The Wisdom of the Word: Biblical Answers to Ten Pressing Questions About Catholicism

Why believe God exists, or believe Jesus is God? Why listen to the Catholic Church? Why is the Church so strict about sex? Questions like these have propelled a crisis of disaffiliation and disbelief among Catholics in recent decades. Half of millennial Catholics have turned their backs on the Church, and at many churches, only a minority of parishioners believe in all of its teachings about faith and morality. Building on the call of the Second Vatican Council for a greater appreciation of Scripture, The Wisdom of the Word invites Catholics who are thinking about leaving the Church, or who are confused about elements of Catholic faith and practice, to pause and give the Bible a chance to illuminate their way. From the infighting among the Catholic faithful to the sins of Catholic leaders, and from Christ’s sacrifice on the cross to the Church’s emphasis on caring for the poor, theologians Michael Dauphinais and Matthew Levering explore common challenges to the faith in light of the timeless insights of the Word. “The prayerful reading of God’s Word,” Pope Francis reminds us, ”which is ‘sweeter than honey’ yet a ‘two-edged sword,’ enables us to pause and listen to the voice of the Master. It becomes a lamp for our steps and a light for our path.” Do you, or does someone you know, think that certain elements of the Catholic faith just don’t make sense? If so, the ancient wisdom of God’s Word―sweeter than honey and sharper than a sword―awaits

Michael Dauphinais is Professor and Chair of Theology at Ave Maria University, where he previously served as Dean and Vice President of Academic Affairs. 

Dr. Matthew Levering holds the James N. Jr. and Mary D. Perry Chair of Theology at Mundelein Seminary. He is the author or editor of over fifty books, including The Wisdom of the Word: Biblical Answers to Ten Pressing Questions about Catholicism, coauthored with Michael Dauphinais. He is the co-editor of two quarterly journals, Nova et Vetera and The International Journal of Systematic Theology, and formerly served as president of the Academy of Catholic Theology.