Bible Reference

Confusing paradox surrounds the Bible.

Some look to it as the definition of reality and deny science; others see science alone as the arbiter of truth and deny the Bible. Both extremes are merely symptoms of a still wider debate on the place of ancient spiritual wisdom in a science-dominated world. Following the Reformation and Enlightenment, the Western world gained great power but lost its spiritual bearings. This book draws on numerous sources, ancient and modern, to examine what the missteps were that have brought us to a point of such confusion, and in doing so argues cogently against the modern philosophy of scientific materialism. With the aid of biblical stories and imagery it suggests how we might find our way back to balance, where ancient wisdom and modern science can together shed light on humans and their encompassing reality.

Subtitle: Longing for God in a Science-Dominated World 
Author: Vincent Smiles

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814655139
Details: 224 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 06/01/2011

It is difficult to appreciate how Stephen qualifies as a friend of someone who attended and approved of his murder (Acts 7:58; 22:20). Yet Stephen belonged to the very group of Israelites to whom Paul later brought the Good News: the Hellenists. These Israelites lived mainly outside of Palestine, thoroughly acculturated in the Greek language and culture of their habitat, and they practiced their traditions in a very modified way. These modifications created great difficulty for Stephen and other Hellenists who resumed residence in Jerusalem, as we read in Acts. In this account we learn who Stephen was, what he said, and how he died all things that made a huge impression on Paul. That experience set the stage for Paul's commissioning by the risen Jesus to evangelize Hellenists (Acts 9). In Stephen: Paul and the Hellenist Israelites, John J. Pilch reflects on Stephen as a Hellenist Israelite, a collectivistic person, a deacon (the word does not appear in Acts), and one who true to his tradition communicates with the world of God in alternate states of consciousness. Paul has much in common with Stephen, so to know Stephen is to gain a better understanding of Paul.

Author: John J. Pilch

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814652299
Details: 104 pgs , 5 3/8 x 8 1/4 
Publication Date: 02/01/2008

Luke's gospel contains a number of passages about compassion. One of the most beloved of these is commonly known as the parable of the Prodigal Son. In The Prodigal Father, Angelo Scarano focuses on the distinctive role of the father in the parable, the example he provides of being transformed by a compassionate heart, and the joy in celebrating the return of what was loved and thought to be lost.

Scarano suggests that this remarkable parable has two climaxesthe banquet for the younger son, and the conversation between the father and the elder sonand that it is in this second climax where the real intention of the evangelist is revealed. Scarano urges readers to accept God's "compassionate heart," to allow God's Spirit to transform us and enable us to live like the prodigal father, opening our hearts to the weak and the strong, the broken and the bitter.

Scarano's insightful work will be welcomed by preachers, teachers, and anyone engaged in prayer with or reflection upon the gospels.

Author: Angelo Scarano

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814649244
Details: 86 pgs , 5 x 7 
Publication Date: 12/17/2014

First and Second Timothy and Titus are designated Pastoral Letters because they deal with leadership and organizational issues of the early Christian community. Probably written after the death of Paul, they nevertheless express what Paul himself would have and could have written to community leaders. Second Timothy gives the greatest amount of biographical material we have about Paul. The Letter to Philemon, a miniature but authentic Pauline jewel, is a masterpiece of persuasion regarding a slave freedom.

Terence J. Keegan perceptive commentaries on these precious remnants of first century Christianity provide information and insight regarding the gradual growth of the church. There are pertinent lessons here for today shepherds and their flocks.

Author: Terence J. Keegan, OP

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814628683
Details: 80 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 04/01/2006

Vincent M. Smiles provides a fresh look at the early Church and the faith with which they approached their dynamic, diverse community. With a brief introduction to each letter, Smiles brings to light issues such as authorship, dating, and historical situation. Smiles focuses on similarities and contrasts-such as eschatology, ecclesiology and the status of women--within these diverse, yet unified letters.

A reading of these letters as "partners in a conversation" provides both an understanding and inspiration for today's Christian society: inspiration to meet our challenges in faith with the same creativity as did the early Church.

With an understandable, yet comprehensive manner, this commentary will appeal to those interested in the changing early Church and its ancient wisdom.

Author: Vincent M. Smiles

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814628676
Details: 128 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 10/01/2005

The book of Sirach praises the study of the law, the wisdom of the men of old and their prophecies. Its author is well-read and rearticulates traditional Jewish wisdom for his generation, centering it on fear of the Lord, and clearly asserting that wisdom is a gift from God. He encourages his audience to remain steadfast in following the law of Moses rather than following the ways of the dominant pagan Greek culture.

Author: Jeremy Corley

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814628553
Details: 152 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 09/01/2013

Every culture finds ways to pass along its wisdom from one generation to the next. Old Testament Wisdom literaturecomprised of the books of Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Sirach, and Wisdomraises the "big" questions for the people of Israel: Why do the righteous suffer? "Why do we die? What is the meaning of life?

The book of Proverbs organizes memorable sayings that lead to insight and understanding about the world that can inform the way we live. Speaking universally of the human condition, it paints a poetic portrait of wisdom as it guides members of the community, especially the young, in how to get along in life.

Author: Katherine M. Hayes

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814628522
Details: 120 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 06/01/2013

These books, from what are often called the twelve prophets, continue to recount the story of the return from Babylonian exile. They speak with immediacy and power to the generation that was responsible for writing down and organizing the Hebrew Scriptures and founding Judaism as a religion, not just an ethnic identity.

Haggai demonstrates how not to be a prophet, as his wildly optimistic and date-specific predictions don't come true. Zechariah then tries to restore the reputation of the prophets after Jeremiah denounces them as liars. A central issue is the rebuilding of the templehow can it replace the celebrated temple of Solomon? Should it be built before the people even have the resources to build their own houses? When did God leave the temple, and what will convince God to return?

These postexilic prophets affirm the many traditions of the people of Judah and Israel, who are still reeling from exile, offering them hope and direction. They promise that God's justice will include punishment of their enemies and a full restoration of God's people.

Author: John J. Collins

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814628515
Details: 152 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 01/01/2013

The book of Isaiah uses both prose and poetry to engage readers in a drama of great emotion and intensity. Although the circumstances under which this book took its present form remain in scholarly dispute, this commentary highlights its larger purposeto provide the people of Judah and Jerusalem with hope for the future and the will to re-embrace their ancestral religious traditions.

Leslie Hoppe assumes the composite character of the books and approaches the work as a whole with its own literary and theological integrity. Unlike many other contemporary commentaries on the book of Isaiah, the divisions of the book used here focus on its literary shape rather than the history of its composition. With this approach, we recognize that the book of Isaiah is an expression of faith in the Holy One of Israel and in the future of Jerusalem, both of which have decisively shaped the faith of Jewish and Christian believers over the centuries.

Author: Leslie J. Hoppe, OFM

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814628478
Details: 184 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 10/01/2012

In the ongoing debate over the when and how our universe began, Genesis chooses to answer the theological question, "Who set in motion the beginning of the heavens and the earth?" Once that question is answered by vivid and memorable stories, the focus moves to ancestral stories that identify the roots and early branches of the Jewish family tree. This same tree grows in Christian settings as the matriarchs and patriarchs of Genesis appear over and again in New Testament writings.

Given the growing interest in family genealogies, in this commentary Joan Cook leads us to appreciate and delight in our ancient and awesome spiritual heritage as well. We should not be surprised, however, to discover that our earliest spiritual kith and kin were guilty of deceit, marital infidelity, jealousy, and murder. But readers will learn that the God who created the heavens and the earth is also a forgiving and protective God-the God of ancient time, of our time, of all time.

Joan E. Cook, SC

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814628362
Details: 160 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 05/01/2011

In this pilgrimage through church history, Joseph Kelly provides a colorful, graphic representation of the events and people of the Roman Catholic Church and puts in hand a wealth of historical information in a clear, easy-to-access format. Adults and young adults will find The Collegeville Church History Time-Line an invaluable tool as they encounter numerous examples of change in the remarkable history of the Catholic church. Kelly examines how the Roman Catholic Church has not just survived but flourished though 2,000 years as it strives to make Jesus Christ a presence in the world. He focuses on how the church has developed historically and will continue to do so.

The time-line begins in the era of Jesus, leads through a history of Christianity including Constantine's conversion in the fourth-century, to the growth of the papacy in the twelfth-century, to Vatican II and the election of John F. Kennedy in the twentieth-century, and ends with the state of the church in the twenty-first century. Twenty-four pages of text explain the eras delineated on the time-line and provide fuller details regarding important people and events.

Author: Joseph F. Kelly

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814628348
Details: 24 pgs , 7 5/8 x 10 1/2 
Publication Date: 09/01/2005

Concise and accessible, this one-volume edition of the New Collegeville Bible Commentary: New Testamentallows readers to explore any or all of the books with just one resource alongside their Bibles. The individual commentaries collected here are written by respected scholars, and they break open the biblical texts in a lively fashion. Readers will be able to engage Scripture more deeply and reflect on its meanings, nuances, and imperatives for living a Christian life in the twenty-first century. Continuing Liturgical Press's long tradition of publishing biblical scholarship and interpretation, this commentary also answers the Second Vatican Council's call to make access to Scripture "open wide to the Christian faithful."

Author: Daniel Durken, OSB

Subtitle: New Testament 

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814632604
Details: 912 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 01/01/2009

In this addition to the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, Dennis Hamm explores the significance of Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon and the enduring relevance of these letters to the life and mission of the church. Based on solid scholarship yet readily accessible, this book is enriched with pastoral reflections and applications and includes sidebars on the living tradition and biblical background.

Author: Dennis Hamm, SJ

 Publication Date: November 2013

 Size: 6" x 9"  

Pages: 256

George Montague offers a Catholic pastoral commentary on the letters to Timothy and Titus in the second volume in the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture (CCSS). He presents sound exegesis followed by reflection on the pastoral, theological, and practical applications of the text.

Authors: George Montague, SM

Publication Date: November 2008

Size: 6" x 9"

Pages: 272

In this addition to the successful Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture (CCSS) series, two esteemed scholars interpret Galatians from within the living tradition of the Church. The CCSS relates Scripture to Christian life today, is faithfully Catholic, and is supplemented by features designed to help pastoral ministers, lay readers, and students understand the Bible more deeply and use it more effectively. Supported by leading Catholic scholars as well as popular Bible teachers, the CCSS offers a unique level of commentary for Catholic students of the Bible. Its attractive packaging and accessible writing style make it a series to own--and to read! Drawn from the best of contemporary scholarship, series volumes are keyed to the liturgical year and include an index of pastoral subjects.

Authors: Cardinal Albert Vanhoye & Peter S. Williamson

Publication Date:  April 2019

Size: 6" x 9"

Pages: 224

New Testament scholar William Kurz offers a close reading and explanation of the entire narrative of Acts, grounded in the original Greek but keyed to the NABRE for liturgical use. This volume, like each in the series, relates Scripture to life, is faithfully Catholic, and is supplemented by features designed to help readers understand the Bible more deeply and use it more effectively.

Authors: William Kurz

Publication Date: February 2014

Size: 6" x 9"

Pages: 400

This solid introductory text, with its easy-to-follow format, offers the reader the opportunity to discover a multitude of facts in each of the Bible's 73 books. The clear and concise text will serve novice readers of the Bible particularly well. The plentiful and easily understandable graphics add to the usefulness of this resource. In addition to a general introduction to each book of the Bible, the main headings found for every book the Outline, Frequently Asked Questions, Study Questions, and Look out for...succinctly point to the valuable information contained in the pages of the Bible. Complementing the content of these "constant" entries are various word and visual features that more specifically elucidate the terms. These take the form of time charts, maps, photographs, panoramic illustrations, and "callout" topics (e.g., "Covenant," "Nazirites," "Pentecost," and "The Second Coming"). The Appendix contains interesting summary information: "Key Ideas in the Bible," "Promises in the Bible," "Fifty Very Important Passages," and "Who's Who in the Bible."

Size 6-3/4 x 9-1/2 Pages 256

Concise and accessible, this two-volume paperback set includes individual volumes of the complete Old Testament and New Testament in the popular New Collegeville Bible Commentary series.

Written by an array of respected scholars, the commentaries collected in these volumes bring expert insight into the Old and New Testament to Bible study participants, teachers, students, preachers, and all readers of Scripture. A first-rate, reliable resource for Bible study and reflection, the New Collegeville Bible Commentary answers the Second Vatican Council's call to make access to Scripture "open wide to the Christian faithful."

Author: Daniel Durken, OSB, Series Editor

2608 pgs , 6 x 9 Paperback

Publication Date: 12/17/2015

The completion of all thirty-seven volumes of the New Collegeville Bible Commentary means an important new resource is fully available to all who wish to delve more deeply into the word of God. Now the one-volume, hardcover edition brings together every volume into a single, accessible guide to the entire Bible in a convenient and attractive format.

This comprehensive resource contains the same expert commentary that characterizes the complete series of individual books. Contributors include some of today's most highly regarded Scripture scholars, as well as some of the freshest young voices in the field. The commentaries, while reflecting the latest in biblical scholarship and study, are written in easy-to-understand language and bring expert insight into the Old and New Testament to Bible study participants, teachers, students, preachers, and all readers of the Bible. Includes full-color maps.

Author: Daniel Durken, OSB, Series Editor

1552 pgs , 7 x 10 Hradcover with dust jacket

Publication Date: 11/06/2017

St. Joseph Atlas of the Bible from Catholic Book Publishing contains 79 full-color original maps of Bible lands. The carefully annotated maps in this Bible atlas show the routes of the great travelers such as Abraham, Moses, and Paul, along with major battles, migrations, and invasions, and feature explanatory captions detailing the significance of the places flagged. The text in the St. Joseph Atlas retells clearly the story of God's people from the call of Abraham to the spread of the early Christian Church. Richly illustrated throughout with full-color photographs, charts, and diagrams, this book is an invaluable resource for devotional readers of Scripture as well as for students.

Illustrated "Who's Who" for more than 230 important characters of the Old and New Testaments.