Open the "Little Rock Catholic Study Bible" and feel at home with the Word of God. Through accessibly written information and engaging visuals that highlight and clarify significant areas of Scripture, readers will easily gain an understanding of these ancient texts that can be carried into today's world. Using the authorized translation in the New American Bible Revised Edition, this lasting volume is ideal for both personal use and group Bible study.

The valuable information in the "Little Rock Catholic Study Bible" is offered in small notes and inserts that accompany the Bible texts as well as in expanded essays, articles, and graphics. Key symbols help readers quickly identify the type of information they need, such as explanations, definitions, dates, character and author profiles, archaeological insights, personal prayer starters, and insights connecting Scripture and its use in today's church. Colorful maps, timelines, photographs, and charts further enhance the study experience. Longer articles are dedicated to explaining study Bible fundamentals, the Catholic Church's use of the Bible, and the people and places of the biblical world.

"General Editor: Catherine Upchurch serves as the director of Little Rock Scripture Study. Her work in adult faith formation involves writing, editing, lecturing, leading retreats and days of reflection. She is the editor of "A Year of Sundays" and an associate editor of "The Bible Today," a journal of biblical spirituality."

"Old Testament Editor: Irene Nowell, OSB, is a Benedictine of Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kansas. She is an adjunct professor at St. John's University School of Theology, has published two books and numerous articles, and is a past president of the Catholic Biblical Association. She is also a member of the Committee on Illuminations and Texts for "The Saint John's Bible.

"New Testament Editor: Ronald D. Witherup, SS, is Superior General of the Sulpicians and lives in Paris, France. He holds a doctorate in biblical studies and is the author of numerous books and articles on Scripture. His current interest is in the letters of Saint Paul and the Acts of the Apostles."

To some, the New Evangelization" seems to mean warmed-over and outdated apologetics that rarely resonate with people today. But that approach fails to do justice to what evangelization is really all about. In"Saint Paul and the New Evangelization, " one of today's most respected Scripture scholars offers a far richer, more deeply biblical approach.

Ronald D. Witherup, SS, analyzes the techniques of one of the church's best evangelists-Paul of Tarsus-to show how we can help reinvigorate the faith of friends and loved ones. You don't need to know a lot about the Bible or theology. Just follow St. Paul's inspiring example, and discover how to talk about your faith in ways that change hearts and minds.

An entry-level overview of the Bible, which presupposes no specialized knowledge of the Bible or religion, this accessible guide emphasizes truly experiencing the Bible rather than just studying it. Written in a warm and inviting tone by a prominent biblical scholar, the handbook answers many questions, such as "What is the Bible, and how did it come to be? How do you recognize a true prophet? "and "Which Bible should I choose?" Arranged according to the books of the Bible, this comprehensive introduction includes chapters on the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Letters as well as appendices, a glossary, and resources for further study.

The future of the Church depends, in part, on forming future priests and ministers who are ready to accompany, lead, and love the People of God. Formation advising is one important part of that work. A Guide to Formation Advising for Seminarians/Seminary Faculty offers a practical guide to formation advising as a ministry of accompaniment, participation, and evaluation. Deacon Edward McCormack offers a comprehensive introduction to the ministry of formation advising for seminarians studying for priestly ministry. These volumes are for men and women who are new to the ministry of formation advising. The recent Vatican guidelines for seminary formation call for professional accompaniment of seminarians throughout their formation. This book explains in concrete detail how to do this through the entire formation process. Beginning with an overview of the formation process, A Guide to Formation Advising for Seminarians/Seminary Faculty explains the role of the formation advisor and the skills required for that ministry. It describes the various ways the formation advisor accompanies a person through the formation process. McCormack also provides concrete suggestions for how to promote in seminarians' active participation in the process. Formators will also find explanation of the evaluation process with a style sheet and examples of written evaluations. The handbook contains an annotated bibliography on all the major topics a formation advisor comes across.

The Paulist Biblical Commentary (PBC) is a one-volume commentary on the books of the Bible designed for a wide variety of Bible readers, especially those engaged in pastoral ministry. The volume consists of a commentary on each of the seventy-three books of the Catholic canon of the Bible along with twelve general articles. While based on classical approaches to Scripture, the commentaries and articles are not limited to historical-literary issues, but draw upon relevant theological and pastoral ideas found in the text. The Paulist Biblical Commentary presents: * Solid exegesis of the biblical text. * A useful tool for preaching and spiritual nourishment. * An essential aid to deepen the understanding of Scripture. * Current biblical research that is relevant to pastoral or spiritual ministry. The Commentary brings together the collaboration of more than seventy international biblical scholars, each with expertise in their area of study drawn from their experience and interest in pastoral or spiritual ministry.

The Vatican II's Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation is universally acclaimed as one of the council's most important documents. Published in 1965 after a long and circuitous route throughout all four years of the council, Dei Verbum sets forth the Catholic Church's official teaching about divine revelation and the complex interrelationship between Scripture and Tradition. With the approach of the fiftieth anniversary of the constitution, this book--intended for general audiences--summarizes the history and principal teaching of this groundbreaking document. Accompanying the text of The Word of God at Vatican II is a paragraph-by-paragraph commentary and an exploration of the impact the constitution has had in the church's life. Readers will be amazed at how influential Dei Verbum continues to be, even today.

Many Christians struggle to balance the religious and secular elements of Christmas, but the history of the feast shows that this is nothing new. The religious Christmas has changed over the centuries and, contrary to many critics, is thriving today. This brief, accessible account will explain that:
The first Christians did not celebrate Christmas at al. The earliest mention of the feast occurs in the fourth century. In the Middle Ages Christmas moved into northern Europe where it became a major winter festival, competing with the pagan Yule. During the sixteenth century some Christians objected to Christmas because they claimed it had no biblical foundation. In England and New England the Puritans made it a crime to celebrate it The modern secular Christmas arose in the nineteenth century, but the religious Christmas continued to grow in popularity and meshed well with the developing emphasis on Christmas as a day for family and friends. In today's world rampant consumerism threatens the religious Christmas, but it continues not only to survive but to flourish, taking on new life and new forms.

By tracing these and other aspects of the religious celebration of Christmas through the centuries, Joseph F. Kelly does much more than provide us with interesting facts. He reassures us that though the religious Christmas may not be in its traditional form, it is indeed alive and well 'and has a bright and promising future.

"Joseph F. Kelly, PhD, is professor of religious studies at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. He is author of "The Origins of Christmas, An Introduction to the New Testament for Catholics, The Collegeville Church History Timeline, The Birth of Jesus According to the Gospels, "and "The Ecumenical Councils of the Catholic Church, "al published by Liturgical Press."

"2009 Catholic Press Association Award Winner "

A decade after the untimely death of renowned Scripture scholar Father Raymond E. Brown, SS, he continues to inspire and inform scholars and preachers, students and pastoral ministers, lay and ordained. It was only days after Father Brown's death that his final book was published by Liturgical Press. That book, "Christ in the Gospels of the Ordinary Sundays, " completed his six-volume series on preaching the Scriptures, a series that had begun in the mid-1970s with the publication of his popular "An Adult Christ at Christmas." Those six volumes are collected here in one convenient commemorative edition to mark the tenth anniversary of Brown's death. Brown's work is left largely untouched, and readers will find that his wisdom is lasting. Yet Brown, being a scholar's scholar, would recognize the need for some enhancement in a work being republished some thirty years after the first volume appeared. Appropriately, then, this edition contains introductory essays by Brown's colleagues and friends John R. Donahue, SJ, and Ronald D. Witherup, SS, as well as useful indexes and a bibliography of resources for preaching the word of God in the context of the lectionary.

As Witherup notes in his preface, Brown had the rare capacity to simplify complex biblical studies in a manner that did not 'dumb down ' the material but allowed it to be understood by a wide audience. . . . He did this in a fashion that was both inspiring and educational. That very broad audience 'those who grew up with Brown, so to speak, as well as a whole new generation of readers and preachers of the word 'will find this book to be a source of inspiration and knowledge that they will turn to again and again.

"Raymond E.Brown, S.S., (1928 -1998) was the Auburn Distinguished Professor of Biblical Studies at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He was author of some forty books on the Bible and past president of three of the most important biblical societies in the world. By appointment of two popes (Pal VI in 1972, John Paul II in 1996) Brown was a member of the Roman Pontifical Biblical Commission. "Time" magazine called him probably the premier Catholic Scripture scholar of the U.S."

The upsurge of born again" Christianity has made conversion, a perennially important topic, especially popular today. With its special emphasis on the Bible and its teachings, evangelical Christianity has championed the need for conversion in modern life. But what does the Bible really say about conversion? Is the New Testament view of conversion uniform? Is it a one-time occurrence or an ongoing process? According to the gospels, how central to the message of Jesus is conversion?

Many studies focus on psychological or anthropological aspects of conversion, but they give only a nod to the biblical data. This book contends that an overly narrow view of the biblical teaching on conversion has effectively distorted the average Christian's understanding of this topic. The New Testament contains a much broader and more diverse perspective on conversion than is usually recognized, which Father Witherup organizes and presents."