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September 28, 2008

Knowing Scripture = knowing ChristUpcoming World Synod of Bishops on the Bible calls to attention to increased interest in the Word of God by Catholics in the archdiocese

By Joyce Duriga

EDITOR

By and Michelle Martin

ASSISTANT EDITOR

St. Jerome said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” Pope Benedict XVI has echoed these words several times since ascending to the chair of Peter and has called together the world synod of bishops to discuss the importance of the Bible in today’s church Oct. 5-26.

Our own Cardinal George will participate in the month-long gathering at the Vatican. The last synod of the world’s bishops took place in 2005 on the Eucharist.

Catholics have a better familiarity with the Bible than they often think they do because if they attend Sunday Mass for a three-year span, they hear almost the entire Bible read to them. We may not be able to quote chapter and verse like other Christians, but we know the stories.

The synod’s working document acknowledges the growing interest among Catholics to study the Bible, in particular in developing countries. In the United States and Europe “The Bible remains a very closed book,” said Father Peter Damian Akpunonu, a professor of biblical exegesis at the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein. Akpunonu is a member of the International Theological Commission, whose members are appointed by the pope, and will attend the synod as an expert.

Careful reading

Akpunonu, whose expertise is the Old Testament, said he has been reading the Bible since he was 10. But he doesn't recommend that people start studying it without guidance.

“You have to be careful about private interpretation,” he said. “Anybody can claim interpretation and that they are moved by the Holy Spirit.”

Akpunonu said he believes the synod fathers will discuss, among other things, formation of priests on the Bible so they can guide Catholics through Scripture studies and answer their questions. Supporting Catholics as they study the Bible is necessary, he said. “You need guidance, there are no two ways about it.”

Over the last 10 years, Scripture study by U.S. Catholics has increased exponentially. Bible studies are regularly offered by parishes and many materials have been published to help Catholics study, individually or in groups.

How do we start?

“One way to begin is to take one of the four Gospels and read it all the way through,” said Cardinal George. “Then a commentary can be used to help understand particular passages in their immediate historical context.”

“It is important to approach Holy Scripture with a sense of the entire Bible as a written witness to what God has done for his people over the centuries. God is not only the primary author of Scripture; He is the primary actor. We should read and meditate on passages of Scripture to discover how God acts,” he said.

“Lastly, we should not leave a reading or study of Holy Scripture without asking what God asks of us now in the light of the words of Scripture. Personally, I always find spiritual light and nourishment in the Gospel according to St. John and in St. Paul’s second letter to the Church in Corinth,” the cardinal said.

Numbers up

Jeff Cavins, who developed “The Great Adventure” Bible study program, said he has no doubt that the number of lay Catholics who are studying Scripture is growing every year.

“We’re seeing the fruit of John Paul II and the new evangelization,” said Cavins, who was to come to Chicago Sept. 26-28 for a series of presentations, including a one-day version of “The Great Adventure.”

The Great Adventure will train new leaders at its “Called to Lead” program Nov. 7- 8 at St. Lambert Parish, Skokie. The Bible study program usually includes 24 weekly meetings, and is presented in at least 2,500 parishes in the United States.

Cavins said the program works for people who may not have had much exposure to Scripture because it shows the narrative framework of the Bible, rather than looking at it book by book, and getting bogged down in a variety of different literary forms.

“Many people try to read the Bible on their own,” he said. “Say they start in January with Genesis. They usually get lost somewhere around March, when they get to Leviticus.”

“We present the Bible study as a part of God’s plan of shared goodness,” Cavins said. “They are looking for a plan for their life, a plan for their marriage. … God’s plan of shared goodness is his personal love letter to us, his revelation of himself.”

Converts leading

Cavins said converts are leading the greater use of Catholic Bible study.

“We’re kind of used to this," said Cavins, speaking of Protestants who have traditionally relied on the Bible for religious authority. Catholicism relies on both Scripture and tradition, and in generations past, Catholics were sometimes discouraged from reading Scripture and forming their own conclusions.

Still, Cavins said, by far, most participants in Catholic Bible studies are cradle Catholics. Some have never attended a Bible study before, some have attended Protestant Bible studies while practicing their Catholic faith and some have left the church and are looking to return.

“Scripture is the road map back to the heart of the church," he said. Still, Cavins said, most lay Catholics are not ready for formal academic study of the Bible.

“It has to be a pastoral approach,” he said. “We want people to see they can implement this – how practical God’s teaching is in daily life.”

Passionist Father Donald Senior, president of Catholic Theological Union and the only U.S. representative to the Pontifical Biblical Commission, said that parish-level Bible studies vary widely in what they offer their participants.

While 25 percent of Catholics told researchers from the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism at the University of Notre Dame that they had participated in some kind of Scripture program, many simply use a Bible passage as a starting point for reflections and personal sharing.

Others, such as the Little Rock Scripture Study program, have a more formal structure. Several dioceses have started more in depth Scripture programs for lay Catholics, such as the Chicago Catholic Scripture School. Such programs often last two years or more, and attract people who go on to lead parish Bible study groups.

All of that activity is contemplated in the last chapter of Dei Verbum, the Second Vatican Council document on divine revelation, which also includes instructions on the translation of Scripture, the use of Scripture in homilies and the need for Catholics to read and understand Scripture.

“What’s amazing to me is how much of that has been implemented,” he said. “Without doubt, the church's languages and use of symbols has become much more biblical.”

That extends to areas such as moral theology, systematic theology and homiletics, all subjects that must be mastered by men preparing for the priesthood.

“It really reinforces the responsibility of the church to be more biblically attuned,” Senior said.

Studying Scripture is important for all Catholics, not just clergy, he said.

“It does nourish them and affect their spirituality,” he said.

What’s your study?

There are many Bible studies available to Catholics today and more are being developed. Some studies for groups and individuals include:

  • Little Rock Scripture Study
    www.littlerockscripture.org, (800) 858-5434
    Parish-based studies that include personal study, group meetings, a Lecture and prayer. Last several weeks.
  • Come and See Bible Study
    www.catholicbiblestudy.net,(772) 234-1404
    A series of adult Bible Studies with companion studies for pre-school and early elementary school children.
  • Great Adventure Bible Series
    www.greatadventureonline.com,(800) 376-0520
    Authored by Jeff Cavins, a Catholic Bible learning system that makes the complex simple by teaching the story (the narrative) of the Bible. Several types and lengths are available.
  • Courageous Bible Study series for women
    www.emmausroad.org,
    Intended for individual or group study, our Courageous series examines the teaching of Sacred Scripture on women and the feminine pursuit of holiness for women of all ages and walks of life.
  • Six Weeks With the Bible series
    www.loyolabooks.org, (800) 621-1008
    Each guide is divided into six concise, 90-minute segments that introduce one book of the Bible.
  • Paulist Bible Study Program
    www.paulistpress.org,(800) 218-1903
    Inexpensive study program offers workbooks for both leaders and students.
  • Ignatius Study Bible Series
    www.ignatius.com, 800-651-1531
    The Ignatius Study Bible is offered in a set or as individual books that includes commentary, topical essays, word studies and charts.
  • Navarre Bible Series
    www.amazon.com, local bookstore
    The Navarre Bible is an assemblage of the full biblical text used in the Revised Standard Version. From the University of Navarre, Spain, this series includes thorough commentaries and notes to help the reader better understand the doctrinal and practical meanings of the Bible.
  • The Catholic Study Bible
    By Father Don Senior,
    www.amazon.com, local bookstore
    This one-volume Bible offers intermediate and advanced students background information on the historical, literary and theological dimensions of the Scriptures.
  • St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology
    www.salvationhistory.com
    Online Scripture study started by Scott Hahn that allows participants to go at their own pace and study at their own time. This free study has several tracks available.
  • La Biblia Comentada por los Padres dela Iglesia
    www.newcitypress.com,(800) 462-5980
    This series encompasses the entire canon of Scripture and offers Spanishlanguage readers biblical commentaries of the Fathers of the church.