Introduction to the Bible

Catholics are often reluctant to begin reading the Bible, this for various reasons. Perhaps we hang on to the notion that the Bible is a book meant for display, for recording the dates of family members' births, baptisms, marriages, and deaths. Or perhaps we once attempted to read the Bible and discovered there a culture entirely different from ours--and came to the conclusion that the Bible had nothing relevant to say to us in this place and time. Attentive to these and the many other reasons Catholics might give for not reading Scripture, Stephen Binz offers practical explanations that will make the Bible less foreign and more familiar. Introduction to the Bible allows readers to discover how the Bible came to be, how to choose a Bible translation, how to interpret the Bible within Catholic tradition, and how to benefit the most from Bible study. Of greatest importance, however, readers will come to understand the transforming power of God's word as they more intimately come to know the Word Incarnate, Jesus Christ.

Stephen J. Binz is a member of the Catholic Biblical Association and the Society of Biblical Literature