The Bible Compass: A Catholic’s Guide to Navigating the Scriptures
Overview
The Bible is central to the Catholic faith. But approaching such a large and complex collection of writings that span thousands of years can be intimidating. We need a guide, a compass to set us off on the right course so that our time spent studying the Scriptures is a time spent encountering the living God.
The Bible Compass provides readers with the tools to study the Word of God with confidence and purpose. This book demonstrates how to read the Bible within the living Tradition of the Catholic Church, and it addresses all the common questions about the Bible.
Catholics are called to have an intimate knowledge of Jesus Christ and the Church as revealed in the Scriptures. Reading the Bible with the proper tools and in the appropriate context will help you grow in your love for the Faith and in your relationship with Jesus Christ.
In Logos, The Bible Compass integrates with ease, making your research more complete. Scripture passages link directly to your preferred translation and original language texts. Hovering over Scripture references links you instantly to the verse you’re looking for, and with a wealth of tools from Logos you can delve into your study like never before.
- Addresses common, fundamental questions about the Bible
- Discusses the four senses of Scripture
- Explores the Dead Sea Scrolls
- Part I: Divine Revelation: The Unveiling of God
- Is the Bible Really Inspired by God?
- Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium
- Part II: Five Keys for Interpreting Scripture Correctly
- The First Key: Discover the Author’s Intention
- The Second Key: Be Attentive to the Unity of Scripture
- The Third Key: Read Scripture within the Living Tradition of the Church
- The Fourth Key: Read Scripture within the Symphony of God’s Revelation
- The Fifth Key: Use the Four Senses of Scripture
- Part III: Where Did the Bible Come From?
- The New Testament Canon and the Gnostic “Gospels”
- Why Are Catholic Bibles Bigger? The Old Testament and the Deuterocanonical Books
- Part IV: Biblical Background
- Taking God at His Word: Is the Bible Trustworthy?
- The World of the Bible: Archaeology, Geography, and History
- Knowing God’s Story: The Twelve Periods of Biblical History
- Getting Started: Translations, Resources, and Methods
- Lectio Divina: Praying Scripture
Top Highlights
“Thanks to the unity of God’s plan, not only the text of Scripture but also the realities and events about which it speaks can be signs.” (Page 62)
“Here are a few other examples: St. Peter views Noah’s Ark, which saved people during the waters of the flood, as shedding light on the sacrament of baptism, which now saves Christians by our passing through the waters of the new covenant (1 Pt 3:20–21). Hebrews describes Israel’s tabernacle, high priest, and sacrifices as ‘a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary’” (Pages 59–60)
“The New Testament we have today is not only trustworthy; its books are by far the most reliable texts we have from the ancient world.” (Page 72)
“If we cannot trust the New Testament manuscript tradition, then all university history and classics departments across the country would have no reliable documents from which to teach about the ancient world!” (Page 73)
“These manuscripts were copied with great care and reverence.” (Page 73)
- Title: The Bible Compass: A Catholic’s Guide to Navigating the Scriptures
- Author: Edward Sri
- Publisher: Ascension Press
- Publication Date: 2009
- Pages: 157
Reviews
6 ratings
Deacon Tim Johnson
12/30/2014
kentuckyliz
8/14/2014
Tom Smith
10/19/2013
Faithlife User
10/1/2013
Dave Crosby
9/13/2013
Antonius
6/12/2013
(A review of the print version) The purpose of this book is simple: to help you understand the Bible when you are reading it. The ideas and concepts that the author writes about are not new, and are not from him. The concepts have developed within the community of biblical scholars for almost 2000 years. These are concepts that the intellectual giants of church history like St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine and St. Gregory the Great have used and taught. The great value of this book is that the author has organized and explained these concepts in such a way that makes them easy to learn and apply. There are many references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Sacred Scripture, and to documents of the Second Vatican Council, in particular: Dei Verbum. In this book I seam to have highlighted something on almost every page. This is the perfect book for someone who has tried to read the Bible, but has struggled with understanding and interpreting what they have read.
