Swear to God and Lord, Have Mercy (Image Books)

Swear to God was one of the first books I read as a Catholic. I audiobooked it in fact from Audible. At the time, I didn't grasp the book fully, but I did appreciate it. I have since decided to re-read it, a decade later and see how much more it speaks to me today.

The book begins with Dr. Hahn recounting his first encounter with sacraments in Protestant seminary. In a nutshell, they bored him. He was more interested in the Bible and preaching. Frankly, I could relate with him. To a Protestant, sacraments aren't that interesting or essential to salvation. Having now experienced multiple sacraments within the Church, I have come to realize years after my conversion just how interesting, essential, and crucial to our salvation they really are.

Dr. Hahn then takes the time to explain what a sacrament is, how many there are, what exactly each one is, and where they can be found in Scripture. Next, he devotes several chapters to covenants and covenant theology. In these chapters, he explains what covenants and oaths are, important covenants in the Bible, how covenants were crucial to Creation, how oaths were important to society.

This book is easily understood, because it is written in true Scott Hahn fashion. It is a nice mixture of Scripture, patristics, and personal experience. This is an excellent introduction to the sacraments and the power and importance they have in the lives of Catholics. I highly recommend it for both old and new Catholics. It makes the perfect gift for those in the RCIA program or just those who are showing a little bit of interest in the Catholic faith.

Lord, Have Mercy is Scott Hahn's book on Confession. This too was a book I read as an early Catholic. As a former Protestant, Confession was one of the areas I had the most difficulty with. I don't think it was because of the common Protestant view of, "Why go to a priest, when I can just go straight to God?" No. This was a basic human fear of being judged by another human and how they will look at me after I am done confessing my sins. I don't know why, and I know it doesn't make any sense, but I still have that fear. Why are we afraid of what other people think of us, and not what God thinks of us?

In this book, Scott Hahn details the origins and history of the Sacrament. He explains the covenantal connections related to Confession, and he also explains the best example we have of Confession in the Bible - the Prodigal Son. Re-reading this book years later, I have a new appreciation for chapters 10 through 12. In this chapters, he gives advice on how to make Confession more meaningful and goes so far as to compare it to combat/warfare. Combat and warfare used to be more widely preached, but we have steered away from that now unfortunately. We have to remember though, that Satan is after our souls and everyday we are involved in a cosmic war where we must choose God and good over Satan and evil. The appendices also proved helpful as they walk you through how Confession takes place; prayers you can say before, during, and after; and an examination of Conscience.

This was a very helpful book on Confession and one that I am sure I will visit again, until I finally get over my fear of Confession. However, I think the cure for that will be to go more frequently. If you are struggling with Confession, I recommend this book for you. If you have Protestant friends or family who want to know what the point of Confession is, then recommend this book to them, or read it yourself and you can answer their questions. Anyone could benefit from reading this book though.

These books were provided to me for free by Image Books in exchange for honest reviews. If you found them helpful, please click here and/or here and click Yes!

The Light is on for You (Word Among Us Press)

Over the past several years, the Archdiocese of Mobile, which I am a member of, has adopted a program during Lent called "The Light is on for You." I'm not sure if all others dioceses have adopted it as well, but I know many have. The program is designed to give people more opportunities to go to Confession during Lent. I strongly support this program, because even though you only "have" to go to Confession once a year, you should make it a practice to go more frequently. The book I am reviewing today is also called The Light is on for You by Cardinal Donald Wuerl.

The Light is on for You begins by explaining our need for Confession. Cardinal Wuerl goes so far as to trace Confession back to the Garden of Eden and the Fall. God invited Adam and Eve to confess their sin to Him, and shortly thereafter He also invited Cain to confess to murdering Abel. He then explains how sin turns us away from God, but Confession is a call to conversion or turning toward God. In the next chapter, he then dissects the ultimate story of Confession in one of my favorite parables, The Prodigal Son.

The next several chapters cover the facts of confession. The reader will learn how come priests have the authority to forgive sins, how to prepare for confession, a step-by-step guide on how to make a good Confession, and the seal of the confessional. The final chapter was the most interesting to me. It described Confession as the sacrament of the New Evangelization, "because it offers us 'a new and personal encounter with Jesus Christ, as well as a new encounter with the Church.' We can always come home to God and to the Church."

I found this to be a very good, but basic book. If you are a devout Catholic, you probably won't find much new information in this book. However, I don't believe the devout Catholic is the intended audience. This book is trying to reach the inquirer, the fallen-away Catholic, and the Catholic who just shows up to get his card punched. The appendices, which walk you through an Examination of Conscience and the Sacrament are useful, and the chapters which explain what Confession is and does are edifying. The main message, however, is that there is a Savior and a Church waiting with open arms for you to come home and be forgiven. So find out when your local Catholic Church is having Confession, and go! After all, the light is on for you.

This book was provided to me for free by Word Among Us Press in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click the link and hit Yes!

Politicizing the Bible (Crossroad Publishing)

There are lots of things I love about being Catholic. I've never formally composed a list, but if I did you would definitely find the Bible and Scott Hahn on that list. Therefore, you can only imagine my excitement when I found out that Crossroad Publishing was releasing the book Politicizing the Bible. Politicizing the Bible is the second joint effort between Scott Hahn and Benjamin Wiker, the first of which was Answering the New Atheism. I knew this book would be a challenge to read, but I also knew it would contain great wisdom.

Politicizing the Bible  is a meaty tome spanning over 500 pages, which examines the origins of the historical critical method as a means of interpreting the Bible and identifies famous people who utilized this method. For those unfamiliar with the historical critical method, it is a way of understanding the Bible through understanding the literal meaning of Biblical texts when placed in the original historical context. This means the researcher wants to know who wrote it, when it was written, where it was written, what influenced the writing of it, etc. Additionally, one can use this method and compare the Biblical text to other texts written during the same period. In a nutshell, this method focuses on the human origins of the Biblical text, which isn't wrong but doesn't give you the whole picture either.

In this book, Drs. Hahn and Wiker cover both the development of the historical critical method over time and the key people in history who utilized the historical critical method. These people used their interpretation of Biblical texts to further their own political purposes and agendas. Some such people include Martin Luther, Thomas Hobbes, Machiavelli, and even King Henry VIII. Another interesting fact that I learned from reading this book is that most people believe this method originated in the 17th or 18th Century. However, the two authors demonstrate that it in fact had its earliest origins in the 14th Century, well before the Reformation ever occurred.

Each person listed above (and the others not listed in this review) is the subject of a fascinating chapter in this book, which demonstrates how the historical critical method developed over time. Drs. Hahn and Wiker were able to show how each person's idea builds off the ideas of their predecessors to further secularize and politicize the Bible. This steady shift in thought ended up having a lasting effect on modern interpretation of Scripture. It is worth pointing out that Biblical critics often claim that the historical critical method of studying Scripture is unbiased and neutral. One only needs to skim this book to see that this is not the case. A deeper read will show you that whenever people are involved, bias is impossible to eliminate; people will manipulate even the Bible if it suits their agenda.

Politicizing the Bible is THE go-to guide for an explanation and critique of the historical critical method. Be forewarned though, this is not a book for the casual reader. When placed next to your Bible, the two books look nearly equally big and thick. In addition to the size and weight of this book, almost each page is half text and half footnotes. This is a book for the serious student of Scripture, and if you fall into that category you will want this 5 star book on your shelf.

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In the Redeeming Christ (Ave Maria Press)

Welcome back to Stuart's Study. Today, I'm pleased to review another book from Ave Maria Press, entitled In the Redeeming Christ. This book is part of their Christian Classics imprint. There's something about reading an old book that takes you back to the time it was written. This is true of fiction and nonfiction alike. And while I enjoy most all of the present Catholic authors out there, it is spiritually enlightening to read what the previous generations thought and taught as well.

In the Redeeming Christ starts with an introduction by Dr. Scott Hahn, which provides a brief biography of Fr. Durwell and the time he lived in. Living from 1912 to 2005, he certainly experienced almost the entire 20th Century. At the young age of 27, he made two important insights regarding theology. 1. Jesus' Resurrection was not receiving proper attention. 2. The Pascal Mystery of Jesus should be the center of Catholic theology. This shaped his theological teachings and writings, including this book. In the Redeeming Christ is broken into five parts:

• Principles of Christian Life
• The Sacraments of Christian Life
• Christian Virtues
• Our Master in the Christian Life
• Mary Amongst Us

The five sections mentioned above allow the book to flow smoothly, as they outline the way faith grows within a person. First, one must be presented with the ideas of salvation, redemption, and sanctification, which are key tenets of Christianity. One's faith then begins to deepen through life in the Church. The Bible, the Mass, and the Sacraments help us live this life.  Once a faith is well established and practiced, the fruits of that faith, virtues, bear witness to our life in Christ.  As always, when we need some guidance in our faith journey, we are able to look to Mary, who is the perfect example of what the Church is supposed to be - the bride of Christ.

The most helpful portion to me was the chapter, "Faithfulness to Prayer," which can be found in the section on Christian Virtues. I feel that prayer is an area of my life in which I would like to grow, so I am always interested in books or talks that provide insight on prayer. Of particular interest to me was Fr. Durwell's explanation on the origin of Christian prayer. I never put much thought into the subject, honestly, but he explains that the Church's prayer was born when Jesus cried aloud on the Cross, "Abba, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." This echoes back to what I said earlier about the Paschal Mystery being the center of Catholic theology.

If you're looking for an explanation of what it truly means to live in Christ, you will want to read In the Redeeming Christ. It is a lengthy book at near 300 pages, so it will take you some time to work your way through it. However, it is also straightforward, explaining things at a level that is easily understood. When you complete the last page, you will feel like you have a better understanding of how to live a Christian life and realize that it is only possible by having Christ at the center of your life.

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Image Books: The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth

Today I'm reviewing a book that had a profound impact on my journey to Catholicism - The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth. Some of my regular readers might be thinking, "But you converted over 10 years ago, why review the book now?" Well, I first read this book as an ebook before ebooks took off. This was before the iPad or Kindle and when the format was a PDF tied to your computer. Unfortunately, I lost that computer and thus the book as well. Fortunately, Blogging for Books had one available copy left to review, and I knew it had to be mine! I also thought that it would be neat to re-read it (a practice I don't normally participate in) and see how the same words would speak to me ten years after my conversion.

The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth is broken into three parts - "The Gift of the Mass," "The Revelation of Heaven," and "Revelation for the Masses." In the first part, Dr. Hahn explains how the book of Revelation never made sense to him as a Protestant. He also explains that when he first attended Mass, he started connecting the dots between Scripture and everything that was going on during Mass. Since, he was well-versed in his Bible, he was able to point out the Biblical basis for many points in the Mass. This is something your average Catholic could not do, so he showed one of the advantages of having a Protestant background. His brain was starting to tell him what his heart knew all along. Chapter Four is an essential for someone considering converting as he walks through the entire Mass, part-by-part.

In the second part, Dr. Hahn walks you through the book of Revelation. It isn't a verse-by-verse study, though I would be interested in reading that if Dr. Hahn ever wrote it. Instead, it covers some of the tougher passages and more argued about points. Some of these topics covered include the woman clothed in the sun, the number 666, the beasts, etc. He also talked about covenants and how the Israelites or "old Jerusalem" broke the covenant and a new covenant was formed with the Church or "new Jerusalem." In the third part, ancient liturgies are discussed as well as the importance of the Mass. We must remember that it is not just church we are going to, but we are entering Heaven on Earth.

Ten years later, this book still offers great truth and beauty. It is written in Dr. Hahn's personal and easy-to-understand style that so many of us converts relied upon to help us comprehend the truths of the Catholic Church. I remember that I had two major reservations on my path to Catholicism - the Eucharist and Mary. I am eternally grateful that Dr. Hahn wrote a book addressing each of these topics - The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth and Hail Holy Queen, respectively. So whether you are new to the faith or a seasoned veteran, I invite you to pick up this 5 star book. You won't be disappointed, and you will definitely learn something you didn't know before. I certainly did, both ten years ago and presently.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. If you'd like to know more about the book itself or Dr. Hahn, click the links below. As always, if you found this review helpful, click this link and hit Yes!

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Image Books: Consuming the Word

I've known I wasn't normal for a while now, but every so often I realize something new about myself that reaffirms this truth. Normal people right now are probably looking forward to the summer's latest blockbuster at the theater. I, however, am more excited over the summer book blockbuster in the Catholic world, Consuming the Word available from Image Books. How do I know it's the blockbuster of the summer? For one, it's already #1 in Amazon rankings for Catholic books. Secondly, Scott Hahn wrote it...enough said. Lastly, super-blogger Sarah Reinard and "never say sleep" Brandon Vogt have already weighed in on it. Here are my two cents on the book.

As a convert to Catholicism, Scott Hahn was my security blanket for many years. I knew I could not go wrong reading him, and felt like I could relate to him in many ways. He wrote a mixture of accessible and scholarly works, and I felt a sense of accomplishment when I was able to upgrade to some of his more scholarly works. I would not be where I am today if it weren't for him and his many wonderful works. Consuming the Word is another one of those wonderful works.

If you ask a Christian today to tell you what the New Testament is, you will hear various answers like, "The second half of the Bible," or "Twenty-seven books," or "The Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and Revelation." All of those answers would be accurate by today's standards but not by the standards of the Early Church. Dr. Hahn points out that, first and foremost, books were a luxury in that time.  The Church was around before the official canon of the New Testament was even formed. In fact, depending upon your geographical location, you might have found guidance from some works that aren't even in the canon today, like the Epistle of Barnabas or Clement's Letter to the Corinthians.

Hahn then goes on to explain how the term "New Testament" as we know it today is different in meaning from the times of the early Christians. The actual "New Testament," as the Early Church knew it, was the Eucharist. Let that sink in for a moment.  It seems so obvious now, but I would have never made that realization without this book. Using and interchanging the terms testament and covenant, Dr. Hahn points out that the Eucharist is at the center of the New Covenant. He doesn't downplay the importance of Sacred Scripture, but instead tells us how Sacred Scripture, when we read at Mass, points us toward the "heart of the Church," which is the Eucharist.

I think what I liked most about this book is how Scott Hahn emphasizes both Sacred Scripture and the Eucharist. Even though Scripture is not considered a sacrament, it does possess a sacramentality. Using the examples of Ezekiel and the Apostle John, Dr. Hahn says, "We need to 'eat' the sacred texts - consume them - make them part of us. We have to assimilate the Word as food. We have to find the bread of life in Scripture just as we find it in the Eucharist."

Hands down, this was a brilliant book worthy of 5 stars. It is scholarly in that there is more than a smattering of Greek, but it is also an easy and captivating read. I couldn't put it down, even while rocking my 2 month old son. It definitely put the Eucharist in a new light for me. I wouldn't say it changed my view of the Body and Blood, but it deepened it. So whether you are a cradle Catholic, a convert, or a revert, you will want to pick up this book to not only read but to share.

If you found this review helpful, please click the following link and hit Yes! You can also check out a video below, from June 5th, 2013 where Dr. Hahn talks about his book.