John Bergsma

An easy-to-read, straightforward, and thorough look at the "big picture" of salvation history. Do you feel overwhelmed by or guilty for not knowing the Bible better? Bible Basics for Catholics by award-winning scripture professor John Bergsma is here to change that. With more than 120,000 copies sold and 700-plus five-star Amazon reviews, this bestselling guide offers a clear, concise, and easy-to-understand walk through salvation history--from Adam and Eve to Jesus Christ--providing valuable insights to help you see how God's love story unfolds in scripture. Drawing from his popular Principles of Biblical Study course at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Bergsma blends academic expertise, pastoral wisdom, and an unmistakable sense of humor to make complex ideas easy to understand--and even fun This new and expanded edition features all of the original stick figures and drawings readers everywhere have come to know and love while adding new features that are especially useful in sharing this powerful message with your small group, parish, classroom, or family. Whether you're exploring the Bible on your own or leading others in study, this edition offers valuable tools to deepen your understanding and faith. New features include: Chapter-by-chapter study questionsSeven-week program for small groupsCompanion videos for deeper understanding Don't let uncertainty about scripture hold you back. Discover the "big picture" of God's love for his people and learn how this story becomes your own--helping you live out your Catholic faith with greater confidence and joy.

Winner of a honorable mention award in the popular scripture studies category from the Catholic Media Association. When you begin to see the Bible as a book of love, it will change the way you view love, sex, marriage, family, and your personal relationship with God. Walk with popular scripture scholar John Bergsma from the creation of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to the wedding between the Lamb and the New Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation to learn how marriage in the Bible represents the love between God and his people. Bergsma focuses on what nine biblical marriages tell us about God's relationship with us. These stories include: Adam and Eve--who show us that marriage is the culmination of all creation and that marriage can be an image of the Trinity; Ruth and Boaz--who display the tenderness and virtue of a marriage; Solomon and his bride in the Song of Songs--who illustrate a positive, healthy view of the body and physical beauty; and Jesus as Bridegroom of his people, the Church. Using his popular, whimsical stick-figure illustrations and engaging style, Bergsma helps us understand scripture and salvation history in a unique, memorable way. He also provides insight into Church teachings on marriage and relationships--such as monogamy, the single life, the Sacrament of Matrimony, and Jesus's words about divorce--to show how these teachings come from the love God shares with his people through the covenants in scripture.

A major new work on the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest sacred documents of Judaism, which reveals their surprising connections to early Christianity. "A luminous treatment of a fascinating subject Highly recommended "--Scott Hahn, author of The Fourth Cup From award-winning scholar John Bergsma comes an intriguing book that reveals new insights on the Essenes, a radical Jewish community predating Christianity, whose existence, beliefs, and practices are often overlooked in the annuls of history. Bergsma reveals how this Jewish sect directly influenced the beliefs, sacraments, and practices of early Christianity and offers new information on how Christians lived their lives, worshipped, and eventually went on to influence the Roman Empire and Western civilization. Looking to Hebrew scripture and Jewish tradition, Bergsma helps to further explain how a simple Jewish peasant could go on to inspire a religion and a philosophy that still resonates 2,000 years later. In this enriching and exciting exploration, Bergsma demonstrates how the Dead Sea Scrolls--the world's greatest modern archaeological discovery--can shed light on the Church as a sacred society that offered hope, redemption, and salvation to its member. Ultimately, these mysterious writings are a time machine that can transport us back to the ancient world, deepen our appreciation of Scripture, and strengthen our understanding of the Christian faith. "An accessible introduction . . . This is a handy entry point for readers unfamiliar with Essenes or those interested in the Dead Sea Scrolls."--Publishers Weekly

Although many Catholics are familiar with the four Gospels and other writings of the New Testament, for most, reading the Old Testament is like walking into a foreign land. Who wrote these forty-six books? When were they written? Why were they written? What are we to make of their laws, stories, histories, and prophecies? Should the Old Testament be read by itself or in light of the New Testament? John Bergsma and Brant Pitre offer readable in-depth answers to these questions as they introduce each book of the Old Testament. They not only examine the literature from a historical and cultural perspective but also interpret it theologically, drawing on the New Testament and the faith of the Catholic Church. Unique among introductions, this volume places the Old Testament in its liturgical context, showing how its passages are employed in the current Lectionary used at Mass. Accessible to nonexperts, this thorough and up-to-date introduction to the Old Testament can serve as an idea textbook for biblical studies. Its unique approach, along with its maps, illustrations, and other reference materials, makes it a valuable resource for seminarians, priests, Scripture scholars, theologians, and catechists, as well as anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the Bible.

In his third back-to-basics look at the Bible, popular theology professor and bestselling Catholic author and speaker John Bergsma highlights the presence of Jesus in the psalms and helps us understand their meaning in light of the story of salvation. Bergsma employs the same conversational style and simple illustrations found in Bible Basics for Catholics and New Testament Basics for Catholics to help bridge the gap between the world of contemporary Catholics and the ancient world of the Bible. In Psalm Basics for Catholics, John Bergsma introduces us to King David, the story of Israel, and the salvation of the Jewish people through the coming of Jesus. For more than two thousand years, Christians have sung, chanted, and prayed the psalms, a practice of worship inherited from our Jewish ancestors in faith. Whether prayed during Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, or in personal reflection, these ancient hymns continue to be a guiding light for Catholics. Yet rarely do we step back and look at how the psalms fit into the story of salvation revealed in the Bible the way Bergsma does here. Bergsma also addresses common questions about the psalms, includingDo the psalms really predict Jesus? What do we make of the so-called curse psalms? Why do we pray the psalms in the Liturgy of the Hours? How do I read and pray the psalms? Bergsma's insightful, practical examination of the psalms helps Catholics see how their promise is fulfilled in Christ.

How many times have you wanted to convey to someone the joy and excitement of the basic gospel message-but stumbled in the process? Here is a book that explains the kerygma-the proclamation of the gospel-in a simple way. Dr. Bergsma, a professor at Franciscan University and noted biblical scholar, uses both words and illustrations to tell the story of the Bible. In this short book, he brings the gospel to life for believers and nonbelievers alike. Readers will want to buy multiple copies of this book to give away to friends and family so that they can truly understand the amazing good news of what God has done for us in Christ Jesus.

With humour and simple illustrations, theology professor John Bergsma focuses on Matthew, Luke, Paul, and John, whose writings comprise about 90 percent of the New Testament. The gospel of Matthew, written for Jewish Christians, illuminates the life and teachings of Christ as the long-promised Messiah. In Luke's gospel, readers will delve into the infancy and Triduum narratives, as well as the Acts of the Apostles and the life of the early Church. This leads the reader to discover St. Paul and his first and arguably greatest theological treatise: Romans. Finally, "the beloved apostle" St. John draws us in to the unsurpassed beauty of the fourth gospel, as well as the most mysterious book of the New Testament: the book of Revelation. A concluding chapter offers suggestions for further study.