Understanding the Scriptures: The Didache Series Complete Bible Study Course by Dr. Scott Hahn

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An extraordinary textbook about the Bible. More than I had imagined, both in terms of making and contents. As for the shipping from the US to Spain, it couldn't have been faster or more careful.

This textbook gives an excellent overview of the entire bible, and the best explanation of Revelation In five pages or fewer that I have ever seen. Scott Hahn and others from Franciscan University also have more in-depth treatises of individual books in the Bible, but for my college-level class on Understanding the Scriptures, our professor hit a home run having this as our main text to round out the Bible and Catechism (tons of quotes which are found in Hahn's book). The maps helped me figure out where on earth all this was happening (I have yet to visit the holy land), and the pictures make this college class much more engaging and beautiful. Our class reads three chapters per week, then read approx ten bible passages mentioned by Hahn in those chapters, and then we are to go deeper with one of the passages, lectio-divine style. This book helps us link OT stories with NT ones. That is so vital, because otherwise you end up thinking the Bible is merely a bunch of random stories. I ended up really getting into Maccabees, Hosea, Revelation, and Acts of the Apostles much more than I ever have. And you come away from it all seeing that the Bible, put together to ensure all the Catholic masses on earth were reading and teaching the same thing, is a big love letter from our Lord.

My biggest complaint regarding this book is it's size. That may sound picky but I always question a Bible study book that doesn't leave room for the Bible on your desk. Yes, the volume has a spacious layout, wonderful color illustrations to catch one's eye, topics divided into very logical units that don't tax the attention span - all of which results in a large heavy book that contrasts with the dreary, solid text of the Bible.The volume is one of a series intended for high school students, RCIA participants and lay ecclesial ministers. The other volumes are:  Introduction To Catholicism: A Complete Course , Our Moral Life In Christ: A Complete Course, Third Edition  and  The History of the Church (The Didache Series) . Several characteristics set the Didache Series as a whole and Understanding the Scriptures in particular apart.1. They carefully document their sources for doctrine.2. They document the essential vocabulary - including words that people know in a more general sense.3. They don't dumb down the materials - the abstraction of the various covenants (Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David) are presented then charted as to how Christ fulfilled the covenant.4. They know how best to present various types of materials - verbal texts, tables, charts, drawings, photographs - which results in a content rich text.A weakness in this volume are the study questions - too easily answered from the textbook without actually reading the Bible. The application questions fair better.I can see thisme as a valuable teacher resource even if it is not the text of the class. So don't let my reservations dissuade you from purchasing a copy for personal use.

I purchased this book as the text book for my theology class. I have looked at many scripture teaching books, but none even comes close to this book. This is a fantastic companion teaching book for the Bible. It explains the pertinent passages as well as giving background on Church Fathers' thinking, citing exegetes and secular scholars. It even cites the Catechism codes where applicable.This text is written so that anyone, not just theology majors, can understand and learn a greater appreciation of the Bible. This book is used in adult formation and RCIA classes as well. It would be excellent for any Bible study group. **Make sure you get the STUDENT edition, and not the teacher's.**Its only con is that it does not have ancient Jewish customs and culture or society in general explanations so that we, some 2000 - 10,000 years post hence, can understand the context of the actions and incidents.***Pick up Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Manners And Customs- How The People Of The Bible Really Lived by Howard Vos, for that type of information.***As I said, and indispensable book that will be useful for the rest of my studies and beyond.

If the Bible is sometimes confusing to you, this is the book for you. Understanding The Scriptures: A Complete Course On Bible Study (The Didache Series)  It can be used in a group or individually. If you want to know how the Old Testament and the New Testament work together and get really into Scripture and history you will really like this book. It is not too hard to understand and makes the Bible come alive. It gives great insight into many historic and cultural things that by just reading the Bible you wouldn't pick up. When you study this you will understand. An aside, there is a free podcast available also that goes with the book that is given by Carson Weber. These two products are absolutely priceless. Don't wait to get either one of them. Youn will understand who and how the church was started and how it continues to this day after 2,000 years. You will never want to leave and will want to share all you have learned with everyone. I can't say enough about this book and the podcast. Together they are very powerful.

We already owned this book and wanted one to give as a gift to our Bible Study instructor. She loved it! We have the other books in the series and love them all.The company that sold us this book was excellent (Ergodebooks) and we had our book in less than half the time we expected! You can't ask for more than that!

My expensive book was water damaged, waves top & bottom in pages. It is an expensive book & I can see nowhere I can address thisIt is a beautiful book I will enjoy but not happy with damaged

Dr Scott Hahn is an incredible author and speaker. I have read man of his books and listened to many of his lectures. This partiular book was recommended by a priest and spiritual advisor.

This book is full of beauty, Scripture and teaching. It was the companion volume to a podcast Bible Study ([...]) using the same chapters by Carlton Weber and I decided for my Lenten Observance during the Forty Days to read and study the Old Testament, as St Augustine told us, the New Testament 'lies hidden in the Old and the Old is revealed in the new'.The whole book is used as a text book for what people have called 'the Best Bible Study on the web'.The depth of scholarship has transformed my understanding of Scripture, I know about the Covenants with Abraham, Noah and David and also in blue type the Catechism commmentary explaining and linking with the new.For example the story of the slavery of Joseph is given the Title 'God Turns Evil into an Instrument of Salvation' explaining how he saved his people and his own family from starvation.Natural Law, the Institution of the Jewish priesthood and how Catholicism grows out of early Jewish context. The podcast really made a great deal of it even clearer. The book with its full colour illustrations of beautiful pictures really adds to the joy of owning it.There are pictures of ancient scriptures in beautiful lettering, and psalms written out in full. The Covenants (Covenant I learned was the Hebrew equivalent of 'Testamentum'(latin) from which we get 'Testament'.These Covenants are studied in full, so we can see what Christ was to be. David was given a DYNASTY, a KINGDOM ,the King is given the title of Dod's adopted son, when annointed, Covenant unlimited in time and space, Jerusalem to be the centre of the world spiritually,the Temple would be the architectural sign of the Covenant and the literature of the Books of Wisdom were to be the new Torah.David's mother becomes the Great lady and important figure in the Kingdom, a prime minister, with the Office of the Keys is a permanent feature of the King and the Thank Offering of Bread and Wine becomes the main liturgy celebrated at the temple. This is an example of the study of the book, which draws exactly on David, his birthplace in Bethlehem, to point us to the New Testament, which later refers back to the Old.There are colourful maps explaining the journeys of the early Nomadic people.It , explains the political background and upheavals etc with approximate BC dates, the meanings of the names (Elijah means 'The Lord is my God'for example ,and keeps as its main theme, God trying to keep his people away from idolatry. The Explanation of the plagues is very interesting, it is like plumbing a mine of meaning which made it all very interesting, in stead of boring and picks out the important themes.I did not know that the Greek word for 'overshadow' only appears twice in the Bible. The first time was when the Holy Spirit descended and entered into the Tabernacle containing the Ark of tthe Covenant and took residence there, the second time when, as the Angel Gabriel had told Mary the Holy Spirit would 'overshadow' her and she would producce the a child who would be God, in the second person of the Trinity, making her womb another Tabernacle veiling the face of God.In fact the Book of Joh in the Greek, chapter 1 says'he came down from heaven and was 'tabernacled' amongst us in the Greek language in which it was written. 'Dwellt' is only a poor Engllish translation. Scott Hahn ([...])is a former Protestant who founded the St Paul Centre for Biblical Theology. He is a sought after speaker and teaches at the Franciscan University of Steubenville , lectures, speaks and also leads pilgrimages to the Holy Land.The book is a gem. I was put off by the price, but having received it found it to be that rare thing an heirloom and a great joy and source of deep, deep knowledge about Scripture.

Excellent book, great quality and delivered in great time considering it had to be imported. A definite buy.