Have you read the Bible? It’s kind of astonishing that many Catholics, and even many other Christians from other denominations, have never taken the time to read the inspired Word of God.
If you have always meant to read the Bible but have never quite gotten around to it, or if you want to gain a better understanding of the Bible, a new course being offered by Sacred Heart Major Seminary (SHMS) might be just the impetus you need. The course is being offered by SHMS in conjunction with the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan.
How to Begin Reading the Bible as a Catholic is the title of a new self-paced, online course that will run from August 17 through September 13.
As the webpage for the course says, “How to Begin Reading the Bible as a Catholic is a free online course for Catholics who want to learn the basics about how to read the Bible and apply the Word of God in daily life.”
The course will consist of four modules hosted by Dr. Tamra Fromm, Lead Instructor at the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. SHMS’s Dr. Peter Williamson, STD, Chair of Sacred Scripture, will offer a short Introduction module entitled “Why Read and Study the Bible?” and a short conclusion module entitled “Where to Go from Here?”
4 Modules Over 4 Weeks
The four-week course can be completed according to the individual’s own pace. This makes taking the course pretty easy. You log on when it’s convenient for you to do so and you have 30 to 45 minutes of free time.
Dr. Tamra Fromm, Lead Instructor at the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan, will host each module.
Each module will include:
– Lecture Video (~20 minutes)
– Supplemental Reading Material (~30-minutes)
– Online Discussion Forum
– Personal Assessment Quiz
The four modules are:
- #1 – Studying the Bible as a Catholic
- #2 – Which Version of the Bible Should I Use?
- #3 – Engaging the Cultural World of the Bible
- #4 – Praying with Scripture
As the course’s webpage says, “The goal of the course is not to deliver a high level of rigor or stress, but instead expose any Catholic who wants to learn more about the fundamentals to encountering God’s word in Sacred Scripture.
“Consider this a retreat experience for the lay faithful, done at your own pace and guided by faculty from Sacred Heart Major Seminary and the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. This is an opportunity to grow a deeper relationship and spend time with the Lord.”
To learn more about the course or to register for the course, visit the course webpage at SHMS HERE.
This is the sixth free, online course SHMS has offered. While the courses are being offered as part of Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron’s Unleash the Gospel initiative, the courses are open to everyone, regardless of what diocese they reside in. I have taken four of the six courses and highly recommend them. A listing of all six courses can be found HERE.
5 thoughts on “Learning ‘How to Read the Bible’ Made Easy”
“Most people who claim to follow the Bible don’t know much about it.”
You’d be surprised at some of the things you find. And also the Catholic dogmas you don’t find.
What amazes me are the ethical teachings of Jesus, which non-Christians and even atheists have no problems with.
When Jesus said, “How you treat the least of these, is how you treat Me,” that was a gift to the human race. I don’t know any religion that would reject such a teaching.
As Nostra Aetate teaches, there are elements of the truth in other religions. And, yes, even atheists instinctively know what is ethically right and wrong. But too many people want to decide what is moral and what is not for themselves. They are taking the wide path instead of the narrow one. As Catholics we are called to believe the dogmatic teachings as well as the secondary objects of infallibility taught by the Catholic Church.
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Hello, my name is Fr. Joseph Tabigue. I cam across this article and a free Bible Study. Can I promote this on my parish website as a resource for the parishioners? Thank you and God’s blessings upon you.
Hello Father,
Yes, you may certainly promote this on your parish website. Some of your parishioners may also be interested in the other free online courses SHMS offers – Theology of the New Evangelization, Beauty of Belief, Encountering Christ, and The Adventure of Discipleship.