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The Proverbs Explained: A Blueprint for Christian Living
Acquiring wisdom is both a human task and a divine gift. Wisdom aims at the formation of character, and there is no better guide than the Book of Proverbs. The Proverbs teach us how to be wise and self-controlled, and how to do what is honest, right and fair. In these pages, Fr. Mitch Pacwa, host of EWTN Live, will help you make the most of the treasure-trove of practical advice found in the Book of Proverbs. He explains in a succinct and readable way how God's blessing is related to our behavior, how you can be like God, and how to live in accord with His law. Because each Proverb is true in a certain sense and applicable in a certain way, Fr. Pacwa helps you relate each Proverb to your particular state in life as well as to your own spiritual journey. The message of Proverbs is simple, yet difficult to live out. Read these pages, and you'll come to understand the practical side of righteousness, and you'll begin to grow in wisdom through patience, prayer, and God's grace.
- GenresReligion
160 pages, Paperback
Published March 16, 2017
37 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Mitch Pacwa
29 books62 followersFr. Mitchell "Mitch" Pacwa , S.J., is a Jesuit priest. He is bi-ritual, meaning that he can celebrate liturgy in both the Roman and Maronite rites. He is President and Founder of Ignatius Productions. He has taught at the University of Dallas and Loyola University and is now the Senior Fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.
Fr. Pacwa earned his Ph.D. in Old Testament from Vanderbilt University. He also holds a Master of Divinity and S.T.B. from the Jesuit School of Theology at Loyola University. He is an accomplished linguist speaking several ancient languages, including Latin, Koine Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Ugaritic, as well as the modern languages of German, Spanish, Polish, Hebrew, Arabic, French, and Italian.
Father Pacwa is author of Catholics and the New Age: How Good People Are Being Drawn into Jungian Psychology the Enneagram and the Age of Aquarius (1992), Forgive Me Father for I Am Frustrated: Growing in Your Faith Even When It Isn’t Easy Being Catholic (1997), published by Servant Books. Holy Land Prayer Book (2004) published by Ignatius Productions and co-authored with Sean Brown, Go In Peace: Your Guide to the Purpose and Power of Confession (2007) published by Ascension Press, and Saint Paul: A Study Guide for Catholics (2008) published by Our Sunday Visitor, Saint Paul on the Power of the Cross (2008)
Fr. Pacwa earned his Ph.D. in Old Testament from Vanderbilt University. He also holds a Master of Divinity and S.T.B. from the Jesuit School of Theology at Loyola University. He is an accomplished linguist speaking several ancient languages, including Latin, Koine Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Ugaritic, as well as the modern languages of German, Spanish, Polish, Hebrew, Arabic, French, and Italian.
Father Pacwa is author of Catholics and the New Age: How Good People Are Being Drawn into Jungian Psychology the Enneagram and the Age of Aquarius (1992), Forgive Me Father for I Am Frustrated: Growing in Your Faith Even When It Isn’t Easy Being Catholic (1997), published by Servant Books. Holy Land Prayer Book (2004) published by Ignatius Productions and co-authored with Sean Brown, Go In Peace: Your Guide to the Purpose and Power of Confession (2007) published by Ascension Press, and Saint Paul: A Study Guide for Catholics (2008) published by Our Sunday Visitor, Saint Paul on the Power of the Cross (2008)
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 17, 2017
Proverbs is one of my favorite books of the Old Testament. For starters, it is 31 chapters long, so it's the perfect length for reading a chapter a day seven months out of the year. Secondly, it contains simple and straightforward wisdom for people of all walks of life. Recently EWTN Publishing released a book by Fr. Mitch Pacwa called The Proverbs Explained: A Blueprint for Christian Living, and I knew I had to have it because Fr. Pacwa writes great books. Let me tell you a little bit about it.
The book begins with an introduction, which gives the background on the book of Proverbs, explains the different types of proverbs found in this Biblical book, and lastly provides a logical division of the Biblical book based on style and form. Fr. Pacwa then divides his book into three parts - Family, Justice, and Virtue. For example, in the first part, Fr. Pacwa doesn't only provide explanations on the proverbs specifically for husbands, wives, parents, and children, but he also discusses chastity and love. In the part on justice, Fr. Pacwa focuses on the proverbs that relate to government, business, and social justice like wealth and poverty. Lastly, in the part of Virtue, he expounds on proverbs that discuss anger, pride, and humility to name a few.
When I first received this book, I thought it was going to be a verse-by-verse walkthrough of the entire book of Proverbs. That was not the case, which disappointed me at first, but I quickly got over it. This book arrived at just the right time for me, because it had so many parts that spoke to me. Yes, I gained a lot from the section on husbands and parents, but the chapter on silence and speech hit me over the head. I knew in the Epistle of James that he talked about how dangerous the tongue was, but I didn't realize it was discussed in Proverbs as well. We could all do well, myself most of all, to guard our tongues more closely and avoid not only idle talk, but hurtful talk as well. I highly recommend you pick up this book.
This book was provided to me for free by Sophia Institute Press in exchange for an honest review.
The book begins with an introduction, which gives the background on the book of Proverbs, explains the different types of proverbs found in this Biblical book, and lastly provides a logical division of the Biblical book based on style and form. Fr. Pacwa then divides his book into three parts - Family, Justice, and Virtue. For example, in the first part, Fr. Pacwa doesn't only provide explanations on the proverbs specifically for husbands, wives, parents, and children, but he also discusses chastity and love. In the part on justice, Fr. Pacwa focuses on the proverbs that relate to government, business, and social justice like wealth and poverty. Lastly, in the part of Virtue, he expounds on proverbs that discuss anger, pride, and humility to name a few.
When I first received this book, I thought it was going to be a verse-by-verse walkthrough of the entire book of Proverbs. That was not the case, which disappointed me at first, but I quickly got over it. This book arrived at just the right time for me, because it had so many parts that spoke to me. Yes, I gained a lot from the section on husbands and parents, but the chapter on silence and speech hit me over the head. I knew in the Epistle of James that he talked about how dangerous the tongue was, but I didn't realize it was discussed in Proverbs as well. We could all do well, myself most of all, to guard our tongues more closely and avoid not only idle talk, but hurtful talk as well. I highly recommend you pick up this book.
This book was provided to me for free by Sophia Institute Press in exchange for an honest review.
April 13, 2023
An easy to finish, short book that explains various proverbs well and their meanings. This is a book worth re-reading just to refresh one's memory about proverbs and proverbs to cite in conversation, essays or relevant situations. All people can benefit from this book.
March 20, 2018
Insightful
Very insightful and timely interpretation of the selected Proverbs. Brings these timeless expressions into our troubled times. Very highly recommended.
Very insightful and timely interpretation of the selected Proverbs. Brings these timeless expressions into our troubled times. Very highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews