scholars, especially French scholars, from fifty years ago or more. But where are the biblical scholars elsewhere? I have never heard of any of them. Do you mean biblical scholars who discuss the bible, or write books on textual problems, or do you mean the sort who debate issues with atheists, such as Bauckham?

Please, please give a list of these scholars. I can hardly wait to start reading them’
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top