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The Church "forcefully
and specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful ... to learn the
'surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ,' by frequent reading of the divine
Scriptures. 'Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.'
"
Catechism of the Catholic Church §133
Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and a
light to my path.
Psalm 119:105
Read God's Book continually; never let the sacred volume be out of your hand. Learn, so that you may teach. --St. Jerome
Bible Study Resources
On this page you’ll find several resources to help your study of the Scriptures to be more fruitful. None of these are what can be considered “scholarly” (i.e. so technically obtuse that only scholars and theologians can use them) but are instead very user friendly and informative. I use all of these resources and find them very helpful.
I provide the links below, not because I necessarily recommend you buy them from these sources, but so you will be able to get more info about each resource. I always recommend that people patronize their local, struggling Catholic bookstore first, then look for other sources.
Beginning Apologetics 7: How to Read the Bible
From the authors: “Our main purpose is to give beginning students of the Bible an overview of the constant teachings of the Catholic Church about Sacred Scripture. The last section of this booklet will help lay Catholics
identify and refute the errors that some Catholic biblical scholars are currently promoting.”Beginning Apologetics 7: How to Read the Bible
The Catechism of The Catholic Church
Actually a great Bible study resource. Many of the sections of course quote the Scriptures and footnote the reference at the bottom of the page. In the back of the full-size edition (but not the small paperback), you will find several pages showing where the Scriptures are quoted or referred to in the body of the Catechism. Just find the book and verse you are looking for, and it gives you the section(s). An invaluable Scripture study resource; if you are Catholic, you should have one in your home anyway.
One place it is available is here:
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Student Bible Timeline
This inexpensive little book is an excellent way to gain an overall perspective on the history of Bible times and how it fits into the history of the world as a whole. It features a detailed and colorful pullout timeline.
The Student Bible Atlas
Another small and inexpensive volume meant to be a companion to the Student Bible Timeline above. It has lots of colorful and informative maps that highlight crucial periods in Bible history. Especially recommended if your Bible does not come with its own maps.
Holman Bible Atlas
If you can afford a more comprehensive Bible atlas, this is one I’d recommend. I don’t know of any specifically Catholic atlases, but I have found this one free of denominational bias and very informative. It has lots of historical background, not to mention beautiful maps and photographs of the Holy Land. Nice enough to be a coffee table book, actually.
Dictionary of The Bible
I wish I could recommend a better Catholic Bible dictionary than this, but as far as I know this is the only one available. While it is very good and very helpful for the most part, it does have a tendency to de-supernaturalize and take a modernist revisionist view of traditional Church understanding of Scripture interpretation. The only reason I recommend it is because of the useful background, in general, that a Bible dictionary provides on bible history, customs, geography, language, culture, etc. Just use it with caution. There are of course many non-Catholic Bible dictionaries out there and no doubt they contain good and useful information. However I have yet to see one that does not have a notable bias against Catholic teaching, so I don’t recommend those at all. When a good Catholic one comes along, I’ll let you know.
Guide To The Bible – Antonio Fuentes
If the Bible edition you use has no or poor introductions to the Bible in general and individual books of the Bible, here’s a highly informative book. The introductions are short, informative, and completely orthodox. The author also worked on the excellent Navarre Study Bible series below.
Ignatius Study Bible
From a Catholic perspective, one of the most exciting
new Bible commentaries around. Still in it’s formative stages, it is being
released book by book in an inexpensive booklet form. In addition to great
commentary, it ties Scripture into the teachings of the saints and the
Catechism of the Catholic Church. In the back of each book are study
questions from both a theological and practical perspective. At the time of
this writing, current volumes are the four gospels, Acts, and most of the
Epistles of St. Paul.
Navarre Bible Commentaries
Another great Catholic series, it is considered the most popular and highly regarded modern commentary available. Commentary also includes quotes from the saints, the Catechism, Vatican II and other Church documents, and Pope John Paul II. The volume that you will see when you click on the link is a single bound edition of the New Testament, but it is also available in individual soft-cover volumes of each New Testament book.
The Gospel of John – A Bible Study Guide and Commentary
Written by Steve Ray, a convert to Catholicism from the Baptist church, this volume is chock full of historical and theological background about the Gospel of John and questions to ask your self about the text to help you gain a deeper understanding and apply it to your life in a practical way. Lots of quotes from the Catechism, the saints, and Church documents as well.
Catholic Women’s Devotional Bible – Zondervan
Another non-Catholic Catholic Study Bible, this actually has notes and commentary that are Catholic friendly. This attractive volume has a number of good articles, introductions and helps, and features some ready-made studies. It also has a list of the Mass readings so that you can read right along with the liturgical year. It features the New Revised Standard Version, a translation that I know strikes some as too PC; but for a devotional study Bible, I still would not hesitate to give this as a gift. If they had a comparable one for men, I’d recommend that too.
Zondervan Catholic Women's Devotional Bible