Abba Isn't Daddy and Other Biblical Surprises: What Catholics Really Need to Know about Scripture Study

by William L. Burton

Fr. William L. Burton, O.F.M., doesn’t want you to be intimidated by studying the Bible. In fact, as a scripture scholar, he believes reading God’s Word is not only educational but also fun and entertaining. “The Bible is filled with surprises!” he says.

In Abba Isn’t Daddy and Other Biblical Surprises, Burton answers a number of fascinating questions that help you become more familiar with the Bible and your Catholic faith.

Have you ever wondered whether “Christ” is Jesus’ last name?

Did you know that when Jesus called God “Abba” he didn’t really mean the familiar “Daddy” as you may have been taught?

Could the Our Father have originally been a Jewish prayer?

Burton answers these questions and many others in Abba Isn’t Daddy and Other Biblical Surprises: What Catholics Really Need to Know about Scripture Study. The book will satisfy your curiosity about biblical subjects you’ve heard of and passages you’ve wondered about but never really pondered deeply nor understood.

Burton, a renowned scripture, introduces you to basic principles of scripture study and aids in your exploration of intriguing questions about the life of Jesus.

In part 1, Burton examines the history of the Bible, tools for scripture study, and the importance of archaeological, cultural, and linguistic discoveries for understanding the Bible. He also offers a fascinating explanation of how the geography of Israel played a crucial role in the Bible’s content and development.

In part 2, Burton addresses interesting questions related to the origin and meaning of topics in the New Testament.

Abba Isn’t Daddy and Other Biblical Surprises is a perfect resource to encourage you to learn the principles of scripture study and undertake a deeper reading of the Bible.

Genres: Religion, Christianity

193 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 8, 2019

Reviews

[Peter Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very decent and informative book. Kind of a primer for those who want to know more about the nuts and bolts of scripture. It was written by a Franciscan priest who is a biblical scholar and very fluid in all the issues and understandings related to scripture studies. He's a good teacher and employs very good analogies and stories to get his point across. As the title suggests, he goes a long way to try to debunk common misconceptions and erroneous biblical ideas that have crept into our understandings of familiar passages. For example, he explains why the translations of the disciples "sitting at table" with Jesus are incorrect - interesting - because in first century Palestine all meals were taken in a reclining position and according to a strict pecking order if you will. I gave this book a 4 because some of these explanations went into too much detail, but most of them came in the second half of the book. The first half was an explanation of basic modes of biblical study and interpretation, and that alone was worth the read. He's an excellent teacher who makes the Bible come alive with his explanations of geography, tools for interpretation, manuscript writing, and the Church's careful transmission of the biblical books, etc. All in all a good read.

[Amanda Sloan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I thought it would be - far more about this history of Scripture analysis and the formation of the Bible and less about biblical surprises. And the biblical surprises weren't all that surprising - many of them I already knew!

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gives an idea of the interpretation of Bible texts and how they should be read.
I do not agree with the author on all points such as calling Christianity a cult, that none of the gospels were written within the lifetime of those that knew Jesus and that the Bible is full of errors but contains enough truth to get a person to heaven.
But I did find some of what Burton said interesting and new to me..
I was given this book by Netgalley and the publisher. This is my voluntary and impartial review.

[Daniel Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a basic introduction to the Catholic approach to exegesis, with roughly half the book dedicated to theory and history, and the other half dedicated to specific examples. I would definitely read this again sometime.