The Catholic Bible Study Handbook: A Popular Introduction to Studying Scripture

Rating:
Summary: Not Quite What I Was Looking For
Review: I was looking for a book to study the bible as in a workbook type of way. Not to make a chore of it but to gain a more working knowledge of the bible and of the books contained in the bible. All of what is contained in this book on 'how to study the bible' is really on less than 10 pages. What this book does go into a great depth, is a description of each book of the bible, various forms of writing of each book of the bible, how different religions wrote their versions of their bible and such. On that the book is very good. Again, it was not what I was looking for but the price was worth the information I got from it.

Rating:
Summary: Catholic Bible Study Handbook is reader-friendly
Review: The Catholic Bible Study Handbook: A Popular Introduction to Studying Scripture is reader-friendly to the interested person who is not a Scripture scholar. Its format is easy to follow, with headings for each major section, as well as a comprehensive history of the Israelites and information on the background of each major writer. This book could be valuable as an aid in discussion by groups, and also contains a section on how to use the Bible as a guide for individual prayer and meditation.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing, dry and barely catholic
Review: This book is disappointing. Little more than a surface treatment of background issues, it is not very well written. It presents a shallow style of pop biblical scholarship (circa 1970's), along with a dry and dated charismatic spirituality. What is lacking? For one thing, the rich Benedictine tradition of "lectio divina" is poorly presented (see the classic work of Damasus Winzen, OSB). Also lacking is an adequate treatment of spiritual exegesis, as recommended by Vatican II (Dei Verbum 12), and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (109-119). Try to find a used copy of Winzen's "Pathways in Scripture," or maybe Shea's "Making Senses of Scripture".