[see the information page for this book, for full details and all purchase options]
(published in August 2009 by Sophia Institute Press, 445 pages)
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You may have heard of Nave’s Topical Bible (a work I have loved for years). This is Dave’s Topical Bible.
Contrary to what many believe, Catholic doctrine is not made up by popes and theologians but is derived entirely from revelation, as this book shows.
This collection of passages from the Bible is overwhelming evidence that on every side Catholic teachings are confirmed by Scripture. Catholic teaching is based not on selective readings of Scripture but on understanding and veneration of the whole Bible in its organic interrelatedness. Catholic doctrines are not distilled from single passages quoted in isolation or out of context; they arise from an encounter with the whole of Scripture, wherein passages on the same theme are read in light of each other, so that together they lead the mind to a complete picture of the truth.
115 thematic headings make it easy for readers to consider systematically — as the Church does — all the parts of the Bible that relate to any particular Catholic belief. 2,051 Bible verses are presented in their entirety; KJV version, with RSV utilized where necessary to clarify the meaning.
Whether you’re a Protestant seeking to understand Catholicism, or a Catholic wanting to defend Catholic teaching or learn more about its biblical basis, this book is for you.
From the Introduction:
Holy, Sacred Scripture is thoroughly “Catholic,” as I hope to demonstrate in great detail. Praise God for His wonderful, materially sufficient revelation and His aid in helping us to understand and live by it.
Some Catholic teachings are less well-attested by direct scriptural indications than others. Yet I believe that those doctrines are also “soaked” in the spirit of the Bible. The comprehensive selection of texts herein repeatedly demonstrates this, in my opinion. A multitude of pointers can be as compelling as a single unambiguous signpost, to show us our way. Readers are free to decide the relative strength of individual textual evidence.
Reading these extracts in their full context is even more rewarding and illuminating. The Bible is a harmonious whole: “living and active”, and should be interpreted as such, rather than picked apart into fragments. For the purpose of systematic doctrinal study, however, it is quite helpful to categorize texts. Moreover, Catholics emphasize that the Bible is organically related to the tradition and the Church in which it is received and interpreted. If this book helps readers to move beyond arguments into a deeper appreciation of the Word of God, in which lies our salvation, I will be more than happy.
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