Scriptural

Scriptural Reading Plan

The Bible, the Church teaches, is an anthology, a library of different books, whose key of interpretation is Jesus Christ.

This Christian understanding of interpretation is somewhat post-post-modern, because the original or intended interpretation of the book or text is not always how we best understand it.

We do not disregard the historical, however; rather, we read the historical anew through the lens of Christ.

Stage 1

1. C. S. Lewis’s “Is Theology Poetry?”
In this short article, presented here as a PDF, Lewis is posed, and answers the question of whether people believe the Gospel because it is aesthetically, poetically pleasing rather than because it is true. His answer is broad and encompasses questions of beauty, of science, and mythology.

2. Luke Timothy Johnson’s The Real Jesus
This work was written as critique for the so-called Jesus seminar which claimed to have found the "real Jesus." Drawing on the best biblical and historical scholarship, respected New Testament scholar Luke Timothy Johnson demonstrates that the "real Jesus" is the one experienced in the present through faith rather than the one found in speculative historical reconstructions.

Stage 2

1. Richard Bauckham’s and J. T. Pennington’s Reading the Gospels Wisely
The two authors show how the gospels, read as scripture within the framework of the whole New Testament, yield material for theological reflection and faithful practice. It is not enough to study the Gospels as literature or historical, the Gospels must be examined and encountered as a living story.

2. Richard Bauckham’s Jesus and the Eyewitnesses
Jesus and the Eyewitness argues that the four Gospels are closely based on the eyewitness testimony of those who knew Jesus. Bauckham challenges readers to end the classic division between the 'historical Jesus' and the'Christ of faith', proposing instead the 'Jesus of testimony' as presented by the Gospels.

Stage 3

1. Brant Pitre’s Case for Jesus
Pitre stands out among Biblical scholars as one of the best of his generation. As the Case for Jesus will show, recent discoveries in New Testament scholarship, as well as neglected evidence from ancient manuscripts and the early church fathers, together have the potential to pull the rug out from under a century of skepticism toward the traditional Gospels. Above all, Pitre shows how the divine claims of Jesus of Nazareth can only be understood by putting them in their ancient Jewish context.

2. N. T. Wright’s Paul
For centuries, Paul, the apostle who "saw the light on the Road to Damascus" and made a miraculous conversion from zealous Pharisee persecutor to devoted follower of Christ, has been one of the church’s most widely cited saints. While his influence on Christianity has been profound, N. T. Wright argues that Bible scholars and pastors have focused so much attention on Paul’s letters and theology that they have too often overlooked the essence of the man’s life.

Stage 4

1. Brant Pitre and John Bergsma's Catholic Introduction to the Bible: Old Testament
Unique among introductions, this volume places the Old Testament in its liturgical context, showing how its passages are employed in the current Lectionary used at Mass. Accessible to nonexperts, this thorough and up-to-date introduction to the Old Testament can serve as an idea textbook for biblical studies. Its unique approach makes it a valuable resource for seminarians, priests, Scripture scholars, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the Bible.

2. Joseph Ratzinger’s In the Beginning… (A free PDF may also be downloaded here)
In four superb homilies and a concluding essay, Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, provides a clear and inspiring exploration of the Genesis creation narratives.
While the stories of the world’s creation and the fall of humankind have often been subjected to reductionism of one sort or another ― literalists treat the Bible as a science textbook whereas rationalists divorce God from creation ― Ratzinger presents a rich, balanced Catholic understanding of these early biblical writings and attests to their enduring vitality.

Stage 5

1. Timothy Michael Law’s When God Spoke Greek
The Septuagint, the name given to the translation of the Hebrew scriptures between the third century BC and the second century AD, played a central role in the Bible's history. Yet gradually the Septuagint lost its place at the heart of Western Christianity. Timothy Michael Law recounts the story of the Septuagint's origins, its relationship to the Hebrew Bible, and the adoption and abandonment of the first Christian Old Testament.

2. N. T. Wright’s New Testament and its World
The New Testament in Its World is your passageway from the twenty-first century to the era of Jesus and the first Christians. A highly-readable, one-volume introduction placing the entire New Testament and early Christianity in its original context, it is the only such work by distinguished scholar and author N. T. Wright. An ideal guide for students.