Bible Study Resources

Catholic Church Documents related to Biblical Studies compiled by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D

Encyclicals:

Verbum Domini by Pope Benedict XVI

Dei Verbum  by Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Vatican Council II under Pope Paul VI (1965)

The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church, Pontifical Biblical Commission (1993)

Divino Afflante Spiritu (On Promoting Biblical Studies), Pope Pius XII (1943)

Spiritus Paraclitus (Norms and Guidelines for Scriptural Exegesis set out by Pope Benedict XV in 1920)

Providentissimus Deus (On the Study of Holy Scripture), Pope Leo XIII (1893)

Articles:

Video:

Scripture and Liturgy – with Dr. Scott Hahn – 75 minutes

• Dr. Hahn discusses how his study of typology and the interconnectedness of the Old and New testaments pointed him, at every turn, toward the historic Catholic Church.

Bible Basics: How to Get Through the Bible in an Hour with Dr. John Bergsma – 1 hour

Fr. Robert Barron on How to Read the Bible – 7 minutes

• Comments on how Pope Benedict XVI warns about the abuse of the historical-critical method when focusing too much on the human agent in historical context and not enough on the divine agent, danger that it can leave us with a bible of various incoherent texts from various times and places, whereas holy spirit is the divine author that coheres it all. Another danger is that historical-critical method can lock those books in those times, rather than seeing also why we would read it today and its transcendent meaning ultimately grounded in God’s purpose. Answer = theological hermeneutic must compliment historical-critical approach to put it in a broader theological framework that values divine authorship as clarifying interpretive lense the way the church fathers read it.

Fr. Mike Schmitz on How to Read the Bible – 8 minutes

• Explains his journey of reading Bible – from children stories to inspirational quotes to an answer book to sceptic phase to

Getting to Know the Bible with Dr. Regis Martin, Dr. Scott Hahn, and Dr. John Bergsma – 1 hour

Links:

Catechism of the Catholic Church ~ Nos. 50-141 online version

Online Haydock Bible Commentary

Biblia Clerus – This program offers Sacred Scripture, its interpretation in light of Sacred Tradition and the teachings of the Magisterium, with appropriate theological commentary and exegesis.

Catholic Resource Webpage

Quotes:

• “Ignorance of the Scriptures is Ignorance of Christ.” – St. Jerome
• “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” – 1 Samuel 3:9
• “Be still and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10
• “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” – Psalm 119:105
• “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching…” – 2 Timothy 3:16
• “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the good news to all of creation.” – Mark 16:15
• “Believe what you Read; Teach what you Believe; Practice what you Teach” – Ordination of Deacons
• No passage of Scripture, then, should be regarded as valueless, rejected as false, or repudiated as evil, for its all-perfect Author, the Holy Spirit, could inspire nothing untrue, trivial, or degraded. That is why heaven and earth will pass away, but the words of Scripture will not pass away until they are fulfilled (The Breviloquium, prologue ~ St. Bonaventure)

• “Besides the Holy Eucharist, the true food of the saints is to be found in the Scriptures.” Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P., writing in his monumental The Three Ages of the Interior Life.