A Catholic Guide to the Old Testament

A Catholic Guide to the Old Testament

Hardcover
$39.99
Sale price  $39.99 Regular price  $39.99
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A Catholic Guide to the Old Testament
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A Catholic Guide to the Old Testament

$39.99
Sale price  $39.99 Regular price  $39.99
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Description

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.


Pages: 483

Dimensions: 6" x 9"

Hardcover



“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


If you would like to use A Catholic Guide to the Old Testament immediately, click here to see the e-book.

Product Details
SKU
9781954881877
Format
Hardcover
Binding
Casebound
Dimensions
L: 9.29, W: 6.26, D: 1.18
Page Count
483
Case Count
14
Language
English
Series
The Great Adventure
Publisher
Ascension
Ecclesiastical Designation
Imprimatur
Publication Date
May 01, 2023
Copyright Year
2023
About the Authors

Jeff Cavins

Jeff Cavins is recognized both nationally and internationally as one of the most effective and engaging speakers in the Church today. Few can communicate their love for Jesus Christ with as much zeal, clarity, and enthusiasm as Jeff Cavins. In addition to his outstanding presentations related to Catholic Bible study, Jeff is available to speak on a variety of other faith-formation topics.

After twelve years as a Protestant pastor, Jeff returned to the Catholic Church under the guidance of Bishop Paul Dudley. His conversion story, one of the best known and most inspiring stories of its kind, is chronicled in the best-selling book, My Life on the Rock. After his conversion, Jeff received an MA in Theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Over the past several decades, Jeff has dedicated his life to developing The Bible TimelineⓇ: The Story of Salvation, a practical, interactive program that helps people read the “big picture” of God’s plan of salvation in Sacred Scripture and understand its meaning for their lives.

For 2025, The Bible Timeline has been refreshed with new videos filmed on location in the Holy Land, Greece, Rome and several other locations, and new presenters such as Fr. Mike Schmitz, Mary Healy, and Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio. The Great Adventure Bible Timeline presents the entire sweep of the Bible in a way that is easy to understand and genuinely fun to engage. As the foundational element of The Great Adventure Learning System, the Bible Timeline has revolutionized Catholic Bible Study for hundreds of thousands of Catholics.

More from Jeff Cavins →

Dr. Andrew Swafford

Dr. Andrew Swafford is professor of theology at Benedictine College and a national speaker on a variety of Catholic topics including Sacred Scripture, St. John Paul II, and the moral life. Together with Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio, he is co-author of What We Believe: The Beauty of the Catholic Faith and co-host of Ascension’s video series under the same title, filmed at 30 holy sites in Rome. With his wife, Sarah, Dr. Swafford is also co-author of Gift and Grit: How Heroic Virtue Can Change Your Life and Relationships. He is also the general editor of, and a contributor to, Ascension’s best-selling Great Adventure Catholic Bible and the Catholic Guide to the Old and New Testaments (2 volumes).

Among Dr. Swafford’s other publications are Ascension’s Bible studies on Romans and Hebrews. Dr. Swafford holds a doctorate in Sacred Theology from the University of St. Mary of the Lake and a master’s degree in Old Testament and Semitic Languages from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Dr. Swafford is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, the Academy of Catholic Theology, and is a featured fellow at the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. Both he and Sarah are available for speaking engagements and can be contacted via Twitter or their website, The Swaffords.

Dr. Swafford is an avid student of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and lives with his wife Sarah and their six children in Atchison, KS.

More from Dr. Andrew Swafford →

Dr. Bill Rocha

Dr. Biff Rocha’s area of interest is the intersection of rhetoric and religion. He earned his master’s degree in speech communication and rhetoric from Miami University in beautiful Oxford, Ohio. While there, Biff enjoyed coaching the Miami University debate team. He was a missionary for a decade with the interdenominational parachurch organization, Campus Crusade for Christ. Eventually Biff earned a doctorate in Catholic theology. Biff has taught catechetics at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, theology at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, and the American Experience at the University of Dayton.

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Dr. Jeffrey Morrow

Dr. Jeffrey Morrow is professor of theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville and is the director of the St. Paul Studies Center at the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. He is a series editor for the Catholic University of America Press’ Verbum Domini series. He coauthored Ascension’s "A Catholic Guide to the Old Testament" and "A Catholic Guide to the New Testament". Jeff is also the coauthor and co-presenter for the best-selling Ascension study, "Luke: The Story of Salvation Fulfilled", alongside Jeff Cavins. Jeff holds a doctorate and a master’s degree in Catholic theology from the University of Dayton.

More from Dr. Jeffrey Morrow →

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