For far too long the Bible has been studied as just one among many historical and cultural documents from ancient history. That it is a foundational text for Western civilization is clear. What is too often forgotten or ignored in academic discussions, however, is that the Bible has also inspired the lives of countless saints throughout history; men and women who sought to love God and love neighbor to the point of offering heroic sacrifices, sometimes giving up their very lives. Much of biblical scholarship over the past two centuries, however, has reduced the Bible to a dead historical document with little-to-no relevance for today, beyond intellectual curiosity. This, in part, lies at the root of the tragic separation of theology from biblical studies. That theology and biblical exegesis are at an impasse has become a commonplace in academic discourse. Liturgy and Sacrament, Mystagogy and Martyrdom is an attempt to bridge the gap between theology and exegesis. It seeks to develop a theological interpretation of Scripture relying upon the best of traditional Christian exegesis and modern biblical scholarship, so that the Bible can serve, once again, as the wellspring of Christian life.

Illuminate your understanding of the Old Testament with introductions and context for each of its 46 books. The Old Testament makes up over half of the Bible and spans the vast majority of Scripture’s historical timeline, yet the ancient culture in which it was written and the unspoken context of its books mean that much of its wisdom can be difficult for readers to understand. Now Catholics can be invigorated in the study of Scripture, connect with the story of God’s Chosen People, and uncover new meaning in the Old Testament’s narrative with A Catholic Guide to the Old Testament. This comprehensive yet accessible introduction to the Old Testament seeks to unveil the mysteries of divine revelation contained in the Old Testament and unlock the hidden details of this God-given text. It helps Catholics become better acquainted with each book’s human author, main characters, and important points in order to transform their understanding of the “big picture” of Scripture and its meaning for their lives. Written by 4 highly regarded biblical scholars, this guide to the Old Testament contains: 46 introductions to each of the Old Testament’s books, including the book’s relationship to the New Testament and Catholic Tradition, its significance to the greater story of salvation, who wrote it and when, major characters, key events, and themes, and more! Over a dozen full-color charts outlining major feasts, kings and prophets, covenants, genealogies, and more. 15 full-color maps depicting the journeys of Abraham, desert wanderings of the Israelites, major kingdoms and empires, and more. Over 20 articles on the topics of geography, laws, sacrifice, literature, the canon of Scripture, archaeology and the accuracy of the biblical narrative, and more. The Bible Timeline® color coding—the same system used in the chart-topping podcast The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)™ featuring Jeff Cavins. With this Catholic guide, readers will no longer wonder how each of the Old Testament’s books contributes to the narrative of Scripture or struggle to understand its main characters, historical context, and literary forms. The only introduction to the Old Testament based on The Bible Timeline Learning System, A Catholic Guide to the Old Testament is the perfect companion to The Great Adventure Catholic Bible and the various studies of The Great Adventure® Bible Study program. “I know no other book like this. It gives a clear, complete, precise account of salvation history. It is based on solid scholarship. And yet it never bogs down, never loses the drama of the narrative. The authors succeed because they never lose sight of Christ, who is the fulfillment of the Old Testament and the key to its interpretation. A Catholic Guide will make you want to study, want to learn, and then want to teach others: family members, friends, and fellow parishioners. You’ll find no better guide for this purpose. I plan to use it in my Old Testament courses. Highly recommended.” —Dr. Scott Hahn, The Father Michael Scanlan TOR Professor of Biblical Theology and the New Evangelization at the Franciscan University of Steubenville and President of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology "This introduction to the Old Testament achieves the rare feat of being deeply informative yet eminently readable. Catholics previously intimidated or confused by the Bible will find that it makes God’s Word readily accessible for the first time, and it makes the ideal companion to The Great Adventure Catholic Bible." —Dr. Matthew Ramage, Catholic author, biblical scholar, and professor of theology at Benedictine College

For much of the history of both Judaism and Christianity, the Pentateuch—first five books of the Bible—was understood to be the unified work of a single inspired author: Moses. Yet the standard view in modern biblical scholarship contends that the Pentateuch is a composite text made up of fragments from diverse and even discrepant sources that originated centuries after the events it purports to describe. In Murmuring against Moses, John Bergsma and Jeffrey Morrow provide a critical narrative of the emergence of modern Pentateuchal studies and challenge the scholarly consensus by highlighting the weaknesses of the modern paradigms and mustering an array of new evidence for the Pentateuch’s antiquity. By shedding light on the past history of research and the present developments in the field, Bergsma and Morrow give fresh voice to a growing scholarly dissatisfaction with standard critical approaches and make an important contribution toward charting a more promising future for Pentateuchal studies.

A child begs her father to take her to the baseball game, where she roots for the home team and eats peanuts and Cracker Jack.

Mystagogy: A Monastic Reading of Dionysius Areopagita proposes an interpretation of the Pseudo-Dionysian corpus in light of the liturgical and ascetic tradition that defined the author and his audience. Characterized by both striking originality and remarkable fidelity to the patristic and late neoplatonic traditions, the Dionysian corpus is a coherent and unified structure, whose core and pivot is the treatise known as the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy. Given Pseudo-Dionysius' fundamental continuity with earlier Christian theology and spirituality, it is not surprising that the church, and in particular the ascetic community, recognized that this theological synthesis articulated its own fundamental experience and aspirations. Alexander Golitzin is professor emeritus of patristics at Marquette University and a bishop in the Orthodox Church. He specializes in the origins of Eastern Christian ascetical and mystical tradition. He is the author of `Et introibo ad altare Dei': The Mystagogy of Dionysius Areopagita (Patriarchal Institute); St. Symeon the New Theologian on the Mystical Life: The Ethical Discourses, 3 vols. (St Vladimir's Seminary Press); and New Light from the Holy Mountain (St. Tikhon's Seminary Press), as well as several studies collected in The Theophaneia School: Jewish Roots of Christian Mysticism, ed. AndreiOrlov and Basil Lurie (Gorgias).

What is the relationship of liturgy to theology? The author describes the economic nature of liturgy in order to reimagine cosmology, sacrifice, the figural reading of Scripture, and metaphysical realism where liturgy itself enacts an apocalypse of transcendent realities.