What is Your Opinion of LOGOs Ministries Bible Study?

[Fidelis]

Sorry if this thread is regionally limited, but I’m referring to an “interdenominational” Bible study that is being taught in many Catholic parishes in Southern California and Arizona. I’ve heard tapes by one of the main speakers, and he was very good. They teach in lecture format (no group sharing, etc) and concentrate on one book of the Bible, one verse at a time, at a time, shifting back between OT and NT.

The website is pretty bland, but they do have a newsletter that I’ve seen from time to time. It is mostly good, but everyone once in a while it’ll have something that’ll set off my Spider Sense – like referring to the deuterocanonicals as “apocrypha” or poorly explaining Catholic beliefs about salvation and Mary. The instructors also use the NIV. I hasten to add I have never heard anything anti-Catholic, either outright or subtly.

Does anyone have any experience in their parish with this ministry?

 

[stanmaxkolbe]

Not familiar with this however Steve Ray has a good article about Non-Denominational Bible Studies. It has not been posted yet.

Should Catholics Go to Non-Denominational Bible Studies?
By Steve Ray THIS ROCK Magazine January 2007 Volume 18 No. 1

 

[puzzleannie]

I have never heard of it. If it is not Catholic, why waste your time?

 

[lak611]

I have never heard of it. If it is not Catholic, why waste your time?

I have not heard of it either, but it probably is not anti-Catholic if Catholic parishes have it.

 

[Veritas41]

I haven’t heard of the study you mentioned, but I agree with puzzleannie – if it’s not Catholic, why bother. When I was in the process of becoming Catholic I attended a “non-denominational” Bible study through Bible Study Fellowship, and it had a definite theological slant. For example, in the passage in Acts about Simon the Magician, I remember reading in the commentary that Simon’s faith must not have been genuine because he turned away from Christ, which is perfectly consistent with the once saved, always saved understanding of things. Protestant Bible studies are always going to be hampered by the fact that Protestants don’t have a complete Bible to begin with, they reject much of Tradition through which we gain a proper understanding of what the Bible actually teaches, and largely ignore 2,000 years of teaching and commentary on the Scripture.

 

[lak611]

I haven’t heard of the study you mentioned, but I agree with puzzleannie – if it’s not Catholic, why bother. When I was in the process of becoming Catholic I attended a “non-denominational” Bible study through Bible Study Fellowship, and it had a definite theological slant. For example, in the passage in Acts about Simon the Magician, I remember reading in the commentary that Simon’s faith must not have been genuine because he turned away from Christ, which is perfectly consistent with the once saved, always saved understanding of things. Protestant Bible studies are always going to be hampered by the fact that Protestants don’t have a complete Bible to begin with, they reject much of Tradition through which we gain a proper understanding of what the Bible actually teaches, and largely ignore 2,000 years of teaching and commentary on the Scripture.

My parish has a Bible study held in the homes of members. It is interdenominational. Some of the members are Catholic and others are Protestant. It is not anti-Catholic, just ecumenical.

 

[Veritas41]

My parish has a Bible study held in the homes of members. It is interdenominational. Some of the members are Catholic and others are Protestant. It is not anti-Catholic, just ecumenical.

What is the purpose of having the interdenominational Bible study in your parish with non-Catholics? Is it to understand other Christians’ views better or just give non-Catholics and Catholics a chance to share their understanding of what the Bible teaches?

If the purpose of a Bible study is to go deeper into understanding what it teaches, then an interdenominational Bible study isn’t the way to go because to better understand what the Bible teaches you need to be guided by the Magisterium and Tradition of the Church which will not happen in an interdenominational Bible study.

 

[stanmaxkolbe]

Most of our Protestant brethren don’t know or will admit that the Bible is a Catholic document.

 

[lak611]

What is the purpose of having the interdenominational Bible study in your parish with non-Catholics? Is it to understand other Christians’ views better or just give non-Catholics and Catholics a chance to share their understanding of what the Bible teaches?

If the purpose of a Bible study is to go deeper into understanding what it teaches, then an interdenominational Bible study isn’t the way to go because to better understand what the Bible teaches you need to be guided by the Magisterium and Tradition of the Church which will not happen in an interdenominational Bible study.

I cannot comment any further on that Bible study. I do not attend it. I attend another Bible study held at my parish which is Catholic, although open to Protestants. One man attended the Bible study as a Protestant and later converted to the Catholic Church.

As for the study in the homes which I do not attend, it may even be a Catholic study, just open to all and some members may be Protestant. I am not aware of what study materials are actually used.