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Catholic for a Reason #4
Catholic for a Reason IV: Scripture and the Mystery of Marriage and Family Life
Marriage and family life lived according to God s plan can change lives and change the world! Catholic for a Reason IV explores the Scriptural basis for the Catholic understanding of marriage. Join Scott and Kimberly Hahn, Mike Aquilina, and ten other well-known Catholic authors, who along with their spouses, present solid Biblical testimony to the joys, struggles, and sanctity found in the sacrament of Marriage. Essays include The World as Wedding, Lessons Learned at Nazareth, and Reflections on Pope Benedict XVI s First Encyclical.
224 pages, Paperback
First published April 2, 2007
5 people are currently reading
170 people want to read
About the author
Scott Hahn
418 books1,356 followersScott Hahn is a renowned Catholic theologian, apologist, speaker, and bestselling author whose work has had a profound impact on contemporary biblical theology and Catholic thought. A former Presbyterian minister, Hahn converted to Catholicism in 1986 after an intense personal and theological journey, which he details in his popular book Rome Sweet Home, co-written with his wife, Kimberly Hahn. Their story of conversion has inspired countless readers around the world and remains a landmark in modern Catholic apologetics.
Hahn holds the Father Michael Scanlan Chair of Biblical Theology and the New Evangelization at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he has taught since 1990. He is also the founder and president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting biblical literacy among the laity and biblical fluency among clergy. Through the Center, Hahn leads a wide range of initiatives, including publications, pilgrimages, Bible studies, and the scholarly journal Letter and Spirit.
Educated at Grove City College (B.A.), Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and Marquette University (Ph.D. in Systematic Theology), Hahn brings a deep academic foundation to his work. His dissertation, Kinship by Covenant, was later published by Yale University Press and received praise for its theological insight and scholarly rigor.
Throughout his career, Hahn has emphasized the covenant as the key to understanding salvation history, showing how the biblical narrative reveals a divine plan that unites all of humanity into God's family. His works explore themes such as the Eucharist, the role of Mary, the sacraments, and the authority of the Church, often drawing on the writings of the early Church Fathers to bridge the ancient faith with modern understanding.
He is the author or editor of over forty books, including The Lamb’s Supper, Hail, Holy Queen, First Comes Love, Letter and Spirit, Swear to God, Reasons to Believe, The Creed, The Fourth Cup, and Holy Is His Name. Many of his books have become staples in Catholic households, study groups, and seminaries.
In addition to his writing, Hahn is a highly sought-after speaker, having delivered thousands of lectures across the United States and abroad. He appears regularly on EWTN and has collaborated with Lighthouse Catholic Media to bring his teachings to an even broader audience.
Scott Hahn lives in Ohio with his wife Kimberly. They have six children and numerous grandchildren. Together, the Hahns continue to lead efforts in evangelization and Catholic education, embodying a lifelong commitment to deepening faith and understanding through Scripture and tradition.
Hahn holds the Father Michael Scanlan Chair of Biblical Theology and the New Evangelization at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he has taught since 1990. He is also the founder and president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting biblical literacy among the laity and biblical fluency among clergy. Through the Center, Hahn leads a wide range of initiatives, including publications, pilgrimages, Bible studies, and the scholarly journal Letter and Spirit.
Educated at Grove City College (B.A.), Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and Marquette University (Ph.D. in Systematic Theology), Hahn brings a deep academic foundation to his work. His dissertation, Kinship by Covenant, was later published by Yale University Press and received praise for its theological insight and scholarly rigor.
Throughout his career, Hahn has emphasized the covenant as the key to understanding salvation history, showing how the biblical narrative reveals a divine plan that unites all of humanity into God's family. His works explore themes such as the Eucharist, the role of Mary, the sacraments, and the authority of the Church, often drawing on the writings of the early Church Fathers to bridge the ancient faith with modern understanding.
He is the author or editor of over forty books, including The Lamb’s Supper, Hail, Holy Queen, First Comes Love, Letter and Spirit, Swear to God, Reasons to Believe, The Creed, The Fourth Cup, and Holy Is His Name. Many of his books have become staples in Catholic households, study groups, and seminaries.
In addition to his writing, Hahn is a highly sought-after speaker, having delivered thousands of lectures across the United States and abroad. He appears regularly on EWTN and has collaborated with Lighthouse Catholic Media to bring his teachings to an even broader audience.
Scott Hahn lives in Ohio with his wife Kimberly. They have six children and numerous grandchildren. Together, the Hahns continue to lead efforts in evangelization and Catholic education, embodying a lifelong commitment to deepening faith and understanding through Scripture and tradition.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 3, 2012
Catholic for a Reason IV: Scripture and the Mystery of Marriage and the Family was such a treat and is the perfect way to study Catholic teachings and traditions as rooted in the Bible. I loved this book and have been sharing it with dozens of people!
The fourth book in the Catholic for a Reason book series, this particular one focuses on marriage, family, and theology of the body. Each chapter is written by a different leading Catholic author and features discussion questions making it ideal for a small group study or book club. While the chapters are independent and can be read individually, there are themes that are common throughout the book, so the chapters tend to echo sound Catholic practices throughout.
Leading Catholic authorities like Scott and Kimberly Hahn, Jeff Cavins, and Edward Sri are just some of the writers featured in this excellent resource. The writing is filled with voice and very approachable (as a result, it doesn't come across as a scholarly work, but more like a friend guiding you through a scripture study). Chapters focus on issues such as Marriage Preparation, the Covenant of Marriage, Natural Family Planning, Adoption and the Role of Love in the Catholic church.
This is a rich, informative read and it is packed with information and insight. I highly recommend it for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the teachings of the Catholic church, and while I haven't read the other books in the series, if they are anything like this one, I look forward to reading them. From shelfishness.blog.com
The fourth book in the Catholic for a Reason book series, this particular one focuses on marriage, family, and theology of the body. Each chapter is written by a different leading Catholic author and features discussion questions making it ideal for a small group study or book club. While the chapters are independent and can be read individually, there are themes that are common throughout the book, so the chapters tend to echo sound Catholic practices throughout.
Leading Catholic authorities like Scott and Kimberly Hahn, Jeff Cavins, and Edward Sri are just some of the writers featured in this excellent resource. The writing is filled with voice and very approachable (as a result, it doesn't come across as a scholarly work, but more like a friend guiding you through a scripture study). Chapters focus on issues such as Marriage Preparation, the Covenant of Marriage, Natural Family Planning, Adoption and the Role of Love in the Catholic church.
This is a rich, informative read and it is packed with information and insight. I highly recommend it for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the teachings of the Catholic church, and while I haven't read the other books in the series, if they are anything like this one, I look forward to reading them. From shelfishness.blog.com
March 28, 2016
I received this book through Goodreads Giveaways for an honest review. I read this book awhile ago and realized that I hadn't written a review. Even though I'm no longer a practicing Catholic I enjoyed this book. I highly recommend it as a way to study scripture. Especially if you're getting ready to or currently going through the Pre-Cana course.
September 13, 2024
THE FINAL VOLUME OF A POPULAR APOLOGETICS/DOCTRINAL SERIES
This 2007 book is #4 in a series of four volumes; the others are: 'Catholic for a Reason: Scripture and the Mystery of the Family of God,' 'Catholic for a Reason II: Scripture and the Mystery of the Mother of God,' and 'Catholic for a Reason III: Scripture and the Mystery of the Mass.'
This 2007 book includes 13 chapters with contributions from 12 different married couples (Scott and Kimberly Hahn wrote separate chapters).
One chapter states, "Jesus takes the much stricter view that man must NOT divide what God has joined together. Why, then, does Jesus turn around and make an 'exception' to His own ruling? Is He pulling back from the ideal of lifelong marriage to make His difficult teaching more livable?... The thing to notice is that NONE of the stated views questions the fact that lawful marriage creates an unbreakable bond, that divorce is reserved for extreme situations, and that remarriage after divorce is never a viable option if the marriage partners are both living." (Pg. 38-39)
Leon Supranant tells the story, "(O)nce a young man entered a train and sat down across from an elderly man who was praying the Rosary. They struck up a conversation, and the young man explained that he didn't need superstitious practices like the Rosary, because he was going to be a scientist. The elderly man looked up, puzzled and somewhat hurt. Eventually the young man's stop came up, so he asked for the elderly man's card so he could tell him more about science. The next day, the young scientist pulled out the card, ready to further educate the old man. The card read, 'Louis Pasteur...'" (Pg. 95-96)
Another chapter says, "So why all the fuss? Aren't we splitting hairs here? After all, isn't NFP just the Church-approved form of contraception? Not at all! NFP is a method of recognizing a woman's natural cycle of fertility and intentionally acting in light of these cycles to either achieve or postpone pregnancy." (Pg. 141)
This is an excellent addition to this series, and will interest all students of Catholic apologetics and doctrine.
This 2007 book is #4 in a series of four volumes; the others are: 'Catholic for a Reason: Scripture and the Mystery of the Family of God,' 'Catholic for a Reason II: Scripture and the Mystery of the Mother of God,' and 'Catholic for a Reason III: Scripture and the Mystery of the Mass.'
This 2007 book includes 13 chapters with contributions from 12 different married couples (Scott and Kimberly Hahn wrote separate chapters).
One chapter states, "Jesus takes the much stricter view that man must NOT divide what God has joined together. Why, then, does Jesus turn around and make an 'exception' to His own ruling? Is He pulling back from the ideal of lifelong marriage to make His difficult teaching more livable?... The thing to notice is that NONE of the stated views questions the fact that lawful marriage creates an unbreakable bond, that divorce is reserved for extreme situations, and that remarriage after divorce is never a viable option if the marriage partners are both living." (Pg. 38-39)
Leon Supranant tells the story, "(O)nce a young man entered a train and sat down across from an elderly man who was praying the Rosary. They struck up a conversation, and the young man explained that he didn't need superstitious practices like the Rosary, because he was going to be a scientist. The elderly man looked up, puzzled and somewhat hurt. Eventually the young man's stop came up, so he asked for the elderly man's card so he could tell him more about science. The next day, the young scientist pulled out the card, ready to further educate the old man. The card read, 'Louis Pasteur...'" (Pg. 95-96)
Another chapter says, "So why all the fuss? Aren't we splitting hairs here? After all, isn't NFP just the Church-approved form of contraception? Not at all! NFP is a method of recognizing a woman's natural cycle of fertility and intentionally acting in light of these cycles to either achieve or postpone pregnancy." (Pg. 141)
This is an excellent addition to this series, and will interest all students of Catholic apologetics and doctrine.
August 6, 2020
Rich, deep and inspiring references for anyone who is looking for guidance in marriage life within Catholics Faith. Each chapter provided reflection question at the end. Awesome 👍
August 2, 2012
In the interest of full disclosure, I won this book through the Goodreads Giveaway Program.
So far, I have read the first two chapters of the book, and my first impressions are as follows:
1. The intent of the book is to disavow the notion that marriage is a simple contract between two persons. Instead, it is a covenant between God and the couple that cannot be broken. This removes marriage from attempts to redefine it culture to culture, age to age.
2. The book would be great for parish book studies, for catechesis, and for parents who are struggling to discuss the sacrament of marriage with their children.
3. The initial chapters, especially Scott Hahn's chapter (The World as Wedding), begin with a global and spiritual definition of marriage. The following chapters get more specific.
Something of my own story, my vocation is to single life, so why would I be interested in this title? I have a grand niece whom I care very much about, and we discuss some of the important questions of life. I, very much, want to instill in her a good foundation for marriage, and this book will help me do so.
I will update this review after I finish the book.
So far, I have read the first two chapters of the book, and my first impressions are as follows:
1. The intent of the book is to disavow the notion that marriage is a simple contract between two persons. Instead, it is a covenant between God and the couple that cannot be broken. This removes marriage from attempts to redefine it culture to culture, age to age.
2. The book would be great for parish book studies, for catechesis, and for parents who are struggling to discuss the sacrament of marriage with their children.
3. The initial chapters, especially Scott Hahn's chapter (The World as Wedding), begin with a global and spiritual definition of marriage. The following chapters get more specific.
Something of my own story, my vocation is to single life, so why would I be interested in this title? I have a grand niece whom I care very much about, and we discuss some of the important questions of life. I, very much, want to instill in her a good foundation for marriage, and this book will help me do so.
I will update this review after I finish the book.
September 9, 2012
This was most enjoyable. I think it would make a GREAT marriage prep program in the parishes. I wish I had this knowledge of marriage and family 30 years ago when my husband and I were newly married. Each essay taught me something I never realized before. I can look back at our lives and see how Jesus and the Church supported us through the good and the bad, and I can look forward to the coming years knowing that we have a marvelous base for our marriage and family. Thank you all so very much.
July 13, 2012
This book may have kept me from marrying the wrong woman. I'm not saying that it answered all of my questions, but it brought up enough points to make me do further research into what a relationship and marriage really is. Like I said it won't answer questions but will probably provoke ones that you hadn't yet thought of.
Want to read
December 26, 2009Listed by Patrick Madrid in the Reading Plan of Search and Rescue in Phase 2 (Intermediate).
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews