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Bible Basics for Catholics: A New Picture of Salvation History
John Bergsma's popular Bible Basics for Catholics , which has sold more than 60,000 copies, offers readers an accessible vision of salvation history as it unfolds in the Bible, showing how the Bible points us to the saving life and work of Jesus. This new edition includes an additional chapter on covenant fulfillment in the Book of Revelation.
John Bergsma brings to his theology a combination of academic expertise, pastoral wisdom, and unique playfulness. Bible Basics for Catholics is based on Bergsma's popular Introduction to Theology course at Steubenville. As a teacher, Bergsma has an uncanny ability to make complex ideas understandable and faith-inspiring while staying true to both Catholic teaching and biblical scholarship. Readers will begin to see the Christian understanding of salvation by walking through the Old Testament, going through the great stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, the great kings and prophets of Israel, and culminating in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
John Bergsma brings to his theology a combination of academic expertise, pastoral wisdom, and unique playfulness. Bible Basics for Catholics is based on Bergsma's popular Introduction to Theology course at Steubenville. As a teacher, Bergsma has an uncanny ability to make complex ideas understandable and faith-inspiring while staying true to both Catholic teaching and biblical scholarship. Readers will begin to see the Christian understanding of salvation by walking through the Old Testament, going through the great stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, the great kings and prophets of Israel, and culminating in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
180 pages, Paperback
First published May 14, 2012
262 people are currently reading
733 people want to read
About the author
John Bergsma
28 books134 followersDr. John Bergsma is Associate Professor of Theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, in Steubenville, Ohio. He holds the M.Div. and Th.M. degrees from Calvin Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and served as a Protestant pastor for four years before entering the Catholic Church in 2001 while pursuing a Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. He specialized in the Old Testament and the Dead Sea Scrolls, graduating with high honors in 2004. His major study of the interpretation of the Year of Jubilee in ancient times is published as The Jubilee from Leviticus to Qumran (Brill Academic, 2007). Dr. Bergsma’s articles, some co-authored with Dr. Scott Hahn, have appeared in several academic journals as well as Lay Witness, the magazine of Catholics United for the Faith. He has appeared as a guest on EWTN’s The Journey Home, Franciscan University Presents, and Relevant Radio’s Drew Mariani Show. Twice voted Faculty of the Year by graduating classes of the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Dr. Bergsma is a popular teacher who inspires his students with a love of Scripture. He and his wife Dawn reside with their eight children in Steubenville, Ohio.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Theology - University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, Indiana)
Master of Theology (Th.M.) - Calvin Theological Seminary (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
Master of Divinity (M.Div.) - Calvin Theological Seminary (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Classical Languages - Calvin Theological Seminary (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Theology - University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, Indiana)
Master of Theology (Th.M.) - Calvin Theological Seminary (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
Master of Divinity (M.Div.) - Calvin Theological Seminary (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Classical Languages - Calvin Theological Seminary (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
August 12, 2012
Dr. Bergsma has written a book that is true to it's title. It is Bible basics for Catholics. Based on the history of covenants between God and Israel, and ultimately the rest of us, this book succeeds at its mission: to give the Catholic an overview of how we got from Genesis to the New Testament in terms of salvation history. Laying out the story in sufficient detail to be understandable, but not so much detail to be off putting, Dr. Bergsma leads the reader from Adam to Noah, to Abraham, to Moses, to David, through the major prophets of Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Ezekiel, and finally to the New and Eucharistic Covenant through Jesus.
This is an easy to read 156 page book that is suitable for readers from high school to adults. It is best viewed as an overview and high level review of The Bible but it is very good at what it is. If you, or someone you know, would like to read The Bible more but have trouble getting past all the detail, particularly in the Old Testament, this book would be an excellent place to start. After completing this book the reader will have a better understanding of the big picture of salvation across biblical history.
This is an easy to read 156 page book that is suitable for readers from high school to adults. It is best viewed as an overview and high level review of The Bible but it is very good at what it is. If you, or someone you know, would like to read The Bible more but have trouble getting past all the detail, particularly in the Old Testament, this book would be an excellent place to start. After completing this book the reader will have a better understanding of the big picture of salvation across biblical history.
August 8, 2017
It took me a long time to get through the book but worth the effort. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't difficult reading. For some reason I just stopped reading a couple of chapters in. Today I decided to go back and start over. I couldn't stop reading. It's a wonderful book to get an understanding of how the Gospels of the New Testament are related to the Old Testament. Highly recommended for Catholics that want to explore the Bible more than just the Sunday Mass readings.
September 13, 2012
Well we simply can’t say that studying the Old Testament is intimidating anymore, not when there is the work of Dr. John Bergsma to help us through the door. “Bible Basics for Catholics: A New Picture of Salvation History” is a wonderful guide to begin the journey, not only for the individual, but also for the entire family. Many of us our visual learners, and bearing that in mind, Dr. Bergsma has transformed what has worked for his classroom into a book that can help us all. It is indeed a unique approach, which seems like a simple presentation, but is so packed with important fundamental elements of Sacred Scripture that you hardly realize that you’ve mastered the “heavy” things. Instead you come away more aware and deeply appreciative of the “family” history in which we’ve been given. His love for the Old Testament is apparent, and he passes on new insights to us all. Having been twice voted Faculty of the Year by graduating classes at Franciscan University, he is a popular teacher whose love of scripture inspires his students….and now we can see why!For my interview with John Bergsma
May 23, 2022
An excellent basic coverage of the Bible's unified message about salvation history. Bergsma uses simple stick pictures to help make the main points memorable and, to my surprise, it worked. I grew very fond of those stick figures.
April 24, 2013
This tied together so many familiar stories in the Bible and explained God's continuing and developing relationship with us as the people He loves. I feel enlightened and have a more cohesive understanding of salvation history.
January 16, 2018
This book was recommended at work. The clear explanation of God's covenants with humanity in the Old Testament and how Jesus Christ brought them all to completion as the New Covenant reignited my desire to dive into scripture.
June 24, 2025
This book was inspiring and yet very practical/easy to read.
It goes in depth of salvation history in the Bible, connecting all the main points/covenants.
Humanity is broken, and in the beginning we messed up the holy, wholesome plan of community between God and man God the Father had in mind for us, and yet he continuously fought that battle even though we were the ones who messed up.
It goes in depth of salvation history in the Bible, connecting all the main points/covenants.
Humanity is broken, and in the beginning we messed up the holy, wholesome plan of community between God and man God the Father had in mind for us, and yet he continuously fought that battle even though we were the ones who messed up.
January 25, 2022
Read for my theology class (fundamentals of Catholicism). For anyone new to Catholicism this is as basic as it gets - complete with stick figures!
November 2, 2025
Bastante bien libro para entender el Antiguo Testamento. De hecho, me gusta mucho ocupando habla del pueblo de Israel, el Exilio, los profetas. Tiene mucha simbología y un estudio riguroso sobre como todo tiene una relación con la figura de Jesucristo. Muy recomendable para entender históricamente el AT. Recomiendo :)
December 28, 2021
Both basic and beautifully deep. This book is about making the covenants of the Bible clear, and revealing connections that you wouldn't notice at first. I love to read anything that shows just how inspired and interconnected Scripture is, and this does that in a very easy to read way. I would recommend this for anyone who wants to learn more about the Bible and is just beginning, or needs a refresher of why our faith is so lovely. John Bergsma knows how to make the Bible come alive.
April 17, 2018
Very concise instructive overview of the fundamental Catholic teaching that the Bible is best understood by reading it as one continuous story of Salvation History. Bergsma reviews the 7 Biblical Covenants in detail. He does a great job explaining how the books of the Bible all fit together. Highly recommended.
August 5, 2012
Great so far!
March 21, 2013
Excellent. Easy to read and right to the point. The visuals are elementary but none-the-less simplify the message of the Bible.
June 24, 2013
Great for teaching! Opens the way to your imagination and helps keep things connected.
April 13, 2015
Great overview of the key themes of the Bible depicted in a fun way via images.
June 6, 2015
...a highly recommended book specially for kids. easy to read and summarized overview of the bible...
July 2, 2015
Reading this for class. I admit I've never been particularly religious but I found this book to be quite informative.
August 25, 2019
SUCH a good book! Bergsma's writing is clean and accessible. His doodles are adorable. Love this book!
September 20, 2012
Incredibly good!
May 29, 2020
This was very close to being eaten by the dust monsters and forgotten forevermore. Fortunately, I saved it right before it did!
You know the saying, "surround yourself with smart people"? Well, you can't really surround yourself with any people in today's time, but this basically does the job. There's no doubt this guy is a genius. Honestly, whenever I'm about to raise a point or think I found a flaw to his argument, he reads my mind and addresses the EXACT point in like the next paragraph, making me feel very stupid for even thinking about it in the first place. I also liked the stick figure drawings! They were super useful, and I'm glad he redrew them all at the end of each chapter! You know, the Curve of Forgetting makes it pretty difficult to remember details in books because you don't exactly reread sections in a novel. Even if you really believe what you're reading is important, you're not really getting enough repetition to remember it for a meaningful amount of time. So, what I'm saying is by Friday, I'm gonna forget 90% of what I just read in this book, but the stick figure recaps at the end of each chapter makes it easier to remember things!
It also clears up some foggy concepts I had on the faith. Exposure to the Bible and all things religion at an early age is good! Except that when we're young we learn mainly with association; this word is associated to this concept, blue is sky. We don't really think too much about actual definitions. For instance, I always thought, "covenant? Well, um Abraham!" It's funny how I could never actually articulate what the definition of a covenant was, though.
I think the writing style if super effective! Books with a more conversational, "best-bud-to-bud" type of writing are usually more effective, and on the whole more enjoyable to read. I never thought reading a 200 ish page book about another book would be exciting (sorry, theologians). One of the main things scaring people away from reading the Bible is how old-timey it sounds. Plus, it was translated....multiple times, so some of it doesn't even make much sense directly. It's also insanely old, so a lot modern day readers don't exactly know the context with which the books were written in. So I guess what I'm saying is, is that having someone whose job is doing all the researching/analyzing work for us explain to us in simple English without all the crazy theologian jargon is a mega help! Also this guy is fricking funny.
You know the saying, "surround yourself with smart people"? Well, you can't really surround yourself with any people in today's time, but this basically does the job. There's no doubt this guy is a genius. Honestly, whenever I'm about to raise a point or think I found a flaw to his argument, he reads my mind and addresses the EXACT point in like the next paragraph, making me feel very stupid for even thinking about it in the first place. I also liked the stick figure drawings! They were super useful, and I'm glad he redrew them all at the end of each chapter! You know, the Curve of Forgetting makes it pretty difficult to remember details in books because you don't exactly reread sections in a novel. Even if you really believe what you're reading is important, you're not really getting enough repetition to remember it for a meaningful amount of time. So, what I'm saying is by Friday, I'm gonna forget 90% of what I just read in this book, but the stick figure recaps at the end of each chapter makes it easier to remember things!
It also clears up some foggy concepts I had on the faith. Exposure to the Bible and all things religion at an early age is good! Except that when we're young we learn mainly with association; this word is associated to this concept, blue is sky. We don't really think too much about actual definitions. For instance, I always thought, "covenant? Well, um Abraham!" It's funny how I could never actually articulate what the definition of a covenant was, though.
I think the writing style if super effective! Books with a more conversational, "best-bud-to-bud" type of writing are usually more effective, and on the whole more enjoyable to read. I never thought reading a 200 ish page book about another book would be exciting (sorry, theologians). One of the main things scaring people away from reading the Bible is how old-timey it sounds. Plus, it was translated....multiple times, so some of it doesn't even make much sense directly. It's also insanely old, so a lot modern day readers don't exactly know the context with which the books were written in. So I guess what I'm saying is, is that having someone whose job is doing all the researching/analyzing work for us explain to us in simple English without all the crazy theologian jargon is a mega help! Also this guy is fricking funny.
August 17, 2022
Bergsma provides an accessible and digestible overview of salvation history that is extremely helpful in putting the Holy Bible in its proper frame so we can more easily read the Sacred Scriptures and perhaps not find them so daunting. This makes for a great resource for pre-teens, teens, and adults who are interested in delving into Sacred Scripture but may not know where to start. Doing the "Suggested Reading" of Scripture before each chapter enriched this for me and gave me an excuse to re-read parts of the Bible (especially the Old Testament) that I have not revisited in awhile. I would readily give this to a friend or family member to get them started/interested in the divinely inspired Word and love story of the Holy Bible. St. Jerome says "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." Let us live and breathe Sacred Scripture so that we can live and breathe Christ in the world.
November 14, 2020
Excellent Diagram of the Catholic Perspective of the Bible
Exceptional in every regard. Perfect for a high level introduction to understanding the Catholic Bible. We all may have read parts, listened at Mass, maybe had conversations about pieces of Biblical stories. Bible Basics put together a well crafted, straight forward, sequential chronology. Unusual - but very effective - are the long series of stick figure drawings. The first put me off — until I put the book down. These pictures communicate an entire concept. They make it far easier to accurately recall biblical stories, concepts and major scriptural points. Absolutely an excellent study guide to fix the Bible in my mind. I strongly recommend it.
Exceptional in every regard. Perfect for a high level introduction to understanding the Catholic Bible. We all may have read parts, listened at Mass, maybe had conversations about pieces of Biblical stories. Bible Basics put together a well crafted, straight forward, sequential chronology. Unusual - but very effective - are the long series of stick figure drawings. The first put me off — until I put the book down. These pictures communicate an entire concept. They make it far easier to accurately recall biblical stories, concepts and major scriptural points. Absolutely an excellent study guide to fix the Bible in my mind. I strongly recommend it.
July 11, 2025
I highly recommend this book to help understand the whole of the Bible. I’m a cradle Catholic who’s been earnestly learning more about our faith through my adult life, and really appreciated this book. It’s written by a convert to Catholicism from being a Protestant pastor, so he has a wide background on Bible.
This books is pretty short and easy to digest. There are easy to understand sketches to go with each chapter about each covenant. The sketches help the reader, especially visual learners, connect and compare the different covenants. It gives a great connection for all the Old Testament covenants to Jesus. This was so insightful to fill gaps for me.
This books is pretty short and easy to digest. There are easy to understand sketches to go with each chapter about each covenant. The sketches help the reader, especially visual learners, connect and compare the different covenants. It gives a great connection for all the Old Testament covenants to Jesus. This was so insightful to fill gaps for me.
November 8, 2024
best ever book to understand the plot of the bible
I recommend this book to every creature in the world if they could read this amazing book. Scott said it and I confirm that after reading this book you will see the Bible in a complete different way. It will never be the same. It’s incredible how deep, profound and beautiful the history of our salvation with God there all the time looking for us.
Les recomiendo este libro a todos. No dejen de leerlo.
I recommend this book to every creature in the world if they could read this amazing book. Scott said it and I confirm that after reading this book you will see the Bible in a complete different way. It will never be the same. It’s incredible how deep, profound and beautiful the history of our salvation with God there all the time looking for us.
Les recomiendo este libro a todos. No dejen de leerlo.
November 28, 2024
Salvation History...not one of those things you are taught in 12 years of Catholic school. But once you know it...it's pretty cool. We all learn the story of Adam and Eve, Noah and David at the basics...but what does it really mean...and what do they have to do with Jesus?
There wasn't much brand new to me in this book, but it's an excellent overview, short and easy to understand..with stick figures. What's not to love?
There wasn't much brand new to me in this book, but it's an excellent overview, short and easy to understand..with stick figures. What's not to love?
November 10, 2025
I enjoyed this book. It was a simplified examination of salvation history. I found it very helpful. If I was to recommend a book for someone who wants to understand the Bible as a whole, it would be this one. Sometimes the explanations, especially the chapter on the Eucharistic covenant went on a bit too long for my comfort. That’s just my preference, and could’ve been separated into shorter chapters. But I see the structure that the author was trying to convey. Great book overall.
January 11, 2026
While attending a men’s Bible study, this book was recommended by the presenter, so I decided to give it a read and Bergsma does an excellent job tying the Bible covenant stories all together by using simple drawings. When the presenter at our Bible study tried to do the same thing, I did well but didn’t have time to really tie everything together. Bergsma completes this task in this book. Highly recommended…SLT
January 12, 2017
I started this book at the beginning of the year thinking it would be a quick read since it is only a few 100 pages. I found myself referencing back to the Bible throughout my reading to remember what the author was taking about then I would get sucked in to a chapter or two and would have to go back to the book. Interesting thoughts on several points.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews