Anselm Academic: The Pauline Letters

When I was going through college, both for a BA and an MBA, I never read the textbooks. In fact, I stopped buying them my last few years, because you never got a fair price when they bought them back. Now that I have graduated though, I find myself reading more textbooks than I read in college. I attribute it to actually being interested in the subject matter. If I could do it all over again, I'd have gotten a degree in Theology. I'm not sure what I'd do with it, but I'd have enjoyed it more than my degree in Psychology. That's for sure.

Today, I am reviewing The Pauline Letters by Daniel J. Scholz. This book is a systematic study of Paul, his writings (both undisputed and disputed), and writings from the period after him. This book is divided into two main parts - the "Undisputed Letters" and the "Disputed Letters and Post-Pauline Writings." Before reading this book, I didn't realize that the authorship of so many of Paul's thirteen letters was disputed. However, only 1st Thessalonians, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Romans, Philippians, and Philemon are undisputed.

Apart from just being rich in information, there are many aspects I like about this book. For starters, Dr. Scholz organized his book chronologically. It's always interesting to me to read about the historical context of a book of the Bible and arranging the letters chronologically enhances that for me. Another aspect I appreciated was the outlines of each letter. Each letter, undisputed or disputed, in this book comes with an outline of it's message. When you pair that with the PLETHORA of charts and tables in this book, it makes studying these works both enjoyable and rewarding.

There are also questions both for review and reflection at the end of every chapter. These questions help reinforce the author's main points and give the reader a chance to reflect on certain points. The reflection questions especially can make good dialogue in class or a group Bible study. They also would make good essay topics for all you professors out there. I think my favorite feature is the "Recommendations for Further Reading" at the end of every chapter. So many authors just tell you to read these extra sources; Dr. Scholz takes the time to tell you why to read them.

Just from a superficial reading of this work, I learned so much. As mentioned earlier, I learned that not all thirteen letters attributed to Paul are considered undisputedly written by him. I learned about post-Paul writings like the Acts of Paul and Thecla and the Apocalypse of Paul, which the author claims to have influenced Dante's Inferno. I also learned that Paul's ministry didn't begin until 33 CE (author's dating), but his first letter wasn't written until approximately 50 CE. It makes you wonder if he didn't write anything during this period of if Paul's earlier writings have been lost or destroyed.

No person, apart from Jesus, had a greater influence on the shaping of Christianity than St. Paul. If you want to know more about this great man and his writings, pick up this 5 star book and read it. Then, go back and study this book. Work your way through it systematically with a Bible next to you. Take time to reflect and answers the questions at the end of every chapter. Then, when you've finally done that, pick up Jesus in the Gospels and Acts.

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A Primer for Philosophy and Education

Occasionally, I get requests from publishers or authors to review works of theirs. This is one such request.  Today, I will be reviewing Dr. Sam Rocha's book A Primer for Philosophy and Education. I wasn't initially sure that this book would fit my criteria of only reviewing Catholic and Orthodox products, but since Dr. Rocha is Catholic, I figured that counted.

In this brief 45 page primer, Dr. Rocha attempts to open the minds of his readers to what philosophy and education really are. I was a philosophy major for one month in college, when I thought I wanted to be a priest. However, the teachers at my school taught philosophers, NOT philosophy. There is a huge difference between the two as Dr. Rocha explains in Chapter 4.

He also points out in this primer that our society has brainwashed us into thinking that philosophy and education merely lead to good grades. These good grades then become the sole purpose of attending classes. People don't learn and acquire knowledge for the love of learning. Instead, they do it to get a good grade, which leads to a degree and ultimately a job. I must admit that I was more than guilty of that in high school and college. However, that changed years after I graduated when I started reading works interesting to me and not required reading by professors.

While this Primer is a short read, it is also a dense read. You can read the entire work in under an hour. However, it will feel like it took you longer because it was packed with basic and essential truths that make you stop and think. While this isn't a book about homeschooling, it definitely reinforces my belief in homeschooling my son and his future siblings. I'd recommend this work to anyone who has an interest in philosophy of education, especially those who don't know where to start.

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Putnam Press: Pope Francis - Conversations with Jorge Bergoglio

Today, at Stuart's Study, I am highlighting another book about Pope Francis. You may recall that last month I spotlighted On Heaven and Earth.  I am doing a mini-countdown of my Top 3 books about Pope Francis, so be sure to tune in next month when I review my #1 choice. This month is I am reviewing my #2 choice for Pope Francis books, and it is called Pope Francis - Conversations with Jorge Bergoglio.

Pope Francis - Conversations with Jorge Bergoglio was the only biography available at the time of the papal election. However, in my opinion, it is the closest thing to an autobiography you will read about our new Holy Father. Each chapter starts off by providing the reader detailed information about various times or instances in Pope Francis' life. Then, there is my favorite part - a question and answer session.

The book begins by discussing Pope Francis' grandmother and the story of why the family moved from Italy to Argentina. We then move on and read about Pope Francis' first job, which leads to the development of his view on work and the homeless. Next, we learn about a time where he was so ill that he almost died. I could work my way through every chapter and tell you what they are about, but you get the idea.

Many people will buy and read this book for the biography alone. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, that is why I originally wanted to read it. It contained a lot of Pope Francis' life story in his own words, but there is so much wisdom in this book as well. One quote that stood out to me was on pain. It said, "Pain is not a virtue in itself, but you can be virtuous in the way you bear it." This was very profound to me, and there are gems like this scattered throughout the book.

If you have been keeping up with Pope Francis via the news, then you will know how humble this great man is. It should come as no surprise that his humility was present before he became pope and can be seen in his answers to the interview questions. However, one also gets to see Pope Francis' brilliance. I can't even begin to fathom how daunting a task it must be to succeed Pope Benedict XVI, one of the greatest theologian popes ever, but one can see that Pope Francis is no theological slouch either.

If you want to get a glimpse of the personal life of Pope Francis before he was Pope Francis, this 5 star book is for you. You will get to see details of his life that otherwise would have been unknown. You will also get to see key events in his life that shaped his views and made him the man he is today. Most importantly, it's in HIS OWN WORDS! That's what truly makes this book awesome and my #2 pick for books about Pope Francis.

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