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Table of Contents

ix
Abbreviations Used for the Books of the Bible

ix
General Abbreviations

x
Overview

T205
Catholic Prayers and Devotions

1
Chapter 1:
Knowing God Through Natural Revelation, Reason, and Faith

1a
Chapter Planning Guide

1c
Chapter Objectives

1c
Keys to this Chapter

1d
Key Ideas

4
Knowing God Through Reason

5
Sidebar: Wisdom 13: 1–9

6
Knowing God Through Natural Revelation

7
Sidebar: St. Thomas Aquinas and the “Five Ways”

9
Science and Reason

11
Sidebar: Principal Errors Regarding the Existence of God

12
God Makes Himself Known to Man

12
Natural Revelation Alone Is Insufficient to Fully Know God

14
Only Through Faith Can We Understand God’s Revelation

17
Sidebar: The Dialogue Between Faith and Culture

18
The Necessity of Faith in Knowing God

18
Faith and the Divine Plan of Salvation

18
Faith and the Way Leading to Faith

19
Sidebar: Faith: The Center of Divine Revelation

20
Faith Seeking Understanding

20
The Faith Is Understood in Prayer

22
Conclusion

23
Supplementary Reading

28
Study Questions

29
Practical Exercises

30
From the Catechism

31
Chapter 2:
Divine Revelation and Supernatural Faith

31a
Chapter Planning Guide

31c
Chapter Objectives

31c
Keys to this Chapter

31d
Key Ideas

33
Truths Revealed by God

34
God Draws His People to Himself

35
How Supernatural Truths Can Be Known

36
The Truthfulness of Divine Revelation

36
Sidebar: Motives of Credibility

37
Miracles

38
Sidebar: Test All Things

43
Prophecies

43
Christ Satisfies the Highest Human Aspirations

44
The Life of the Church

44
The Personal Dispositions Needed to Accept Divine Revelation

45
Divine Revelation Leads to Faith

45
Sidebar: Steps of Divine Revelation

46
The Motive and Object of the Act of Faith

47
Conclusion

48
Supplementary Reading

50
Long‑Term Assignment

52
Study Questions

53
Practical Exercises

54
From the Catechism

55
Chapter 3:
The Church Transmits the Revelation of Jesus Christ Through Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture

55a
Chapter Planning Guide

55c
Chapter Objectives

55c
Keys to this Chapter

55d
Key Ideas

58
The Church Transmits the Revelation of Jesus Christ

59
Sidebar: What Is an Ecumenical Council?

61
The Magisterium: The Church Teaches Infallibly

62
Sidebar: Apostolic Succession

63
Sacred Tradition

64
Sacred Tradition and Human Traditions

65
Sources of Sacred Tradition

66
Sidebar: Fathers of the Church

67
Sacred Scripture

67
Inspiration: God Is the Principal Author of Sacred Scripture

68
The Supernatural Content of the Bible

68
The Truth of Sacred Scripture

69
The Sanctity of Sacred Scripture

69
Interpreting Sacred Scripture

70
Literary Forms in Sacred Scripture

72
The Different Senses of the Bible

72
The Literal Sense

72
The Spiritual Sense

74
How to Read the Bible

74
Look to the Church for Guidance

75
What to Read First

75
Sidebar: How to Interpret the Bible

77
Pray

77
Faith

77
Sidebar: Isn’t the Bible about the past? Why should people today think it applies to them?

78
Conclusion

79
Supplementary Reading

84
Study Questions

85
Practical Exercises

86
From the Catechism

89
Chapter 4:
Sacred Scripture: The Inspired Word of God

89a
Chapter Planning Guide

89e
Chapter Objectives

89e
Keys to this Chapter

89f
Key Ideas

92
The Old Law Prepared the Way for the Gospel

93
The Books of the Old Testament

93
The Law

94
Sidebar: J, E, D, and P

96
History

98
Wisdom

98
Sidebar: What Is Wisdom Literature?

99
Prophecy

100
Sidebar: What Is Prophetic Literature?

102
The New Testament

102
Sidebar: Finding the Date

104
The Gospels

105
The Gospel of St. Matthew

106
The Gospel of St. Mark

106
The Gospel of St. Luke

107
The Gospel of St. John

108
The Acts of the Apostles

108
The Epistles

109
Sidebar: The Names to Designate Sacred Scripture

111
The Book of Revelation

111
The Canon of Sacred Scripture

112
Canon of the Old Testament

112
Sidebar: Deuterocanonical Books of the Old Testament

113
Canon of the New Testament

114
The Original Texts and Languages of the Bible

115
Translations of the Bible

115
The Septuagint

115
The Hexapla

115
The Vulgate

115
The New Vulgate

116
Sidebar: St. Jerome

117
Printed Editions

117
Protestant Versions of the Bible in English

117
Catholic Versions of the Bible in English

118
Conclusion

119
Supplementary Reading

122
Long‑Term Assignment

124
Study Questions

125
Practical Exercises

126
From the Catechism

127
Chapter 5:
The Old Testament: God Reveals Himself to His People

127a
Chapter Planning Guide

127e
Chapter Objectives

127e
Keys to this Chapter

127f
Key Ideas

129
Part I: The Promises to Adam

129
Creation Is Good

130
In the Image of God

131
Discovering the Fatherhood of God

132
The Covenant in Salvation History

132
The Fall

133
The First Gospel

133
The Curse

134
Evil

135
Part II: The Promises to Noah

135
A New Beginning

136
The Tower of Babel

137
Part III: The Promises to Abram

137
God Reveals Himself to Abraham

141
The Twelve Tribes of Israel

142
Part IV: The Covenant Through Moses

142
The Birth and Rescue of Moses

142
God Reveals His Name to Moses

143
The Passover

144
Escape from Egypt

145
God Reveals His Law

146
Sidebar: The Ten Commandments

147
Divine Worship Revealed

148
After the Fall

149
In the Wilderness

149
The Tabernacle: Heaven on Earth

150
The Nation of Israel

150
The Conquest of Canaan

151
Part V: The Promises to David

151
Samuel the King‑Maker

152
David: A Man After God’s Own Heart

153
Bringing the Ark to Jerusalem

154
The Promises to David

155
Imperial Israel

155
The Wisdom of Solomon

156
Wisdom Literature

156
Solomon Builds the Temple

157
King Solomon’s Pride and Apostasy

158
Prophets

158
The Assyrian Threat and the End of Israel

159
God’s Word Rediscovered

160
Revelation of Suffering and Hope: The Promise of a New Covenant

161
Sidebar: Isaiah’s Prophecy of the Messiah

162
Persian Rule

163
Beginning the New Jerusalem

163
Ezra Edits the Scriptures

164
The Promise Unfulfilled

164
Conclusion: God Prepares Israel for the Fullness of Revelation

165
Supplementary Reading

175
Study Questions

176
Practical Exercises

177
From the Catechism

179
Chapter 6:
Jesus Christ: The Fullness of Divine Revelation

179a
Chapter Planning Guide

179e
Chapter Objectives

179e
Keys to this Chapter

179f
Key Ideas

182
The Pharisees

183
The Sadducees

183
The Essenes

184
Herod the Great

184
Judea and Galilee

185
The Samaritans

185
Setting the Stage for Christ

186
The Spread of the Jewish Religion

187
Mary, the Mother of God

188
Sidebar: Titles of Mary

189
Sidebar: Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant

189
The Birth of Jesus

190
The Epiphany

191
Sidebar: The Magi

191
Jesus in the Temple

192
St. John the Baptist Makes Straight the Way

193
The Baptism of Christ

194
Miracles

195
Sidebar: Miracles of Christ

197
Sidebar: The Beatitudes

198
Eating With Sinners

198
The Twelve

198
Sidebar: The Twelve Apostles

199
Sidebar: The Our Father

199
The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ

200
The Last Supper

202
The Cup of Consummation

204
“I AM”

205
Pilate Examines Jesus

206
Condemned to Death

207
St. Peter and Judas

208
Jesus Crucified

209
Sidebar: Capital Punishment, Roman Style

211
It Is Finished

212
The Burial of Christ

213
The Women Who Met the Risen Lord

214
Fulfilling the Law and the Prophets

214
1. Comparison with Adam

215
2. Comparison with Noah

215
3. Jesus Fulfills the Promise to Abraham

215
4. Jesus Fulfills the Covenant Through Moses

217
5. Jesus Fulfills the Promises to David

218
Sidebar: The Four Marks of the Church

218
The New Kingdom

219
The Davidic Promises: Primary Features

219
The Davidic Promises: Secondary Features

220
Conclusion

221
Supplementary Reading

226
Long‑Term Assignment

229
Study Questions

230
Practical Exercises

230
From the Catechism

233
Chapter 7:
The Church Transmits God’s Revelation

233a
Chapter Planning Guide

233e
Chapter Objectives

233e
Keys to this Chapter

233f
Key Ideas

235
Jesus Bestows His Authority on the Apostles

236
Doubting Thomas

236
The Road to Emmaus: Jesus Revealed in the Eucharist

237
St. Peter’s Redemption in Galilee

239
Restoring the Kingdom

240
The Election of St. Matthias

240
Pentecost

242
The Riddle: How Can David’s Son Be David’s Lord?

244
St. Peter’s Authority

245
The Martyrdom of St. Stephen

246
Early Christian Worship

247
Sidebar: The Precepts of the Church

247
St. Philip Baptizes the Ethiopian

248
Saul the Persecutor

249
Saul’s Encounter with Jesus

250
Are Christians Bound by the Mosaic Law?

250
The Council of Jerusalem

251
What Jesus Taught About the End of History

252
The End of the Old Covenant

253
Sidebar: Particular Judgment

254
The Vision of the Heavenly Liturgy

254
The Liturgy of the Word

255
Sidebar: The Liturgy of the Word

255
Sidebar: The Liturgy of the Hours

259
The Heavenly Eucharist

260
The Beasts

262
Lectio Divina

264
The New Jerusalem

264
Conclusion: The End of the Story

266
Supplementary Reading

271
Study Questions

272
Practical Exercises

273
From the Catechism

STUDENT WORKBOOK

Student Workbook

T1
Chapter One

T9
Chapter Two

T17
Chapter Three

T27
Chapter Four

T37
Chapter Five

T59
Chapter Six

T75
Chapter Seven

RESOURCE MATERIALS

Chapter Tests

T90
Chapter One

T96
Chapter Two

T102
Chapter Three

T108
Chapter Four

T114
Chapter Five

T120
Chapter Six

T126
Chapter Seven

Chapter Quizzes

T134
Chapter One

T139
Chapter Two

T143
Chapter Three

T149
Chapter Four

T155
Chapter Five

T162
Chapter Six

T168
Chapter Seven

Vocabulary Reviews

T176
Chapter One

T179
Chapter Two

T182
Chapter Three

T185
Chapter Four

T188
Chapter Five

T191
Chapter Six

T194
Chapter Seven