Making Senses Out of Scripture: Reading the Bible as the First Christians Did

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Summary: An excellent tool to use when reading the Bible
Review: Building on the success of his earlier works, Mark Shea has written yet another easy- and enjoyable-to-read work that sheds light on the faith.

Shea teaches the reader the art of looking at Scripture in the way that the Apostles did. While Shea draws upon Old and New Testament resources and the riches of the Catholic faith, Shea's style of writing makes it easy for non-theologians to learn what he has learned.

Readers will come away from this book able to look at everything from Genesis to Revelation with newly opened eyes.

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Summary: THE PERFECT BIBLICAL STUDY RESOURCE
Review: FUN READ AND MAKES AN EXCELLENT GIFT FOR ANY ONE REGARDLESS OF AGE, LEVEL OF BIBLICAL STUDY, OR CHRISTIAN DENOMINATION. I HAVE ORDERED COPIES FOR FRIENDS AND HOPE OTHERS WILL GIVE IT A TRY.

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Summary: Dust Off Your Bible and Get Ready...
Review: I echo the words of a previous reviewer: this is a "fun" read. Not only is Shea bright and funny, but the tools with which he equips you in this book (almost without you even knowing it) will stay with you forever, and drastically change the way you read the bible.

Borrowing from the wisdom of the early Church Fathers, Shea shows us how to read the bible with a new pair of eyes, eyes that will penetrate deeper and deeper into these all-too-familiar texts.

As a newcomer to Catholicism, I've been absolutely reveling in this revolutionary (if something 2,000 years old can be called such) way of reading Scripture. I've begun to host bible studies using this method, and the attendents are loving it! I had one girl say, "I've never read the bible like this - this changes everything."

Let Shea introduce you to the early Christians, and let him show you how to read and learn the bible.

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Summary: An apology geared towards converts
Review: Mark Shea gives us a very excellent method for reading the Bible. This book also contains an easy to understand, simplified explaination of the six covenants God has made with man through the ages. It really makes the Old Testament easy to understand and relevant.

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Summary: Excellent book.
Review: Mark Shea gives us a very excellent method for reading the Bible. This book also contains an easy to understand, simplified explaination of the six covenants God has made with man through the ages. It really makes the Old Testament easy to understand and relevant.

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Summary: Mark Shea Makes a Lot of Sense
Review: Mr. Shea gives an admirable effort to explain how scripture should be read. The answer, in a nutshell, is to read scripture in the same manner as our earliest forefathers read scripture.

Accordingly, a good account of early church fathers is given in the book. Upon reading this book, the reader will have a good understanding of how the Church reads scripture; that scripture can have a literal, moral, allegorical or anagogical sense.

Mr. Shea does not necessarily give us something new. The methodologies he uses, as he has stated, have been used by the Church for centuries. What he does provide, is a simplified analysis of scripture reading. This work is written for the layman, but clergy would benefit from it as well.

The author's wit makes the book a fun read. This is one of those books that you will want to pass on to your friends. How can we love Christ if we don't understand who He is, what He has done for us, and what it means to us? By understanding scripture, you will begin to gain answers to these questions.

Mr. Shea simply makes that job a bit easier. This book is heartily recommended to all who want to grow in their understanding of scripture.

Rating:
Summary: Mark Shea Makes a Lot of Sense
Review: Mr. Shea gives an admirable effort to explain how scripture should be read. The answer, in a nutshell, is to read scripture in the same manner as our earliest forefathers read scripture.

Accordingly, a good account of early church fathers is given in the book. Upon reading this book, the reader will have a good understanding of how the Church reads scripture; that scripture can have a literal, moral, allegorical or anagogical sense.

Mr. Shea does not necessarily give us something new. The methodologies he uses, as he has stated, have been used by the Church for centuries. What he does provide, is a simplified analysis of scripture reading. This work is written for the layman, but clergy would benefit from it as well.

The author's wit makes the book a fun read. This is one of those books that you will want to pass on to your friends. How can we love Christ if we don't understand who He is, what He has done for us, and what it means to us? By understanding scripture, you will begin to gain answers to these questions.

Mr. Shea simply makes that job a bit easier. This book is heartily recommended to all who want to grow in their understanding of scripture.

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Summary: An apology geared towards converts
Review: Shea writes primarily for Protestants considering conversion to Catholicism - this book is no exception. The book itself is divided into two parts: 1 provides a history of salvation as presented through the six covenants (Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Christ) 2 provides an introduction to the traditional four senses of Scripture (literal, allelgorical, moral and anagogical). The material is presented in a deliberately casual manner. At times the language is delightful and effective ("Bullwinkle syndrome"), at other times it approximately the padding of oral speech, occasionally it verges on an insult to the readers' intelligence. Put another way, Shea knows the audience that he intends to reach and writes specifically for them.

For this same reason, the book contains comparatively little detail on its subject. Rather, it presents a commonsense argument for the validity of the approach, building the case in small increments few could deny and providing multiple instances to support each incremental argument. This approach works well for individuals with little knowledge of the Bible or with a bias against the traditional form of interpretation.

In short, Shea does an excellent job of reaching a very specific audience. If you fall within that audience, I recommend the book. If you do not, there are more informative texts available.

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Summary: From an instant fan of Mark Shea
Review: This is the second of Mark Shea's books that I've read (the first being "By What Authority? An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition," which I loved even though I'm not now and have never been an evangelical)--and I can attest that his relaxed style, witty approach and--most important--breadth of knowledge of his subject shine through once again. This is a fun read! And yet it's also a serious overview, consistent with the Catechism's remarks on how to read Scripture and chock full of turns of phrase that both delight and make one say "Of course!" I highly recommend it.

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Summary: Must read for ALL Christians
Review: What a wonderful book! Every Christian should read it! If you're a Bible reader, you'll love his down to earth, witty insights. If you're leery about opening up the Bible (language is too difficult, too deep, etc.) this book makes you want to take your Bible off the shelf dust it off and dive in.

Everyone from high schooler up will learn and enjoy!

Thank you Mark Shea and keep your books coming!