Scott Hahn [Inconnu(e)] - Scripture Matters: Essays on Reading the Bible From the Heart of the Church

Comments on Scripture Matters

At Vatican II, the Council Fathers called for a greater access to Sacred Scripture for all the Christian faithful. They exhorted all of us to learn the surpassing knowledge of Jesus (Phil. 3:8), through the study of Sacred Scripture. I can think of no better introduction to this study than Scott Hahn's Scripture Matters .

R EV . M SGR . S TUART W. S WETLAND
Director, The Newman Foundation
University of Illinois

One does not have to agree with Dr. Hahn in all particulars of Scripture Matters to see that he succeeds admirably in stirring things up in the world of contemporary Catholic biblical scholarship in the United States. This book should prove to be a useful stimulus for getting all of us who love Scripture to come to terms with it in our lives.

R EV . J AMES S WETNAM , S.J.
Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome

Dr. Hahn has provided in Scripture Matters an invaluable series of essays that will not only help to keep students of Sacred Scripture on track, but also give them a sense of certitude concerning the Church's long-standing tradition of interpretation. After reading Scripture Matters , you will jump into Scripture study with a renewed zeal. Dr. Hahn's excitement for Scripture will rub off on youget ready!

J EFF C AVINS

OTHER BOOKS BY SCOTT HAHN

Author

Understanding Our Father:
Biblical Reflections on the Lord's Prayer
(Emmaus Road Publishing)

The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth

Hail Holy Queen:
The Mother of God in the Word of God

First Comes Love:
Finding Your Family in the Church and the Trinity

Lord, Have Mercy:
The Healing Power of Confession
(Doubleday)

A Father Who Keeps His Promises:
God's Covenant Love in Scripture
(Charis Books)

Coauthor

With Kimberly Hahn
Rome Sweet Home:
Our Journey to Catholicism
(Ignatius Press)

With Mike Aquilina
Living the Mysteries: A Guide for Unfinished Christians
(Our Sunday Visitor)

Coauthor and coeditor

Catholic for a Reason:
Scripture and the Mystery of the Family of God

Catholic for a Reason II:
Scripture and the Mystery of the Mother of God
(Emmaus Road Publishing)

General editor

The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible:
The Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel of Mark
The Gospel of Luke
The Acts of the Apostles
The Letter of St. Paul to the Romans
(Ignatius Press)

Emmaus Road Publishing
827 North Fourth Street
Steubenville, Ohio 43952

All rights reserved. Published 2003
Printed in the United States of America
10 09 08 07 2 3 4 5

Library of Congress Control?Number: 205404320
ISBN 1-931018-17-0
ISBN13: 978-1-931018-17-3

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken
from the Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1965, 1966 by the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the
United States of America. Used by permission.
All rights reserved.

Excerpts from the English translation of the
Catechism of the Catholic Church for the United States of America
copyright 1994, United States Catholic Conference, Inc.
Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
Modifications from the Editio Typica copyright 1997,
United States Catholic Conference, Inc.
Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Cited in the text as Catechism.

Cover design and layout by
Beth Hart
Cover artwork:
Sandro Botticelli, Madonna and Child (Madonna of the Book)

Nihil obstat: Rev. James Dunfee, Censor Librorum
Imprimatur: R. Daniel Conlon, D.D., J.C.D., Ph.D.
Bishop of Steubenville
October 2, 2003

The nihil obstat and imprimatur are official declarations
that a book or pamphlet is free of doctrinal or moral error.
No implication is contained therein that those who have
granted the nihil obstat and imprimatur agree with
the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

Contents

Foreword

The Church urges us to read the Bible, and to do so in the full context of the Church's centuries of reflecting on its meaning under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Because God's self-revelation infinitely transcends and surpasses us, God's help is an absolute necessity if we are to expand our horizons, so limited by sin, apathy, and human nature itself. The study of the Bible, by groups or individuals, remains an occasion of God's continuous grace and enlightenment to those who avail themselves of its riches. This is why the Church so strongly urges that studying and praying from the pages of Sacred Scripture should be the lifelong project of every Christian.

Dr. Scott Hahn's love for the Word of God is enthusiastically presented in Scripture Matters . He has a way, which is both readable and scholarly, of inspiring his readers to discover the great treasure of Scripture. His insights and contributions to biblical scholarship in this work will not go unnoticed or unappreciated. With the touch of a master's pen, he explains some very important and yet complex concepts concerning the reliability, efficacy, meaning, and importance of Sacred Scripture for Catholics.

Those familiar with the work of Dr. Scott Hahn know that he has consistently contributed valuable insight into the meaning of Sacred Scripture. Scripture Matters follows in that tradition and confirms his place in today's scholarly biblical debate. It is a good book for those who are just beginning to discover the great treasure of the Word of God, as well as for those who have already come to understand what a rich source of grace we have in the Bible.

It is easy to recommend Scripture Matters because, throughout the book, the deeply spiritual and profoundly scholarly work of Dr. Scott Hahn is evident. For someone who regularly turns to the pages of Sacred Scripture for spiritual nurture, or for someone who is only beginning to experience to goodness of God's Word, Scripture Matters is a truly enriching contribution.

The Sacred Scriptures are a precious gift of God to His people, and the priceless patrimony of the Church. They help us to know and to praise the living God. We should rejoice and thank God for the wondrous gift of God's revelation to us in Sacred Scripture. We can also be grateful for scholars such as Scott Hahn, who help us open the Scriptures in continuity with the living Tradition of the Church.

M OST R EV . D ONALD W. W UERL , M.A., S.T.D.
Bishop of Pittsburgh

Preface

I should not spend too many words in introducing this book. Scripture Matters is, after all, itself an introduction to another book: the Holy Bible. I originally wrote each of the following chapters as essays to help people to read the Bible with greater understanding and insight.

When I adapted the essays for this book, I arranged them in a certain logical sequence. The first two focus on the basic principles of reading and interpreting the Bible. The third chapter focuses on the idea of covenant, which is perhaps the most important key to understanding the Scriptures of Israel and of the Church. In chapters 4 and 5, I look to the life and work of one of history's greatestand most misunderstoodinterpreters of the Bible, Saint Thomas Aquinas. In , I examine the biblical spirituality of a more recent saint, Josemara Escriv, who has had a profound influence on my own life and work.