One of the most prized Bible translations, the Confraternity edition of Challoner-Rheims, is presented here as a “Reader’s Bible,” offering the sacred words of Scripture in the form in which they were originally written – without all the verse numbers, section heads, comments, references, and footnotes that, although valuable to scholars, clutter up most Bibles today, drawing attention away from the meaning of the Sacred Text itself. The early Christians read “the inspired Word of God” without all those academic distractions. Now, with this Catholic Reader’s Bible, you finally can too. Instead of double columns that squeeze short lines of text up against each other, here you’ll find generous, single-column pages graced with handsome, readable type. For navigation purposes, the top of each page lists the range of verses on that page. Plus, this venerable eighteenth-century translation by Richard Challoner, Roman Catholic bishop of England, relies on the long-revered Douay-Rheims Bible and employs language that is more intelligible and familiar today – which is certainly a boon for those of us who open our Bibles not as scholars but as seekers yearning simply to come to know and to love God. If you’ve never read God’s Word in this way – as it was written – then you are in for an exciting and inspiring experience. The Catholic Reader’s Bible is perfect for brief devotional moments as well as for long, delightful hours of extended reading.

Carry the Pocket Gospels and Acts of the Apostles with you, and keep the Word of God as your constant guide and inspiration! in April, Pope Francis handed out thousands of pocket-sized copies of the Gospels and Acts. He asked the faithful to read a passage every day, saying, "This is the word of Jesus!" This small pocket-sized book, with a durable Kivar cover, has the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles with a beautiful Italian fresco on the cover just like the Pope's! Take it with you and read it anytime you have a few minutes during the day. On the bus! Waiting for an appointment! Anytime!

Acts is the sequel to Luke's gospel and tells the story of Jesus's followers during the 30 years after his death. It describes how the 12 apostles, formerly Jesus's disciples, spread the message of Christianity throughout the Mediterranean against a background of persecution. With an introduction by P.D. James

Award-winning author and theology professor John Bergsma follows up his popular Bible Basics for Catholics—which has sold more than 60,000 copies—with a more in-depth look at the New Testament. Using simple illustrations and the same clear, conversational style that characterized his earlier book, Bergsma introduces four of the most important writers in the New Testament: Matthew, Luke, Paul, and John. With humor and simple illustrations, theology professor John Bergsma focuses on Matthew, Luke, Paul, and John, whose writings comprise about 90 percent of the New Testament. The gospel of Matthew, written for Jewish Christians, illuminates the life and teachings of Christ as the long-promised Messiah. In Luke's gospel, readers will delve into the infancy and Triduum narratives, as well as the Acts of the Apostles and the life of the early Church. This leads the reader to discover St. Paul and his first and arguably greatest theological treatise: Romans. Finally, “the beloved apostle” St. John draws us in to the unsurpassed beauty of the fourth gospel, as well as the most mysterious book of the New Testament: the book of Revelation. A concluding chapter offers suggestions for further study. Intended as an introductory work for those who are new to scripture study, New Testament Basics for Catholics does not aspire to be a comprehensive guide to all twenty-seven books of the New Testament, but is intended to lay the foundation for a lifetime of scripture reading.

This volume inaugurates a series of accessibly written yet substantive commentaries for use in Catholic universities, seminaries, and parishes.

“This book will prove to be a most effective weapon… against the debunking and skeptical attitudes toward the Gospels that are so prevalent, not only in academe, but also on the street, among young people who, sadly, are leaving the Churches in droves.” – Robert Barron, author of Catholicism For well over a hundred years now, many scholars have questioned the historical truth of the Gospels, claiming that they were originally anonymous. Others have even argued that Jesus of Nazareth did not think he was God and never claimed to be divine. In The Case for Jesus, Dr. Brant Pitre, the bestselling author of Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist, goes back to the sources—the biblical and historical evidence for Christ—in order to answer several key questions, including: • Were the four Gospels really anonymous? • Are the Gospels folklore? Or are they biographies? • Were the four Gospels written too late to be reliable? • What about the so-called “Lost Gospels,” such as “Q” and the Gospel of Thomas? • Did Jesus claim to be God? • Is Jesus divine in all four Gospels? Or only in John? • Did Jesus fulfill the Jewish prophecies of the Messiah? • Why was Jesus crucified? • What is the evidence for the Resurrection? 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.

Why are there differences in the stories of the Gospels? Licona turns to Greek classicist Plutarch for an answer, assessing differences that appeared when Plutarch told the same story more than once in his Lives. He suggests the differences in the Gospels often resulted from their authors employing the same compositional devices used by Plutarch.