This title offers reflections on the Sunday readings from leading Catholic biblical scholar, Henry Wansbrough OSB. Leading Catholic biblical scholar Henry Wansbrough provides a pithy and readable commentary covering all the Sunday readings for years A, B and C. Wansbrough provides incisive commentary informed by his many years of teaching and praying scripture as a scholar and Benedictine monk of Ampleforth Abbey, and member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission. For each Sunday a short commentary on the three readings is given, together with questions and suggestions for personal reflection, and a section for families looking at the readings together. A section covering major feasts, especially those which at times take the place of the Sunday is presented at the back of the book.

The SPCK Bible Guide is designed as a navigational tool for readers who want to gain a broad overview of the Bible, grasp its major themes and understand its key teachings. Both Old and New Testaments are broken down into easy-to-manage sections - each containing a narrative summary, key quotations, and a helpful commentary explaining the essential concerns of the original authors. The book may be used with any good translation of the Bible, and includes the seven books contained in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament used by the early Church). Bible quotations are from the NRSV. The Guide is the ideal entry-point for people of all religious backgrounds who want to gain a clear and comprehensive view of what the Bible contains and what it means for today.

This is a helpful companion for anybody wanting to venture deeper into the Book of Psalms for personal reading and prayer. It also offers guidance for those preaching the Psalms and using them for group study and worship. Revised and expanded from readings first published in BRF's Guidelines notes, the book provides accessible comment and reflection on every one of the 150 Psalms in Scripture, Henry Wansbrough draws on his years of living and working in the Middle East to provide insight into the historical, literary and cultural background, as well as showing how these ancient texts can still guide and inspire us in our Christian walk today.

The People's Bible Commentary series presents scholarly insights in straightforward terms, aiming to instruct the head but also to warm the heart, and pointing to how the truths received can be applied personally. A special boxed set edition brings together five best-loved titles in the series to mark BRF's centenary. Matthew's gospel is clear, organised and practical, giving prominence to Jesus' teaching about lifestyle and relationships. Mark's gospel is the shortest of the four first-century books which share the story of Jesus of Nazareth, and the most vividly told. Luke's gospel stresses how acceptance of Jesus' message means a complete reversal of worldly standards of success. John's gospel is a sublime masterpiece that has fascinated theologians and mystics for centuries. Acts is the story of the birth of the church and the beginnings of its journey around the world.

The New Jerusalem Bible: Standard Edition will satisfy the great need for an authoritative version of "the greatest story ever told" in a package so attractive, user friendly, and affordable, this edition is destined to become a classic. Using the same translation that has been hailed as "truly magnificent" (Journal of Bible Literature), the Standard Edition has a completely redesigned interior, set in a two-column format for easy reading. With all the best features of much more cumbersome and costly versions, this Bible is a must-have for home, church, and school.

"Introducing the New Testament "presents the complex and often challenging texts and history of the New Testament in a clear and informative manner. The book begins with a section that gives readers a clear idea of how to use it most effectively for study and personal research, followed by a chapter which outlines the various manuscript traditions and processes of transmission that resulted in the biblical texts we have before us today. With this groundwork complete readers are then introduced to all the texts of the New Testament, and to major issues and debates such as the 'Historical Jesus' the 'Synoptic Problem' and current debates surrounding inspiration - how these texts can be seen in both a historical context and in the context of religious faith. The author is a highly respected Roman Catholic Biblical scholar, who for many years taught in the Oxford University Theology Faculty, was a papal advisor on the bible and produced one of the most popular biblical translations of recent years. This book draws heavily on Wansbrough's wealth of teaching experience with all of the chapters having been classroom tested in several institutions across the world. The book features chapter summaries, sample essay questions, chapter bibliographies and sections to extend knowledge and prompt individual research.

"Introducing the New Testament "presents the complex and often challenging texts and history of the New Testament in a clear and informative manner. The book begins with a section that gives readers a clear idea of how to use it most effectively for study and personal research, followed by a chapter which outlines the various manuscript traditions and processes of transmission that resulted in the biblical texts we have before us today. With this groundwork complete readers are then introduced to all the texts of the New Testament, and to major issues and debates such as the 'Historical Jesus' the 'Synoptic Problem' and current debates surrounding inspiration - how these texts can be seen in both a historical context and in the context of religious faith. The author is a highly respected Roman Catholic Biblical scholar, who for many years taught in the Oxford University Theology Faculty, was a papal advisor on the bible and produced one of the most popular biblical translations of recent years. This book draws heavily on Wansbrough's wealth of teaching experience with all of the chapters having been classroom tested in several institutions across the world. The book features chapter summaries, sample essay questions, chapter bibliographies and sections to extend knowledge and prompt individual research.

Written in an engaging and entertaining manner, this new book from leading Catholic biblical scholar Henry Wansbrough charts the use and abuse of scripture throughout the ages. It ranges from the evangelists' engagement with the Hebrew Scriptures to the use of the Bible in present day politics - perhaps most pertinently in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Wansbrough takes as his starting point Frances Young's "The Art of Performance". This enables him to creatively display how 'The Bible' is 'performed' differently in different ages. Wansbrough demonstrates the variety of these performances and their different emphases in the history of Christianity to glimpse the different ways in which great figures within the Christian tradition have used and abused the Bible. Indirectly, therefore, it attacks the ever-present danger of fundamentalism, and single-minded interpretation of the Bible. Viewing the interpretation of the Bible against the background of various historical periods gives a valuable insight into the long and rich history of the Church. A final chapter provides a 'worked example' of "Lecto Divina" providing a window into the author's personal life of praying the Bible.

There is a growing interest in the gnostic and other non-canonical Christian writings from the first centuries of the Church, and increased curiosity (and suspicion of conspiracies and cover-ups) about how the canon of the Bible came to be settled and why there are different Protestant and Catholic versions. Should the so-called 'Apocryphal' Books be regarded as part of the Bible or not? Did the early Church deliberately suppress alternative gospels because they would have threatened its power? The Story of the Bible is an authoritative, balanced and entertaining introduction to the controversial story of how the Bible 'arrived', by a leading international biblical scholar.