By Father Michael Giesler

Contents

1.    God, the Church, and Scripture

2.    The Meaning of the Term "Inspiration"

3.    Biblical Veracity and Historicity

4.    The Biblical Canon

5.    The Integrity of the Sacred Texts

6.    Principal Versions of Scripture, Ancient and Modern

7.    The Interpretation of Sacred Scripture

8.    A Brief History of Biblical Interpretation

9.    Prophoristics

10.  Word and Event: The Story of God’s People 

Learning God's Word: A Bibliography

A Brief Description of Each Canonical Book 

Preface

Most introductions to the Bible are quite large and imposing - thick volumes with many pages of text and fine print.

I have tried to write something much more brief, perhaps surprisingly so; it is meant to be like a little "handmaid" for the reader who wants to have a succinct overview of the major themes in biblical study both past and present - whether as a goal in itself, or as a framework for further, more detailed study.

I have drawn the material from documents of the Magisterium and from reputable Catholic scholarship both past and present, thereby hoping to provide the basic information and knowledge you need to appreciate the sacred texts within the living tradition in which they were written. May His Word always accompany you.

- Fr. Michael Giesler