Do Catholics really read the Bible? If so, how do they read it and is there anything unique about their approach? What role does the Bible play in Catholic life, teaching, and culture? As a leading Scripture scholar who also teaches students and preaches to everyday people, Fr. Daniel Harrington, S.J., has made it his lifes mission to answer these and many related questions about the Bible and its relationship to Catholic life. Accessibly written, How Do Catholics Read the Bible? blends biblical scholarship with compelling personal anecdotes to equip readers with the tools they need to more fully engage Scripture and the Catholic tradition. With chapters on how the Catholic canon came to be, what the Church teaches about the Bible, appropriate methods for analyzing Scripture passages, and how to incorporate the Bible into everyday life, this book is ideal for individual or group use in parishes and classrooms. Each chapter concludes with questions for reflection and recommendations for further reading.
Daniel J. Harrington, SJ (1940-2014), was a well-known expert on the Bible, a Jesuit priest, and professor of New Testament at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. His other books with Sheed & Ward include Who is Jesus? Why is He Important?, Jesus and Virtue Ethics, and The Church According to the New Testament.
Chapter 1 Introduction Part 2 What Do Catholics Believe About the Bible? Chapter 3 The Bible and the Church Chapter 4 Modern Catholic Documentation Chapter 5 The Word of God in Human Language Part 6 What Is in the Catholic Bible? Chapter 7 The Different Canons Chapter 8 The History of the Old Testament Canon Chapter 9 The History of the New Testament Canon Part 10 How Do Catholics Approach the Bible? Chapter 11 The Catholic Theological Tradition on the Bible Chapter 12 The Catholic Experience Chapter 13 Catholic Bibles Today Part 14 How Do Catholics Analyze a Biblical Text? Chapter 15 Literary Methods Chapter 16 Historical Methods Chapter 17 Theological Methods Part 18 How Do Catholics Read the Old Testament? Chapter 19 Old Testament Study Today Chapter 20 Biblical Interpretation in Jesus Time Chapter 21 Reading the Old Testament as Catholic Christians Part 22 How Do Catholics Read the New Testament? Chapter 23 The Formation of the Gospels Chapter 24 The Gospels as Witnesses to Jesus and the Early Church Chapter 25 The Epistles as Witnesses to Early Christian Faith and Life Part 26 How Do Catholics Interpret Scripture? Chapter 27 Hermeneutics Chapter 28 The Literal Sense and the Spiritual Sense Chapter 29 Scripture and Tradition Part 30 What Place Does the Bible Have in Catholic Life? Chapter 31 The Role of the Magisterium Chapter 32 The Bible in Catholic Life Chapter 33 Lectio Divina Part 34 Conclusion: Twenty-Five Theses Part 35 Appendix: Some Resources for Catholic Biblical Interpretation Part 36 Glossary
