I am a terrible Bible study participant.
Growing up Protestant in a Catholic school, I was early-infected with the spiritual pride of knowing the Scriptures better than my peers. I had no patience for my peers or humility to learn from my teachers and thus absorbed very little of substance from my religion classes.
After converting to Catholicism in college, I immediately switched my major to theology; I wanted to dive in as deeply as possible. And while I’d like to report that the years have humbled me a bit, I still find myself susceptible to the spiritual pride of my youth.
I catch myself feeling resistant to attending Bible studies. The content feels dull and remedial; I am impatient to dive into something meatier. I try to suppress the urge to share what I know, but I can’t keep myself quiet.
Recently, God has been working to change my heart. I had the urge to dive more deeply into Scripture, so I signed up for “The Bible in a Year” podcast on the Ascension App. I also read Francine Rivers’s “Lineage of Grace,” a collection of biblical short stories about the women in Jesus’s family tree. From the very first story, I realized I had been handed the sanitized Sunday school version of Scripture, and I was dying to learn more.
For instance, did you know that Tamar pretended to be a prostitute to seduce her father-in-law Jacob, or that Lot’s daughters got him drunk and slept with him to produce sons for themselves? These stories carry with them the mitigating circumstances that widowed women without sons to take care of them were extremely vulnerable in their society, but they are still shocking to those of us who try to practice what we think of as biblical morality. I was previously aware of Rahab, the prostitute who saved Israel’s spies, and Bathsheba, the adulteress who married King David, but I hadn’t taken the time to consider the brokenness and redemption in Jesus’s own family tree. I was floored by the realization of the degree to which God deliberately worked through flawed and even depraved human beings to accomplish his work of salvation.
There is so much beauty in the Scriptures, if only we take the time to enter in.
Where to start
Maybe, like me, you find yourself struggling with boredom or just indifference to stories you’ve heard so many times before. Or perhaps you struggle with the Bible because it seems so overwhelming and inaccessible. Who can get through Leviticus without falling asleep?
My experience with reading Scripture changed after reading Jen Wilkin’s “Women of the Word.” Her guide to studying Scripture offers a refreshing and empowering guide for women who seek to deepen their understanding of the Bible. Wilkin’s approach is not just about reading the Bible; it’s about studying it with intention and intellect, with both our hearts and our minds.
At the core of Wilkin’s message is the conviction that Bible study is not an optional add-on for the Christian woman; it’s a vital necessity. She identifies common obstacles that prevent us from engaging with the Bible and provides practical solutions to overcome them. Her method is about more than just personal enlightenment; it’s about transforming our relationship with God.
Wilkin’s approach to Bible study encourages readers to understand the metanarrative of the Bible and to study Scripture with a focus on comprehension, interpretation and application. It’s a process that begins with what the Bible says about God before it speaks to us about ourselves. That realization was revolutionary for me.
Because Wilkin writes from a Protestant perspective, I encourage readers to pair it with the magisterial document Dei Verbum for a nuanced understanding of how God reveals himself through the Bible. This document is approachable and foundational for understanding how to read the Bible from a Catholic perspective. (We used to assign it to all our freshman theology students when I taught Catholic high school).
Dei Verbum teaches (and Wilkin would agree) that the Bible is not just a historical record but a living conversation between God and his people, where the Holy Spirit guides us to truth. Where Dei Verbum can add to Wilkin’s reflections is by explaining the harmony between Scripture and Tradition, and the vital role of the magisterium in interpreting the Word of God.
Diving Deeper
In addition to the insightful approaches to Bible study discussed earlier, there are several resources that offer solidly Catholic biblical commentary and can greatly enhance your scriptural journey.
For those who prefer an auditory experience, “The Bible in a Year” podcast is an exceptional resource. Hosted by Father Mike Schmitz and featuring a guided reading of the Bible over the course of a year, this podcast provides context and theological insight into the Scriptures. It’s a daily commitment that can become a transformative part of your spiritual routine.
If you prefer something that syncs up with the Scripture we experience in the rhythms of the liturgical year, you might enjoy the profound reflections of renowned Catholic philosopher and writer Peter Kreeft, recently published by Word on Fire. (It’s certainly on my wishlist!) His insights help deepen the understanding of the seasons and feasts of the Church, connecting them with the broader narrative of Scripture and the journey of faith.
No list of Catholic biblical resources would be complete without mentioning the work of Dr. Scott Hahn, whose works are known for their accessibility to lay readers and their ability to bridge the gap between academic biblical studies and the lived experience of faith. His conversion story “Rome Sweet Home,” co-authored by his wife, Kimberly, was pivotal in my own experience of conversion from Protestantism to Catholicism and is a great tour of the biblical answers to specifically Protestant objections to Catholicism.
By incorporating these resources into your study, you can gain a fuller appreciation of the Bible’s message and its application to your life. Whether through daily podcasts, liturgical reflections or scholarly books, these tools can help you engage with God’s Word in a deeply Catholic context.
Together, they invite us into a greater communion with the Divine Word, encouraging a study of the Bible that is both intellectually satisfying and spiritually nourishing.
