FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT YEAR TWO OF THE MPB SCRIPTURE STUDY PROGRAM

1. I know NOTHING about the Bible. Will I be comfortable in this class? Yes, the point of this study is to involve students in the wonderful discovery of Sacred Scripture. You don’t need any previous background.

2. I have had many scripture classes. Will I be bored? In the past we have welcomed students who have had previous scripture study. Most of them found the study a good review, and discovered that the biblical stories never stop delivering new insights.

3. I didn’t take the Old Testament class last year. Can I still take the New Testament class this year? Yes, we welcome anyone who wants to study scripture to join the class this year.

4. Is there homework? There is NO WRITTEN HOMEWORK, but we ask that you keep up with the assigned scripture texts for each week. We also ask that you read the assigned Supplementary Readings and do the Geography Tasks from the workbook. At the beginning of each class we will set aside time for a conversation in your group about one question from the assigned reading in your syllabus.

5. What textbooks will we be using?

New Testament Foundations: Jesus and Discipleship. The Year Two Student Workbook of the Catholic Biblical School Program, Paulist Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0-8091-9586-2. Available online from Paulist Press and Amazon Books. Order it now so you will have it for the first class.

You will also need a good set of biblical maps. You may use a biblical atlas or Bible with a good selection of biblical maps.

James Martin, S.J. Jesus: a Pilgrimage, Harper One, 2014, ISBN 978-0-06-202423-7. Though not required, this book will be a helpful companion for your study of the New Testament.

Mueller, Steve, Ph.D, book So What’s the Good News? The Catechist’s Guide to Reading the Gospels, (CGG) Faith Alive Books, 2016, ISBN 978-0-9764221-5-0. This book is also not required, but is a great companion for your journey this year. Steve has graciously offered to handle your orders himself, so that you can get the books as early as possible. If you’d like to go through Steve, contact him at 720-398-8950, or by e-mail at [email protected]. He will bring the books to the first class on September 14th. Otherwise, you can get it online at FaithAliveBooks.com and Amazon Books.

See the syllabus for your first reading assignment from this book, which you should read before the first class if you choose to purchase the book.

6. What Bible translation should I use? What’s the best study Bible?

We encourage you to use the New American Bible (NAB), the Revised Standard Version (RSV), the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), or the New Jerusalem Bible (NJB). If you get the RSV or NRSV make sure that it includes the Deuterocanonical books sometimes referred to as the Apocrypha. We recommend the Little Rock Catholic Study Bible, Liturgical Press, St. John’s Abbey, Collegeville, MN, 56321-7500 P.O. Box 7500. Also available at Amazon.com.

7. I travel a lot. Can I just drop in when I can make it? While we recognize that you may have to occasionally miss a class, we hope that you will be able to attend most of the classes. There is so much material to cover in order to study the New Testament in 25 weeks that you won’t want to miss if you can possibly avoid it.

8. Who are the teachers? The class will be taught by veteran scripture teachers Angeline Hubert, Kathy McGovern, and Ben Lager.

9. When and where are the classes? We will meet in the MPB Parish Center on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:00pm beginning on September 14, 2016 and concluding on April 19, 2017.

10. How much is tuition? The cost for the year is $250.00 (That’s ten dollars a class!)

By completing your registration form and paying tuition here you confirm that you are joining the class, and we will look forward to seeing you on September 14th.

If you have further questions or concerns, contact Angeline at [email protected] , or in the evenings by phone at 720.542.9938. You can contact Kathy at [email protected] . Please do not call the parish office.

Thank you for taking this life-changing journey with us!