Catechist's Guide to Scripture series You've Got Mail! The Catechist's Guide to Reading the New Testament Letters

In the Catechist's Guide to Scripture series, Steve Mueller offers a comprehensive, Catholic perspective on Scripture, punctuated by quotations, tables, sidebars, and discussion questions.  These books are simple enough that beginners can easily understand them, but with a richness that will give insights to even those who have studied the Bible in detail.

We hear from the New Testament Letters almost every Sunday, but the Old Testament and Gospels get most of our attention.  Use You've Got Mail to delve into these fascinating, faith-filled pieces if Scripture.

The aim of this book is to help you read more competently and so experience more richly the New Testament Letters as helpful catechetical resources both for maturing in your discipleship relationship with Jesus and for building up your Christian community today.

Part 1, The World of the Early Christians, provides some necessary background material about their urban social world and worldview that will allow you to understand better the historical situation in which the Letters were composed and what the authors, in particular Paul whom we know most about, were Experiencing as they created and sustained their new Christian identity in a non-Christian world.

Part 2, The New Testament Letters, offers a brief Reading Guide to each of the Letters, first those of Paul, then those of his followers and finally those of the other authors, focusing especially on the selections chosen for reading at Sunday Masses to help you become familiar with the Letters and discover what each offers us today.

Part 3, Reading Others’ Mail, offers several helpful resources that will help you use these Letters for:

• maturing in your own spirituality and building up your community
• further reading and study (including a handy glossary of helpful terms)
• personal reflection and small-group sharing

Steve Mueller, PhD, author of the 5 books in The Catechist’s Guide reading series from Faith Alive Books, has taught Philosophy, Theology, Scripture and Catholic Studies. He helped develop and taught for several years in the renowned Denver Catholic Biblical School, was editor-in-chief of the monthly periodical for Eucharistic spirituality Living with Christ and a managing editor for Morehouse Education Resources for lectionary-based catechesis and sacramental preparation. He is the current editor for Words of Grace: Daily Reflections & Prayers for Catholics for All Saints Press (www.AllSaintsPress.com).