The Word of the Lord: 7 Essential Principles for Catholic Scripture Study - Softcover

Smith, Steven C.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1612785883 ISBN 13: 9781612785882

Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor, 2012

Synopsis

CATHOLIC SCRIPTURE STUDY COMES ALIVE!

Recently, the author gave a live, TV-interview about The Word of the Lord: EWTN LIVE TV.  Check out the 50 min interview: ewtn.com/tv/live/ewtnlive.asp.     AVAILABLE DEC 8, 2013:  DEATH AND RESURRECTION IN THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT.  18-CD SET.
THEGODWHOSPEAKS.com and catholic-productions.comIf you think you have to be a Bible scholar to understand the Scriptures, think again!  "The joy born of the Word can now expand to all those who, by faith, let themselves be changed by God's word." - Pope Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini For many Catholics, Scripture remains an elusive part of their Faith, or worse yet, a weapon used against them when encountering challenges from other denominations.
 
The Word of the Lord was written by one of the foremost Catholic bible scholars and tested in several graduate level seminary Scripture courses. Yet everyone will appreciate the book's clear, straightforward approach, perfect for the average Catholic.  From crucial topics (inspiration, the role of Tradition) to more common questions (selecting a bible translation), you will find explanations, answers, and interpretation that will launch you into the exciting adventure that awaits you in Sacred Scripture. The Word of God draws each of us into a conversation with the Lord: the God who speaks teaches us how to speak to Him." - Pope Benedict XVI , Verbum Domini

About this title

From the Author

The Word of the Lord is a perfect companion for every Catholic in this YEAR OF FAITH. It was designed by a Catholic seminary professor (yours truly) in a Catholic seminary classroom (Mount St. Mary's), but is not a seminary textbook! WOTL was designed for "everyone who has ever asked, 'What does a Catholic approach to Sacred Scripture look like?'" (p. 13). 

WOTL really is for everyone -- and anyone seeking a faithful and faith-filled  approach to studying, reading and praying Scripture.  7 Essential Principles guide the reader toward a wholly Catholic approach. 

Pope Benedict XVI reminded us recently in Verbum Domini, that in Scripture, we encounter "The God Who Speaks."  WOTL addresses the 7 principles, one at a time, clearly and faithfully, beginning with the foundation principle of inspiration and the "truth" (inerrancy) of Scripture.

From this beginning, WOTL addresses six additional principles across 13-chapters, serving as a practical guide for all Catholics to Scripture study. WOTL deals with "the enfleshment of the Word,"  Sacred Scripture AND Sacred Tradition, the canon of Scripture, the rich depth of "meaning in Scripture, the "unity" of the OT / NT and more.  With WOTL, you will come to see clearly  the "big idea" of the whole Bible as never before.  Together, the 7 principles in this book offer a sure-fire way to read Scripture as a faithful Catholic today.

You'll learn what a "covenant" is, and why God enters into relationship with humanity in this manner.  You'll discover the crucial relationship between Scripture and the Eucharist ... and Scripture and prayer.  You'll learn three key insights from the Catechism that will UNLOCK the mysteries of Christ's life in the Gospels in fresh, new ways.

** While I grew up Catholic, I spent 8 years in Evangelical Christianity (MA from Wheaton College). As such, this book is faithfully Catholic -- but I suspect many other Christians will find a lot which we agree upon, and a learn a lot of for their own devotional life and study of God's Word. 
 
I take a no-prisoners approach: You'll learn about "biblical typology" and "recapitulation in Christ" and how to select a Bible translation - and the difference between translations. There are TONS of quotes from the Catholic Scripture documents, like DEI VERBUM and over four dozen quotes from Pope Benedict's VERBUM DOMINI.  I lay out the last 100-years of teaching documents on Scripture, within the Catholic faith. Together, you'll come away with a fresh synthesis of how to present what the Catholic Church teaches about Scripture -- to others.

And much, much more.  There are three Appendixes, in which you'll view the 7 Principles in summary form (1), learn a little about some of the key Catholic /Protestant biblical scholars of the 20-21st century -- and -- the rationalist/secular scholars, too! (2), and even learn how to select a good commentary for deeper study.

My brand new website, TheGodWhoSpeaks.com has more information on WOTL - and a lot more.  I'm pleased to announce that faithful Catholic biblical teaching is available for everyone -- on CD and Mp3.

For starters, an audio companion series to WOTL is avail. now! It is a 5-CD set with a clear, 75 min presentation on the 7-principles, plus over 3 hours of Q&A, recorded live in the Fall of 2012 (in NJ), in which many interesting questions people ask about the Bible are answered. And this is just the beginning. More CD-sets of Catholic biblical teaching NOW AVAILABLE, including "Biblical Mysteries of the Rosary," (20-CD set, Dec. 12, 2012).

YOUR PARISH CAN INVITE ME FOR A PARISH EVENT IN 2012-13.  (E.g Year of Faith special event, mission, weekend conference, etc.)   

DETAILS AT: THEGODWHOSPEAKS.COM__________________________DR. SCOTT HAHN, FOREWARD
 
As you read this book, you will join with me in saying, "Thanks be to God." The reason is simple.  At Mass, we Catholics always hear "The Word of the Lord," and then respond, "Thanks be to God."  Yet the readings that we hear throughout our lives at the Sunday Masses are but portions of the Bible. If we are ever to come to a deeper faith and knowledge of Jesus, the Living Word, we must become students of the written Word of God in its entirety.  As St. Jerome reminds us, "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." An essential part of following Jesus - as a disciple - is to become a disciplined student of Scripture, both the Old Testament and the New.  And for that we need good teachers, like Dr. Steven Smith.
 
In Acts 8, we read about an Ethiopian Eunuch who needed help to understand a hard text in Isaiah. God sent him Philip the Deacon to explain how the oracle pointed to Jesus. Likewise, we do well to have expert guidance in reading Scripture. In particular, we need teachers who are able to impart the wisdom that comes from the Holy Spirit through the authority and living tradition of the Church.
 
Above all, it is the Holy Spirit who guides the Church "into all truth," as Jesus promised (Jn.15:13). Through the Church, then, we are guided in our reading and interpretation of Scripture.  Along the way, we come to discover the principles and methods of Catholic Scripture study.  And that is what makes this book so valuable. Whether it is the mystery of biblical inspiration and the divine authority and truth of Scripture, or how to make sense of the difficult parts of the Old Testament, you will get expert guidance from Dr. Steven Smith.  In a clear and conversational style, he addresses a host of crucial questions: How was the biblical 'canon' gradually formed over the course of centuries?  How is Scripture directly related to the Holy Eucharist? What are the different senses of Scripture? What is the role of Sacred Tradition in biblical interpretation?   
 
Most importantly, readers are guided step by step through seven principles of Catholic biblical interpretation by a veteran teacher of Sacred Scripture at Mount St. Mary's Seminary, one of the oldest and most respected houses of formation in the United States.  From years of experience in the classroom and parish, Dr. Smith is able to communicate clearly for a wide range of readers, from seminarians and clergy to young adults and professionals.  No matter what your background, here you will find many practical examples and memorable illustrations to help digest each lesson.  And that's why I predict that, when you are finished reading The Word of the Lord, you will say, Thanks be to God.   >>> FOR A SUMMARY OF ALL 7 PRINCIPLES, CLICK 'SEE ALL EDITORIAL REVIEWS' (BELOW) <<<

From the Inside Flap

'7 Essential Principles for Catholic Scripture Study' Steven C. Smith, Ph.D.
 
Principle #1 -- God's word: Divine Words in human language
     Catholic Scripture study is governed by the firm belief that the Bible is the inspired word of God, expressed in human language. Thus, Scripture can be fully relied upon to teach us the truth about God and humanity in everything it says.  Sacred Scripture was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and, at the same time, was composed by true authors, with all of their human capacities and limitations. The thoughts and the words of Scripture belong both to God and to human beings in such a way that the whole Bible comes simultaneously from God - and from the inspired human authors.
 
PRINCIPLE #2 -- God's word is revealed in history
     Catholic Scripture study rests upon 'the principle of enfleshment.'  Just as God's Living Word entered human history in the flesh (John 1:14), so too God's written Word entered history through its enfleshment in true human authors. In accordance with this, Catholic exegetes seek to discover the original meaning expressed by the biblical author in his ancient context.  By the same token, the Bible can never be reduced to a merely historical word; God's supernatural involvement in human history is always affirmed in Catholic Scripture study.
 
PRINCIPLE #3 -- God's word: Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture
     Catholic Scripture study is grounded in the firm belief that there is one source of Divine revelation: Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, which 'flow from the same one divine wellspring' and 'form one sacred deposit of the Word of God' (Dei Verbum, 10). It was by the apostolic Tradition that the Church discerned which writings were to be included in the biblical canon - and it is above all Sacred Tradition that guides us to truly and properly understand the Word of God. In the end, it is the Church's Magisterium, the 'servant of the Word', which provides the sure and authoritative interpretation of Sacred Scripture.
 
PRINCIPLE #4 -- God's Word: Revealed in the Unity of the OT and NT
     Catholic Scripture study insists upon the unity and coherence of the whole canon of Scripture, both the Old and New Testament. This unifying dimension of God's Word is evident in many ways; a Catholic approach should be aware of three in particular: (1) The Theme of Covenant; (2) Biblical Prophecy and Typology; and (3) Recapitulation in Christ.  In these and other ways, we affirm Augustine's conclusion: 'The New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.'
 
Principle #5 -- God's Word has Meanings
     Catholic Scripture study affirms that God's Word is truly rich in meaning. Thus, a multiplicity of approaches can assist our search for the meaning of biblical texts.  No one method of approach or particular sense of Scripture is adequate in itself to plumb the depths of Sacred Scripture. Diligent study and comparison of various interpretations - from ancient and medieval to modern and contemporary approaches can cast valuable light and yield fresh insights on biblical texts, provided one evaluates them within the Church's tradition and according to a hermeneutic of faith, and not suspicion.  
 
Principle #6 -- God's Word Requires Sound & Balanced Study
     Catholic Scripture study requires sound and balanced analysis. God's Word merits vigorous study - which is marked not only by a curious intellect, but also by a robust Christian faith and genuine pastoral concern for the needs of God's people. Three essential criteria for ensuring a sound and balanced approach to the study of biblical texts are: (1) Attention to the content and unity of the entire Bible; (2) Reading Scripture within the living Tradition of the Church; and (3) Adherence to the 'rule of faith'. 
 
Principle #7 -- God's Word is Life-giving and Active!
     Catholic Scripture study does not end when we finally arrive at the meaning of a text.  Now we must let the Scripture interpret us.  All of our struggle and effort with the written Word leads back to its very source - to 'the God who speaks to us' and who invites us to speak with Him (Verbum Domini 24). The Word of the Lord must be actualized in our lives, for it is powerfully capable of 'opening the hearts and minds of many to the desire for God and for true life, life without end' (Porta Fidei, 15).

Edition details

• Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1612785883
• ISBN 13: 9781612785882
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 224