Little Rock Scripture Study Little Rock Catholic Study Bible Paperback

I received a copy of Little Rock Catholic Study Bible as a gift from Sr. Irene Nowell. Until I started working with it, I didn't even realize I needed a new Bible! It is magnificent, a true labor of scholarship and love. Every page draws one more deeply into the text, its history and its meaning.

If reading Scripture gives rise to questions, it is a gift of God, a grace. To be drawn more deeply into the biblical landscape-the people and places, the deepest needs and desires of ancient communities of faith-is fertile ground for our transformation as Christian disciples. I know of no better resource to aid this sacred encounter than the Little Rock Catholic Study Bible. It is my most-used resource as an editor, a writer, and a person always being schooled in the practice of daily prayer. Whether for personal reflection, for the classroom or small-group study, the Little Rock Catholic Study Bible is the most reliable of companions.

I received my Little Rock Catholic Study Bible yesterday after a much anticipated wait. I am so thrilled with it, I am overjoyed. It is like taking a scholarly course, there is such an abundance of information and it is so beautifully done. Thank you for making it available, and many blessings on all involved. I have two masters, in education and library science, my husband has one in international relations. I am a Catholic returning ‘home’ and this Bible is a key in my spiritual life.

This study edition of the New American Bible is intended to help readers uncover the layers of meaning in a given book or passage of Scripture so that the words on the page may come to life.

Most Bibles contain footnotes and cross references, as well as introductory essays that introduce the respective biblical book. Some versions are called `Study Bibles' and include lengthy essays in the front of the volume. While The Little Rock Catholic Study Bible contains customary introductory information written by several well-know scripture scholars, it has placed explicit study information on the page where the specific reference is found. Such study material includes definitions of terms and ideas, information about various characters, archaeological findings, relevant Church teachings, hints for personal prayer, and links with liturgical celebration. Pictures, charts, and related lists are also strategically placed throughout. All one needs for the initial study of the Bible is found within the pages of this remarkable volume.

The Little Rock Catholic Study Bible offers first rate scholarship and pastoral sensitivity in bringing the word of God to all who desire to deepen their understanding of its message as a living word that fosters faith in its readers.

This is an outstandingly helpful resource. It offers both a window and a mirror into Sacred Scripture. It draws us in, speaks to our hearts, and compels us to act as disciples. A must for all groups that gather around Scripture.

With its readable translation, lucid introductory essays, informative notes, and rich commentaries, Little Rock Catholic Study Bible is now easily the best didactic tool for Catholics to learn about the Bible not only as a historical and literary document but also as the inspired Word of God. A fruit of many years of collaborative work by eminent biblical scholars, this Bible is now placed in the hands of Christians, Catholics, and non-Catholics alike, so that their minds and hearts may be formed and nurtured by the ways God has spoken and acted in history. Thanks to their monumental labor the renewal of the church as envisaged by Vatican II, especially in its dogmatic constitution on Divine Revelation, will be brought a step closer to fulfillment.

A prophet proclaimed, `When I found your words I devoured them; they became my joy and the happiness of my heart' (Jeremiah 15:16). What a wonderful gift the Little Rock Catholic Study Bible is for the People of God, especially those who hunger for God but are puzzled or intimidated by God's Word. Clear background information, explanations, and charts throughout its pages help make the Word of God palatable for modern readers. In addition, pictures of the holy sites, like seasoning, make Scripture more appealing; and prayer starters encourage savoring it. By feasting at the table of the Word as presented in this study Bible, readers will be drawn to Jesus, who is the ultimate Word and source of eternal joy.

As a coordinator of the Los Angeles Archdiocese Catholic Biblical Institute, I am always searching for resources that will enhance the lectures and required reading of our students. The Little Rock Catholic Study Bible lives up to its claim as an `all-in-one-resource.' Significant church documents on the Bible, as well as the church's use of the Bible in liturgy and social justice, help guide the reader to a Catholic approach to reading Scripture. Introductory notes on each book of the Bible, indexes, extensive footnotes, cross references, clarification of difficult terms and ideas, color maps, time-lines, charts and photographs, together with prayer starters, provide everything necessary for a successful encounter with God's Word.

The Little Rock Catholic Study Bible provides readers with just the right amount of background information needed to read the Bible with insight and understanding. Presented in an attractive format, it relates Scripture to liturgy, and it shows how a prayerful reading of the Biblical text leads to a more mature spiritual life.