A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament

by Brant Pitre, John Bergma

Although many Catholics are familiar with the four Gospels and other writings of the New Testament, for most, reading the Old Testament is like walking into a foreign land. Who wrote these forty-six books? When were they written? Why were they written? What are we to make of their laws, stories, histories, and prophecies? Should the Old Testament be read by itself or in light of the New Testament?

John Bergsma and Brant Pitre offer readable in-depth answers to these questions as they introduce each book of the Old Testament. They not only examine the literature from a historical and cultural perspective but also interpret it theologically, drawing on the New Testament and the faith of the Catholic Church. Unique among introductions, this volume places the Old Testament in its liturgical context, showing how its passages are employed in the current Lectionary used at Mass.

Accessible to nonexperts, this thorough and up-to-date introduction to the Old Testament can serve as an idea textbook for biblical studies. Its unique approach, along with its maps, illustrations, and other reference materials, makes it a valuable resource for seminarians, priests, Scripture scholars, theologians, and catechists, as well as anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the Bible.

Genres: Theology, Religion, Catholic, Nonfiction, Christian, Christianity, Reference

1982 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 4, 2018

About the author

Dr. Brant Pitre is Professor of Sacred Scripture at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, Louisiana. He earned his Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame, where he specialized the study of the New Testament and ancient Judaism. He is the author of several articles and the books Jesus, the Tribulation, and the End of the Exile (Baker Academic, 2005); Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist (Image Books, 2011); and Jesus the Bridegroom (Image Books, 2014). Dr. Pitre is an extremely enthusiastic and engaging speaker who lectures regularly across the United States. He has produced dozens of Bible studies on CD, DVD, and MP3, in which he explores the biblical foundations of Catholic faith and theology. He currently lives in Gray, Louisiana, with his wife Elizabeth, and their five children.

Reviews

[Julie Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't for beginners no matter how the title makes it sound. It's not a Bible basics overview for those who have little knowledge of the Bible. It is for those with scholarly interests or needs. I could see it being an excellent class text. As well as literary structure, cultural context, and historical perspectives, we get a look at how each Old Testament book was understood and used by New Testament authors.

Perhaps most valuable, and certainly unexpected by me, was the consideration of modern Biblical scholarship versus traditional teachings of authorship and when the books were written. Granted, these topics will not be of interest to everyone, but having recently come across statements in Wikipedia that David probably didn't exist except as a sort of King Arthur legend and that authorship of his psalms was likewise doubted, I wanted to get an informed opinion from a trustworthy source. The respectful, even-handed look at these questions, as well as that of Moses's authorship of the Pentateuch left me admiring this book even more.

I advise looking at Amazon's sample and using the "surprise me" button to get a feel for the writing and thoroughness. You'll get to see large sections from deep within the text to give you a good idea of what's there. That's what made me take the leap and get it.

These two authors have done their readers a real service with this fine work. Definitely recommended as a resource and, if you are like me, for fascinating reading all the way through.

[Jeff Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure gold. This has introductions to every single book of the Old Testament and explores historicity, theological difficulties, how the Church uses that book in the liturgy, along with other tidbits regarding the specific book and how it was used in Church history.

For me as just an interested reader and not in any way a scripture scholar, I found it totally worthwhile and accessible. Enough detail to make it interesting without being overwhelming in a scholarly direction. Can hardly wait for the New Testament edition.

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve ever talked books with me, then you know that I love them. In fact, my books are some of my most prized possessions and if anything ever happened to my house, I wonder if insurance would cover my large collection. Now, I love all my books (some more than others), but the ones I am most fond of are my Bibles and the ones that have to do with Scripture interpretation or commentary. I have an overflowing shelf, dedicated to those books alone, and with the recent offerings of publishers, I think I am going to need to bite the bullet and get a second shelf. One of these books is one of the latest releases from Ignatius Press, entitled A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament. The book is authored by two amazing Catholic scholars – John Bergsma and Brant Pitre. It is over 1000 pages long and retails for about $50.

Upon first opening the book, you are given an introduction which tells us this book was written “for anyone who wants to gain an in-depth understanding of the Old Testament from a Catholic perspective.” It also tells us that there will be a second volume on the New Testament (impatiently waiting for that now…), and who the intended audience is for this book – Catholic Seminarians, Graduate Students, Ordained Ministers, College Students, Directors of Religious Education, Scripture Teachers, and Interested Lay People. Whew! Made it on the last one! The introduction also tells us about the integrated approach this volume will take using Historical Exegesis and Theology, Faith and Reason, Scripture and Tradition, and lastly integrating the Old and New Testament through the use of typology.

The next section gives us a broad introduction to the Old Testament with a focus on Canon, Language and Study. We are first given a comparison table of the four different Old Testament Canon between Jewish (24 books), Protestant (39 books), Roman Catholic (46 books), and Greek Orthodox (49 books). Yes, you read that right…some people have even more Old Testament books than we do. 🙂 We then see a comparison of the canon over time as it related to different councils from 350 A.D. to 397 A.D. There are also sections on “Deuterocanonical” books and how different Church Fathers made reference to them in their works. After this, the reader is educated on the four most important ancient texts – the Masoretic (Hebrew), the Septuagint (Greek), the Vulgate (Latin), and the Peshitta (Syriac). Lastly, there is discussion on different methods of Biblical study including, Textual, Historical-Critical, Source, Form, Tradition, etc.

We finally get to the meat of the book with Part Three: What is the Pentateuch? and Part Four: The Origins of the Pentateuch. These sections give us a summary of the Pentateuch, themes found in the five books, overview of important tribes/people (Hittites, Canaanites, etc.), and a look at the book through both an ancient and modern lens. No introductory section is given for the Historical Books or Prophetic Literature, but there is a section on “The Place of Wisdom Literature in the Canon.” The rest of the book is divided into chapters, with each book of the Bible getting its own chapter. Exceptions to this are Genesis getting two chapters, historical books like 1st and 2nd Samuel getting one chapter, and all 12 Minor Prophets books also getting one chapter. Each book of the Bible is given an introduction, which outlines the book and provides some context for reading the book. Then, there are thematic breakdowns of every chapter or couple of chapters. In addition to explanatory text, there are pictures, tables, maps, and little blocked asides that further explain key parts of the Scripture.

This work was an impressive undertaking and one that we Catholics should feel blessed to be able to obtain. I can’t imagine the time and the level of research involved in a work like this, but I’m sure it’s mind-boggling. Plus, there are copious amounts of footnotes given, so you can dive even deeper in the Old Testament if you so choose to do. Never before has the Old Testament been so thoroughly presented and readily available for Catholics, in a one-volume format. They could have easily made this a multi-volume set on the Old Testament alone and still had me hungry for more! This is a book that will sit proudly on my study shelf, so that I can readily reference it every time I read through an Old Testament passage. I feel smarter having read through this book, and I already want to pick it up and read it again to glean more from everything I missed on my first read through. I am eagerly awaiting the release of Volume 2 on the New Testament, and I’m sure it will be an amazing reference just like its predecessor.

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in parallel to reading the old testament using The Catholic Study Bible, from Oxford University Press. It was a bit of over kill. Even for someone who spend 20 years as an undergraduate in University. When I read this volume again, I will use a normal bible with minimal notes and one of the translations I really enjoy reading, like the Jerusalem Bible. But that being said this book was a most excellent read.

As mentioned, I spent the better part of 20 years in University. I hold a Religious studies degree with specialization in Roman Catholic Thought. This book would have been an amazing resource during my university career. I attended St Jerome’s University at the University of Waterloo, there were three other Church collages and the Religious Studies and Theology Departments spanned the 4 collages and faculty at main campus. This book would have been great for some of my essays, especially for Professors from other denominations.

The book is written in such as way that it can be used academically. But it is engaging enough that most lay people could read it and benefit from that reading. Coming in at just over 1000 pages it is not a small commitment. But What I found was that once I started reading a chapter on a specific book I found I could not put it down. The book is very engaging.

This is one of those more expensive books that I held off on purchasing. I waited more than a year to see if a paper back edition would be released or if the eBook would drop in price. I regret not having picked up the book right away. And when Volume 2 on the New Testament releases, I will not hesitate to pick it up right away.

This book belongs on the shelf of anyone who considers himself a professional or amateur Catholic Theologian. And to be honest it should be in the home of every Catholic family. It is an excellent resource, if you read it from beginning to end, or pick and choose around specific passages or books. I highly recommend this volume!

Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan!

[Joseph A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been a long time since I’ve reviewed a book, and I can think of only one prior instance in which I’ve written to a publisher to ask a copy of a book for purposes of reviewing. But that changed this past week: I reached out to Ignatius Press to get a review copy of John Bergsma and Brant Pitre’s A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: Old Testament. Why? Because, after looking through a copy I’d purchased a priest friend for Christmas, I became convinced that it fills an important hole in Catholic theology right now.

Briefly, there’s too often a disjunct between orthodox and theological work. Much of what’s written by Catholic scholars has a skeptical and even sneering tone towards the truths of the faith, while most orthodox Catholic writers are focused more on popular audiences than scholarly ones. There are many reasons for this, not least of which is that scholarly journals serve as gatekeepers, effectively silencing orthodox voices, and stymying their academic ascendancy. Much more could be said about this, and has been. Within Catholic moral theology, Fordham’s Charles Camosy has a 3000-word exploration of the problem in Notre Dame’s Church Life Journal. For New Testament Biblical theology, Notre Dame’s John Finnis gave a 2014 talk so damning that one of the faculty members (a Holy Cross priest) afterwards said that “he could feel the value of his Notre Dame M.Div. degree plummeting by the minute, as Finnis demonstrated that a great deal of what he’d been taught was wrong.” Finnis has since published an Ave Maria Law Review article laying out these critiques in detail.

Unfortunately, this problem exists within the world of Old Testament Biblical scholarship as well. A touchstone for reading the Old Testament well is found in Luke 24:27, where Christ “interpreted to them [the disciples on the road to Emmaus] in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” The two disciples would later reflect, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:32). It’s a reminder that it’s only if we’re walking with Christ that we can grasp the deepest meanings of Scripture (cf. Luke 24:27). Such a truth is too easily forgotten by Catholic academics. There’s a strong pressure in academia to write in an “objective” tone that takes no position on whether or not the Bible is actually true. But of course, the question of the truth of the Bible is unavoidable. So, for example, when the New American Bible says of Christ’s prediction of His death that “neither this nor the two later passion predictions (Mt 17:22–23; 20:17–19) can be taken as sayings that, as they stand, go back to Jesus himself,” it’s because the authors (under the oversight of Archbishop McCarrick) are apparent heretics. Since they seemingly don’t believe that Jesus is divine and knows the future, any “predictions” He makes about the future must actually be later fabrications simply ascribed to him. In other words, you can’t do good scholarship on the Bible if you don’t know whether the Bible is a reliable set of testaments to God’s interactions with humanity, or a collection of pious fictions.

But that doesn’t mean we should throw all of this scholarship out in toto. So there’s a second frustration: popular Catholic writers who don’t stay au courant with the best trends in scholarship, who respond to outdated arguments, or who make glaring historical errors or unfounded assumptions. Bergsma and Pitre navigate between the horns of this dilemma by crafting a Biblical commentary that’s rich, orthodox, and scholarly. One of its greatest strengths is that it explains scholarly insights in ways that are clear to the uninitiated, without dumbing things down. The book begins with a chapter contextualizing the scholars’ own scholarly position in relationship to the development of Biblical scholarship over the last 150 years, concluding that “the Church cannot ignore any mode of biblical scholarship and requires scholars who are familiar with, or have mastered, the various modern methodologies,” but instead “must take the best aspects of these various methods and integrate them into an approach to the biblical text that is both rigorously exegetical and theologically fruitful” (pp. 47-48). What does this approach to Scripture look like, practically? The rest of the book demonstrates this method in action:

The approach is deeply Christological. Readers familiar with either Dr. Bergsma or Dr. Pitre will be used to their focus on the relationship between the Old and New Testament. Unsurprisingly, a major theme of their commentary is that of Christ’s discussion on the road to Emmaus: how the Old Testament prefigures the Life, Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. Some of these (like the sacrifice of Isaac) may be familiar; others, not so much. For example, Bergsma and Pitre point out several parallels involving Joseph in Genesis (p. 158) including that “Joseph is sold to Gentiles for twenty silver pieces by Judah and eleven brothers (Gen. 37:25-36)” while “Jesus is sold to Gentiles for thirty silver pieces and abandoned by eleven disciples (Mt. 26:15, 30)”; and “Joseph is with two condemned men (cupbearer and baker), one of whom is pardoned and given physical life (Gen. 40:1-23)” while “Jesus is with two condemned men, one of whom is forgiven by Jesus and given everlasting life (Lk. 23:32, 39-43).” As you can imagine, such an approach radically changes the reading of the Old Testament.

It’s even-handed, but unafraid to challenge conventional wisdom. Take a simple question: “Who wrote the Song of Solomon (a.k.a. ‘Song of Songs’)?” More specifically, is the book written by Solomon, about Solomon, or in the style (or person) of Solomon? Even in the ancient world, there wasn’t consensus on the question, and most scholars reject Solomonic authorship out-of-hand. Bergsma and Pitre stop short of endorsing one position or another, but instead give the best arguments for each (pp. 654-56). While acknowledging that only a minority of scholars think Solomon actually wrote the book, the authors point out that these scholars actually make a decent case. For example, the bridegroom says to the bride “You are beautiful as Tirzah, my love, comely as Jerusalem” (Song. 6:4). The parallelism between these two cities “reflects the social and political situation in the late tenth-early ninth century B.C., when Tirzah and Jerusalem were cities of comparable size and glory, so that Tirzah was the logical choice for a rival capital when the kingdom split” (p. 655). But Tirzah was only an important city for a brief moment in history: the northern capital was moved from Tirzah to Samaria, and little more is heard of the city after. So it’s an intriguing detail that might suggest dating the book to around the time of Solomon.

It connects Scripture to the broader life of the Church. Whether it’s showing when and where Ezekiel is read in the Liturgy of the Hours and Mass (pp. 868-873), or the connection between the calling of Jeremiah from the womb (Jer. 1:5) and the Church’s teaching against abortion (p. 802), or the seventy elders (Nu. 11:16-23) and the presbyteral order (pp. 252-53), the authors don’t settle simply to explicate the text in isolation: they show its relationship to the rest of revelation and the Christian life.

If there is one shortcoming to the book, it’s that it only covers the Old Testament. While the commentary regularly shows the way that the Hebrew texts prefigure the New Testament, it would be helpful to have a commentary focusing on the New Testament texts specifically. On the other hand, the book is plenty large without it: excluding indices, it clocks in at just under a thousand pages as is. This probably isn’t the kind of book you will sit down and read cover-to-cover. But it is a great resource (and ideal Christmas gift) for: priests giving homilies, seminarians and students studying Scripture, or Catholics simply trying to understand their faith better and the place of the Old Testament in that faith.

[Collin Likover · Rating 5 out of 5]

This exegesis of the old testament is so good i can’t believe it’s real. Scholarly but not out of reach for the average reader. Should be required reading for every christian and catholic. Guaranteed to give you a richer more profound understanding of the Bible

[Jan Petrozzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was required reading for a master's level class I took. A Catholic Introduction to the Bible is an excellent supplemental source to the Old Testament. It is extremely helpful in laying out and explaining many complexities of the Old Testament, particularly in the Pentateuch. This book contains pictures, maps and charts along with insets that include further information to supplement many of the topics discussed in the book. These extras prove to be invaluable tools for learning and help bring to life a realistic picture of what it must have been like in the ancient times of the Bible. The writing is clear and holds one’s attention. The book includes both a subject index along with a scriptural index. Although this is somewhat of an academic book, it would be wonderful addition to the collections of anyone looking for a better understanding of the Old Testament. This is a great reference to use for clarification.

[Isabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea how much I would like his book. I am using it as a reference as I go through an overview of the Bible and salvation history. This book is full of information and summaries of each book in the Old Testament. It also shows the big picture and how events are related to each other in the Old Testament and then also to the New Testament. There are references to the early church Fathers, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and Writings of Saintly preachers and Popes. There are even references to where we see these biblical writings in the liturgy and the church liturgical year. It is quite remarkable that all this information can be written in a very readable fashion without seeming dry. I am truly impressed.

[Rhonda Mannino · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was taught modern biblical scholarship at a Jesuit Preparatory school. I had my arguments to the idea that Moses did not exist. I was told to just listen up, no challenges were accepted. Look up Bergsma’s interview with Scott Hahn when ‘Introduction..’ was published. It’s fantastic, Bergsma has made much of Scott Hahns library of Biblical scholarship obsolete! (Not Hahns work).

So refreshing is Bergsma and Pitre’s work! Also, I loved the way they formatted the study. Answering the question, how does the Church use these texts today? In the liturgy and in the liturgy of the hours on these occasions. So Fitting! I am not a Bible scholar and I ate this book up in three months so my adult daughter could read it next.

[German Otalora · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was expecting an scholarly hexegesis of the Hebrew Bible. Had I read the title of the book : The Old Testament, I could have expected what I really got. The whole book is an ellaborate defense of the Catholic interpretation of Scriptures over time, with no reference whatsoer to the research done, including by the Pontifical Biblical Instiitutes. It is rather a somehow extendended argument in favor of the CCC. I am too old to go to Catechism, and too curious to be happy with a defense of ultra orthodoxy. I really did not finished the book I just closed it.

[Chad Thurman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible break down of the books of the Old Testament. This work put together by Brant Pitre and John Bergsma is the best commentary on the Old Testament that I’ve encountered. It adds theological tradition, archeological findings, writings of the Church Fathers and Doctors of the Church, along with contemporary theses. If you’re looking to better understand the intricacies of the Old Testament in a readable, yet scholarly composed resource, then this is the book to buy!!!

[Dustin Hudgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is worth noting that this text is more apologetical than scholarly. Some of the scholarship in the book is simply poor and too influenced by ideological concerns (outdated information regarding dates especially pervades this text--inexcusable in the twenty-first century). That said, for what this book is (a CATHOLIC, though a particular flavor of conservative American Catholicism, introduction to the O.T.), it is very good and contains much ripe fruit for lectio divina.

[Yancy Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely indispensable. A thoroughly researched and brilliantly analyzed work looking at the totality of the Old Testament books through the prism of the Catholic Church. Looking forward to the follow up volume of the New Testament. Thank you Brant Pitre and John Bergsma.

[Kenneth Griswold · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far, this is the best introduction to the Bible I've ever read, and it was only half the Bible! This introduction illuminated and answered so many questions that I've had about the Bible as a person who teaches the Bible regularly.

[Chris Curran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book breaks down every Book of the Old Testament and puts it in perspective that every Christian needs to hear. It brings the New testement and the liturgy and traditions of the Church to life. I especially loved the breakdown of the Wisdom books.

[Rob Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good, thorough Intro to the Old Testament with reviews of all Catholic OT books. I appreciated the Catholic perspective after reading several Protestant Intros. Author is a very good communicator. I can't wait for Catholic Intro to NT

[Richard Cain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding

Extremely helpful and practical. The best single resource on reading the Old Testament that I have encountered. Highly recommend it.

[Susan Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Excellent! Great book for serious Bible Study.

[Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect book for someone trying to sink their teeth into the OT but not knowing where to start. Moves beyond the “pop” literature into more dense fields, but not overly academic. Very well balanced.

[Diana Kullman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this commentary in sections to accompany other biblical studies. Truly a wonderful resource to be read along WITH scripture unless you are a Bible scholar.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book (along with the Old Testament itself) took me a full year to get through, but this was WELL WORTH IT. Amazing text. Loved every minute.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank God for the Bible and illuminating resources for it like this book.

[Jane Korvemaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few fundamentalist perspectives that are portrayed as fact, but overall a good overview from a Catholic approach.

[Pete Orsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I read this simultaneously with Father Schmitzes Bible in a Year and it was life changing. Easy to read and broken out into relevant sections that were not redundant. Well done.

[Chance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional resource. I mainly use it as a reference tool and as a primer before beginning an OT book, this is perfect for my needs. (Textbook)

[Aaron Hartley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best resources I have used for Old Testament study. For any catholic educator dealing with scripture, this book is invaluable.

[Jack Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book by Pitre and Bergsma. After an introduction laying out principles of Biblical study, each book of the Old Testament is then considered. Some books are combined where they are considered to be part of a greater unity eg 1+2 Kings or Ezra and Nehemiah. Each chapter begins with an introduction and then an overview of the text, followed by a section on historical issues, theological issues, that book in the living tradition of the Church and finally the place in the liturgy (based off the current lectionary).

Pitre and Bergsma are keen to defend the Bible from skeptics, including liberal Christians. In the historical issues they engage with the scholarship yet also show how scholarship also defends the historicity of the Bible.

The theological issues sections helps to bring out the important doctrines which can be derived from certain books, which is very helpful. The section on living tradition then furthers this by showing how the Church Fathers and schoolmen read these books and what doctrines they derived, interpretations that are often at variance with modern critical biblical scholarship, but which are important parts of our Catholic tradition.

This book is a breath of fresh air in a landscape of stale critical bible scholarship that doesn't really help us to understand what the Bible actually means to us. Pitre and Bergsma stand up to much of this scholarship and defend a more canonical interpretation, considering the totality of Scripture and its relation to tradition.

A must-read for any serious Catholic bible scholar. I eagerly await their volume on the New Testament.

[Dim Bulb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book by Dr. John Bergsma and Dr. Brant Pitre is an outstanding and much needed Catholic introduction to the Old Testament. It is my understanding that the bulk of the material in this volume was produced by Dr. John Bergsma. The two authors are now working on a companion volume, a Catholic introduction to the New Testament, with Dr. Pitre doing the bulk of production.