Bible Study

Wisdom Books, the fifth volume of The Saint John's Bible to be released, includes some of the Old Testaments literary masterpieces, including Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, and Proverbs. Also in this volume is the much-loved book of Job and two Old Testament works including the Wisdom of Solomon, which was originally written in Greek, and Sirach, which comes to us from the Greek tradition. Wisdom Books continues the work of earlier volumes, with a script created by calligrapher Donald Jackson specifically for this project. Artists that will be familiar to readers, Thomas Ingmire, Suzanne Moore, Chris Tomlin, and Sally Mae Joseph, are joined by new contributing artist Diane M. von Arx to bring light that is, illumination to the text. And the images are not to be missed. There are over fifteen large illuminations, among them the spectacular frontispiece for Ecclesiastes and another titled Creative Wisdom. Additionally, to recognize the team of calligraphers that have bonded during six years of work and to capitalize on the aphoristic nature of these books, there is a special emphasis on text treatments. As you spend time with Wisdom Books, you will find yourself treasuring both the words and the images in your heart.

The Wisdom books exemplify the practical spirituality of the people of Israel. Using story, poetry, and aphorisms, the books collect practical wisdom to help guide people in how to live faithful to God, with praise and thankfulness, walking in ways that are upright. The profoundly moving story of Job asks how a good person can suffer if God is just. The Song of Solomon, long read as an allegorical love poem between God and the chosen people of Israel, or as Christ and the church, takes us beyond the commands of the prophets and lessons of history. It steps back from Israel's struggle to be faithful to the Lord and concentrates on the loving relationship between the Lord and the Beloved. Sirach and Proverbs, along with Psalms, are quoted throughout the Rule of St. Benedict. Like the Rule, their pages are filled with wisdom for how to live a godly life. The Saint John's Bible volume Wisdom Books draws out these themes wisdom as a female figure, use of Proverbs in the Rule of St. Benedict, and God's love for us. If we today want to live wisely, we would do well to look to this beautifully illuminated collection of ancient texts.

Author: Donald Jackson, Artistic Director and Illuminator

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814690550
Details: 136 pgs , 9 3/4 x 15 
Publication Date: 08/30/2007

The student workbook contains 14 background features, each with related Bible passages, reflection questions, and a puzzle -- all focused on exploring the life of Jesus and his teachings.

Each of the 12 lessons in the teaching manual includes an overview, key scripture passages, related features in the Breakthrough! Bible, correlations between the life of Jesus and the life of young adolescents, and activities that familiarize them with stories from the Gospels and from Jesus himself.

The Bible gives witness to the generously forgiving nature of God, and in turn, our call to exhibit the same generosity of spirit. Explore three biblical passages that will affirm God's mercy toward us and encourage the kind of forgiveness that will transform us and our relationships.

Author: Virginia Herbers, ASCJ

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814663998
Details: 40 pgs , 5 1/4 x 8 1/4 paperback
Publication Date: 10/15/2019

Saint Augustine once described the Sermon on the Mount as "the perfect measure of the Christian life." Taking his cue from Augustine, Frank Matera provides an exposition of the sermon for contemporary readers who wish to use the sermon as the standard by which they live their lives every day.

Matera shows how the Sermon on the Mount summons believers to single-minded devotion and wholehearted service to God. He unfolds the historical and theological background to the sermon. He explores the meaning of the individual Beatitudes, which articulate Jesus' call for a more abundant righteousness, piety without hypocrisy, and the need to become "doers" of the Word.

This lively and engaging commentary is an ideal resource for adult education and Bible study groups. It is also ideal for all who want to live their discipleship more fully.

Subtitle: The Perfect Measure of the Christian Life
Author: Frank J. Matera

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814635230
Details: 136 pgs , 5 3/8 x 8 1/4 
Publication Date: 03/01/2013

A fiery preacher and humble servant to the coming kingdom of God, John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus. Three gospel passages capture his message and its meaning and invite us to make way for Jesus in our hearts and in our world.

Author: Jerome Kodell, OSB

40 pages , 5 1/4 x 8 1/4 paperback

Publication Date: 1/11/2017

It is not possible to tell the story of Abraham's descendants without taking note of how God's plan unfolded in the lives of Sarah and Hagar. The best laid plans and the unexpected converge as these two women respond to God's promises.

Author: Irene Nowell, OSB

40 pages , 5 1/4 x 8 1/4 paperback

Publication Date: 7/14/2016

Among the leaders of the early church, Barnabas is not as well-known as the likes of Peter or Paul. However, Barnabas vouched for Paul before the other apostles, traveled with him as an evangelizer, and then stepped aside when circumstances and Divine Providence demanded. Explore three fascinating passages from the Acts of the Apostles with Jerome Kodell, OSB, one of the most insightful Catholic voices on Scripture today.

Author: Jerome Kodell, OSB

40 pages , 5 1/4 x 8 1/4 paperback

Publication Date: 1/22/2018

Jesus' call to profound discipleship in the Sermon on the Mount is too often dismissed as special instructions for only the holiest and most exceptional Christians. We don't do that explicitly, but that's the way the treat it. In The Sermon on the Mount, Clifford Yeary challenges us to hear the sermon once again as Christ intended it, as our call to follow him whose life illustrated its every ideal. Yeary helps us to hear the Sermon on the Mount as a message for each of us, a challenge that is our constant call to renewal. Commentary, study and reflection questions, prayer and access to recorded lectures are included. 4 sessions.

Author: Clifford M. Yeary

7"x10" 88 pages, paperback

Publication Date: 12/15/2018

Living for What Really Matters: 7 Weeks in the Book of Philippians ( Get Wisdom Bible Studies )
Author:  Teresa Swanstrom Anderson

The Get Wisdom Bible Studies help women connect with Scripture in an accessible and energizing way. Teresa Swanstrom Anderson guides with a winsome style that is rich in depth, but still approachable for newer readers of the Bible.

The World of the Bible offers an illustrated survey of the history, geography, and social backdrop of life in biblical times. 32 Pages. Size 6 1/2 x 9.

The kingdom of God is the central theme of Jesus' preaching. Through stories and images, Jesus teaches that God's presence among us-his powerful reign-is both mighty and quiet, both welcoming and demanding. As small as a seed and as grand as a great dinner party, the kingdom of God grows among us and transforms everyone who embraces it. In this volume of Alive in the Word, New Testament scholar Frank Matera explores three gospel passages that will orient you to this essential, transforming message of Jesus.

Author: Frank J. Matera

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814664506
Details: 48 pgs , 5 1/4 x 8 1/4 
Publication Date: 07/22/2019

Paul discovered his core identity in the crucified and resurrected Christ and spent his final years proclaiming the power of the cross. Explore three key passages from his letters that invite us to embrace the redemptive power of the cross in our lives.

Author: Ronald D. Witherup, PSS

40 pages , 5 1/4 x 8 1/4 paperback

Publication Date: 10/19/2016

New Testament Introduction provides an approachable survey of the influential writings. 32 Pages. Size 6 1/2 x 9.

The writings of St. Paul have provided teaching, insight, and guidance to Christians from the church's earliest days right up to our own. A missionary, theologian, and martyr, he was at all times a pastor to the early Christian communities scattered throughout the Roman Empire. By exploring three passages from his letters (1 Thess 1:2-10; 1 Cor 12:12-31; Gal 5:13-16) we will discover that God's people now still need his encouragement and instruction.

Author: John W. Martens

40 pages , 5 1/4 x 8 1/4 paperback

Publication Date: 07/31/2018

Old Testament Introduction outlines the history, literature, religion, and teachings of the Old Testament. 32 pages. Size 6 1/2 x 9.

Superheroes are all the rage and Moses has loomed large in Judeo-Christian storytelling. Not always the strong and courageous type, Moses first had to learn to hear God's voice and then to fill God's people with a new vision.

Author: Catherine Upchurch

42 pages , 5 1/4 x 8 1/4 paperback

Publication Date: 10/19/2016

Few people have influenced Christian spirituality, theology, and history as profoundly as Mary, mother of Jesus. Explore three key events early in her life that set the course for her role in salvation history. Learn what it means to be favored by God.

Author: Catherine Upchurch

40 pages , 5 1/4 x 8 1/4 paperback

Publication Date: 4/6/2016

What do the gospels tell us about Mary Magdalene? She was a committed disciple of Jesus during his public ministry and at the cross. She was the first to encounter the Risen Lord on Easter morning. And she received his commission to be the apostle to the apostles. Through Dinah Chapman Simmons' reflections on these experiences, Mary Magdalene invites us into a deeper relationship with the Lord Jesus.

Author: Dinah Chapman Simmons

40 pages , 5 1/4 x 8 1/4 paperback

Publication Date: 10/15/2018

Incarcerated numerous times "for the defense of the gospel" (Phil. 1:16). Paul wrote several letters from the confines of prison. Letters of Philippians and Philemon in four sessions, explaining the reason each letter was written and addressing various themes such as joy, unity in Christ, reconciliation, and the close relationship between Paul and his communities.

Author: Vincent M Smiles with Little Rock Scripture Staff

ISBN: 978-08146-6455-1

Details: 104 pages 7" x 10" paperback

Publication Date: November 2019

Part two provides and in-depth investigation of Paul's letters to the Colossians and Ephesians, two letters with a great deal in common.  Besides being written from prison, both letters address Gentile communities learning to live faithful Christian lives. Exploring themes such as God's eternal plan, the unity of the church, and the fullness or life in Christ, these letters offer a sweeping and still relevant vision of faith in Christ and the church as his body.  (5 lessons)

Author: Vincent M Smiles with LittleRock Scripture Staff

ISBN: 978-0-8146-6454-4

Details: 104 pages 7" x 10" paperback

Publication Date: November 2019

The last chapters of the book of Isaiah offer a vision of new hope at the dawn of the postexilic period. The dense and complex imagery of light, espousal, and victory gives expression to the joyful reality of a return to Jerusalem and to the as-yet-unrealized dreams of rebuilding and repopulating what has been laid to waste.

Trito-Isaiah's proclamation of God's salvation or victory appears both as a brilliant light and a terrible darkness in these chapters. For while Yahweh's triumph means rejoicing for his righteous servants, it portends unspeakable horror for those who rebel against him.

Far from a remotely related appendix tacked on to the prophetic text, Niskanen examines Isaiah 5666within the broader context of the entire book of Isaiah, revealing the stylistic and thematic connections between these and earlier chapters and the significance of the poetical structures and imagery employed in Isaiah 5666.

Author: Paul V. NiskanenChris Franke, Editor

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814650684
Details: 136 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 09/19/2014

King David ranks among the most intriguing persons in the Hebrew Bible. The Second Book of Samuel tells the story of David's kingship-his public successes and his private foibles. The narrator's rehearsal of this story, as questioning as it is vivid, glimpses the secrets of David's heart.

In this commentary, Craig E. Morrison focuses on the aesthetics of the "art of the telling": how does the narrator succeed in breathing life into his portrait of David? How does he draw the reader into his story? This commentary is intended to accompany the reader's encounter with this ancient masterpiece so that one might cheer with David as he dances before the ark of God and weep with him as he grieves the death of his rebel son Absalom.

Morrison's careful reading of 2 Samuel brings the reader face-to-face with David, whose multifaceted character eludes facile labels.

Author: Craig E. Morrison, OCarm

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814650431
Details: 344 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 11/12/2013

Part Two of this study covers the final 25 chapters of Exodus. Beginning with the insecurity of the desert wanderings, to encountering God on Sinai and then constructing the tent of dwelling, God's people learn what it means to be part of a covenant with the one who liberates and also gives the Law to guide and direct them. 4 lessons.

Author: Stephen J. Binz with Little Rock Scripture Study Staff

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814664537
Details: 96 pgs , 7 x 10 paperback
Publication Date: 08/15/2019 

The exodus is the central event of the Old Testament, giving meaning to everything else we find in its pages. Part One of this study takes us through the first fifteen chapters of Exodus-from slavery to the call of Moses, from plagues to crossing the sea, from captivity to freedom in the Sinai. Discover that God hears those who are beaten down and liberates those who are in need of his justice. 5 lessons.

Author: Stephen J. Binz with Little Rock Scripture Study Staff

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814664520
Details: 80 pgs , 7 x 10 paperback 
Publication Date: 08/15/2019

The Gospel of Luke demonstrates the universal nature of Jesus' mission. In Part Two of this study (Luke 12:124:53), readers travel with Jesus from the region of Galilee to the city of Jerusalem, where Jesus will enter into his passion and resurrection. Luke's focus on God's faithfulness will encourage you to trust. Commentary, study and reflection questions, prayers and access to recorded lectures are included. 5 sessions.

Michael F. Patella, OSB, SSD, is professor of New Testament at the School of Theology at Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota. He is the author of Angels and Demons: A Christian Primer of the Spiritual World andWord and Image: The Hermeneutics of The Saint John's Bible (Liturgical Press). He is a contributor to The Bible Today and Give Us This Day published by Liturgical Press.

Little Rock Scripture Study is a ministry of the Diocese of Little Rock in partnership with Liturgical Press and has produced widely used and effective Bible study materials for adults for over forty years.

Author: Michael Patella, OSB, with Little Rock Scripture Study Staff

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814663691
Details: 96 pgs , 7 x 10 
Publication Date: 08/24/2018

The Gospel of Luke demonstrates the universal nature of Jesus' mission and the compassion of God. Part One of this study includes Luke 1:111:54, taking the reader from the infancy narratives of John the Baptist and Jesus to their births and then to the Galilean ministry of Jesus. Commentary, study and reflection questions, prayers and access to recorded lectures are included. 6 sessions.

Author: Michael Patella, OSB, with Little Rock Scripture Study Staff

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814663684
Details: 104 pgs , 7 x 10 
Publication Date: 08/27/2018

In his third back-to-basics look at the Bible, popular theology professor and bestselling Catholic author and speaker John Bergsma highlights the presence of Jesus in the psalms and helps us understand their meaning in light of the story of salvation. Bergsma employs the same conversational style and simple illustrations found in Bible Basics for Catholics and New Testament Basics for Catholics to help bridge the gap between the world of contemporary Catholics and the ancient world of the Bible.

In Psalm Basics for Catholics, John Bergsma introduces us to King David, the story of Israel, and the salvation of the Jewish people through the coming of Jesus.

For more than two thousand years, Christians have sung, chanted, and prayed the psalms, a practice of worship inherited from our Jewish ancestors in faith. Whether prayed during Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, or in personal reflection, these ancient hymns continue to be a guiding light for Catholics. Yet rarely do we step back and look at how the psalms fit into the story of salvation revealed in the Bible the way Bergsma does here.

Author: John Bergsma

Format: Paperback

Pages: 160

Trim size: 5.x 8.inches

ISBN: 978-1-59471-793-2

On-sale date: March 16, 2018