CBB Review: CSS International The Letter Of Paul To The Ephesians

Catholic Scripture Study International has recently released a new study in their ongoing series. The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians was written by Dr. Scott Hahn and Mark Shea. The study comes in at 10 lessons and, like the other offerings by CSS, is a well-polished, professionally presented study.

From the introduction:

“In this study, we are going to see how the Church relates to Christ, to the entire universe that the Father has redeemed through the Son, and to the glorious plan of God that will be consummated at the end of time. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians is a meditation upon the mystery of Jesus Christ as it’s lived out in the body of Christ, and readers are led into profound depths of Christology (The study of Jesus Christ himself), cosmology (the study of the cosmos), and eschatology (the study of Last Things). This is St. Paul’s perspective in approaching the mystery of Jesus Christ. His goal is to open the minds of ordinary believers to contemplation of the extraordinary and beautiful reality that Jesus Christ has established, then to show what practical differences these glorious truths can make in everyday human lives. He means to lead readers into an awareness that everything men and women do is charged with divine power because members of the Church are now cells in the living body of Jesus Christ.”

The study is presented as follows:

Introduction: The Mystery of Jesus Christ

Lesson 1: The Praise of His Glory (Eph. 1:1-14)

Lesson 2: Jesus is Head over All Things (Eph. 1:15-23)

Lesson 3: Seated in Heavenly Places (Eph. 2: 1-10)

Lesson 4: Access in One Spirit to the Father (Eph. 2: 11-22)

Lesson 5: The Mystery Hidden and Revealed (Eph. 3: 1-13)

Lesson 6: The Glory in the Temple (Eph. 3: 14-21)

Lesson 7: Exhortation to Unity (Eph. 4: 1-16)

Lesson 8: Moral Maturity in the Church (Eph. 4:17 – 5:20)

Lesson 9: Household Life in the Church (Eph. 5:21 – 6:9)

Lesson 10: Spiritual Warfare and Farewell (Eph. 6:10-24)

Throughout this study Scott Hahn and Mark Shea unwrap the six chapters of Letter to the Ephesians and present it in a practical manner for all to understand. Each lesson is divided into an Introduction, passages from Ephesians, Study Questions, and Opportunities for Additional Study which include Catechism Connections. The study itself concludes with a section that includes suggested responses to the study questions.

An additional resource of study is the DVD available as a set with the study guide. Fr. Matthew Kauth presents ten lectures, each coinciding with the ten lessons from the study guide. Each lecture lasts approximately 30 minutes. The DVD is of ideal use for group study as it fulfills the need of a presenter. Whether using the study guide on its own or adding the great DVD lectures you cannot go wrong. Catholic Scripture Study International has once again produced a fantastic resource for faith enrichment.

Here is a trailer video of the study: