At the Roman Synod on the Bible in October 2008, which I covered for HPR, the most common topic mentioned was the need to recommend “Lectio Divina” as a pious practice among the faithful. You have probably seen the phrase mentioned in rece … [Read more...]
Heaven is not an abstraction
The realism or concreteness of Catholicism is startling to minds conditioned only by abstractions or by materialism alone.
June 1, 2009 by Fr. James V. Schall, SJ
“Today’s feast (Assumption) impels us to lift our gaze to Heaven; not the heaven consisting of abstract ideas or even an imaginary heaven created by art, but the Heaven of true reality which is God himself.” —Benedict XVI, Homily, Feast of … [Read more...]
Handmaid and Queen
QUEEN MOTHER: A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF MARY’S QUEENSHIP. By Edward Sri (Emmaus Road Publishing, 827 North Fourth St., Steubenville, Ohio 43952, 2005), xvi + 216 pp. PB $14.95.
April 9, 2009 by Book Reviews
The purpose of Edward Sri’s study is to prove the queenship of Mary as explicitly revealed in the scriptures. Therefore, the bulk of his research centers around key texts from the Old and New Testaments. In surveying the Old Testament, t … [Read more...]
Help for Catholics
COME AND SEE. CATHOLIC BIBLE STUDY: THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. By Joseph Ponessa and Laurie Watson Manhardt (Emmaus Road Publishing, 827 North Fourth St., Steubenville, Ohio 43952, 2004), 202 pp. PB $19.95.
April 1, 2009 by Book Reviews
There are many Protestant Bible study programs but not very many Catholic ones. So it is encouraging to find a new Catholic Bible study series of books that Catholics can use without wondering whether or not what they are studying is in … [Read more...]
Recovering History
A BIBLICAL HISTORY OF ISRAEL. By Iain Provan, V. Phillips Long, and Tremper Longman, III, (West Minster john Knox Press, 100 Witherspoon Street Room 2047, Louisville, KY 40202-1396) 426 pp. PB $34.95.
April 1, 2009 by Book Reviews
The field of biblical history today is dominated by two approaches, both of which are skeptical about the historicity of biblical claims. The first approach regards with suspicion the historical claims of the Bible on principle because of a … [Read more...]
The Bible and the Mass
WORTHY IS THE LAMB: THE BIBLICAL ROOTS OF THE MASS. By Thomas J. Nash (Ignatius Press, P.O. Box 1339, Ft. Collins, Colo. 80522, 2004), 248 pp. PB $15.95.
April 1, 2009 by Book Reviews
The post-conciliar liturgical reform introduced a new Lectionary with a three-year cycle of Sunday readings, so as to open up the riches of Sacred Scripture to the average Catholic. It also recommended that the homily at Sunday Mass should … [Read more...]
God’s Salvific Plan
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT THE END TIMES? A CATHOLIC VIEW. By William Kurz, S.J. (Servant Books, 28 W. Liberty St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202, 2005), 199 pp. PB $11.95.
April 1, 2009 by Book Reviews
How should Catholics respond to fundamentalist claims about the end of the world? How should Catholic priests preach about end times? Sermons on the subject from Catholic pulpits tend to be rare, and Catholics (perhaps from lack of much … [Read more...]
The Best Bible Study Available
Understanding the Scriptures: A Complete Course on Bible Study. By Scott Hahn (Midwest Theological Forum, 1420 Davey Rd., Woodridge, IL. 60517, 2005), 548pp. HB, $40.00.
April 1, 2009 by Book Reviews
At long last, Scott Hahn has finally done it! After years of dazzling students, conferences attendees, and listeners of his mass media presentations, Hahn has collected the wisdom of the Catholic faith on the Sacred Scriptures into one … [Read more...]
Pope Benedict XVI
Editorial, April 2009
April 1, 2009 by Fr. Kenneth Baker, SJ
Last October I spent three weeks in Rome covering the synod on the Bible. During that time I was able to see Pope Benedict XVI at several events—Sunday Masses and Wednesday audiences in St. Peter’s Square. In April he will be 83 and will com … [Read more...]
Reading Genesis with Cardinal Ratzinger
The author answers Catholic creationists by arguing that contemporary exegetes have sufficient reason to go beyond a literalist reading of Genesis.
January 1, 2009 by Rev. Nicanor Pier Giorgio Austriaco, OP
How is a Catholic supposed to read the first chapter of Genesis that details the six days of creation? In a lecture entitled, “Restoration of Traditional Catholic Theology on Origins,” given at the First International Catholic Symposium on C … [Read more...]
Pastoral Interpretation in Pope Benedict’s Jesus of Nazareth
As a pastoral rather than an academic work, Jesus of Nazareth preaches a Gospel that is centered in the person of Christ.
May 1, 2008 by Dr. Peter S. Williamson
Much has been said both in praise and in criticism of Benedict XVI’s Jesus of Nazareth. Fergus Kerr, a theologian writing in the The Tablet, calls it Joseph Ratzinger’s best book. Peter Steinfels, a journalist writing in Commonweal, finds it … [Read more...]
Time Tested Truths
THE ROYAL ROAD TO JOY: THE BEATITUDES AND THE EUCHARIST. By David Bird, O.S.B. (Hilldebrand Books, University of St. Mary of the Lake/ Mundelein Seminary, 1000 East Maple, Mundelein, IL 60060, 249 pp. PB. $24.00.
May 1, 2005 by Book Reviews
A series of informed reflections, Father Bird’s insightful meditations on the seven beatitudes examine these teachings from the Sermon on the Mount not as abstract principles or theoretical ideas but as practical wisdom and time-tested t … [Read more...]
A Scriptural Litany
LORD, WHO ARE YOU? THE NAMES OF CHRIST. By Jorge Cardinal Medina Estévez (Ignatius Press, PO Box 1339, Ft. Collins, Co., 80522, 2004) 157 pp. PB $11.95.
January 1, 2005 by Book Reviews
Cardinal Medina Estévez devotes over thirty brief but insightful chapters to the names given to Jesus Christ in the Old and New Testaments, discussing the attributes associated with each of these divine appellations. Resembling in format … [Read more...]
Software Review: BibleWorks 6
BIBLEWORKS 6.0. A software program for biblical exegesis. BibleWorks, LLC, P.O. Box 6158, Norfolk, VA 23508. http://www.bibleworks.com.
June 1, 2004 by Book Reviews
Whether you want to do some serious exegetical work or simply get a good feel for what’s happening in a particular passage of biblical text, BibleWorks is a software program that will soon have you wondering how you ever got along without i … [Read more...]
Genesis 1: A Cosmogenesis?
“Nihil pulchrius Genesi, nihil utilius.” Nothing more beautiful than Genesis, nothing more useful.
August 1, 1993 by Rev. Stanley L. Jaki, OSB
Genesis 1 is the most newsworthy chapter in the Bible. There can never be more fundamental news than that all depends on God because he made all, indeed the all, or the universe. This news did not come from any of the sages of ancient … [Read more...]
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