Responses to 101 Questions on the Bible

When Raymond Brown's RESPONSES TO 101 QUESTIONS ON THE BIBLE first appeared in 1990, it became an indispensable guide for a number of people involved in preaching, catechesis, and Bible study, at least for Catholics involved in these areas. It's easy to see why. The book answers a variety of questions regarding scripture and gives the reader either enough information to better understand the question or a basic introduction so the question can be studied more in depth from other resources. The questions are answered by Raymond Brown, who during his lifetime was a revered Catholic priest honored by Pope Paul VI and a renowned biblical scholar. Brown is known primarily for his New Testament writings which could be why there is so much good New Testament material. Brown always attempted to be thorough and scholarly, but remembered his writings were meant to be used by others in pastoral settings. The responses to the questions are filled with great information but can be used by people with varying levels of familiarity with scripture. The questions themselves are grouped in categories beginning with translations of the Bible and continues with inspiration, why the Bible is important, what is meant to be taken literally and what is not, and the gospels and New Testament. While the book could be enjoyed and used by people of all faiths, Brown was a Catholic priest and Paulist Press is a Catholic publisher, so much of the book looks at topics of interest to Catholics, namely Mary, the foundation of the Church, Peter and the Papacy, and Sacraments. The book also has an appendix regarding fundamentalism and ways Catholics can answer questions about the faith from those who question it from a biblical point of view. When I first purchased this book a number of years ago, I opened it and read questions randomly. Some I just read, but others piqued my interest and made me curious about other scriptural topics. Since this happened at a time I was just beginning to look more seriously at scripture, I suppose it was helpful in ways I did not realize.

The late Raymond E. Brown was the greatest Bible scholar of our time. His brilliance, his faith, and his intellectual honesty shine through once again in this volume as he thoughfully responds to frequently asked questions about the Bible. Here, he takes on hard questions he has encountered through the years. A common theme of many of the questions is how literally we ought to take various events described in the Bible. Father Brown takes care to keep his responses non-technical. As always, however, his opinions are profound, thought provoking, and--alas---subject to attack from both the far right and the far left. This volume addresses a number of specifically Roman Catholic questions. Even so, as a Protestant believer, I found the dialogue both relevant and informative. In short, Father Brown is a tremendous source of wisdom for all who wish to approach the Bible with respect and intellectual honesty--whether they are Roman Catholic, Protestant, or (and, perhaps, especially) simply searching.

Fr. Raymond Brown was one of the world's leading Scripture scholars, and anything written by him is worth the expense and effort. His writing style is so easy to read that he makes even the most difficult things understandable. In this book, he answers 101 questions on every topic from which Bible translations are the best, to how the Bible was put together, to specific questions on content. An excellent resource.

Raymond Brown was one of the best known Roman Catholic New Testament scholars of recent years. This work, published in 1990, provides an good introduction to the contemporary Roman Catholic view of Scripture. As Brown tells it, the Roman Catholic Church, beginning with Pius XII and continuing to the present, has come to accept higher criticism of the Bible. In addition, contrary to conservative Protestants, the Roman Catholic teaching limits Scriptural inerrancy to the theological message of the Bible only. Therefore, as Brown states, Catholics are free to believe that the early chapters of Genesis are not literal history and accept evolution. [p. 26.] Brown himself, along with most contemporary Catholic scholars, rejected the historicity of substantial parts of the New Testament, as well as opposed Pauline authorship of the Pastoral Epistles. In addition to answering basic questions about the Bible as such, Brown answers questions about Jesus, Mary, the priesthood among other subjects. Brown has a clear writing style, although at times he doesn't seem fair with those he disagrees with. [See p. 27.] As an interesting aside, some conservative Catholic scholars argue that the relevant church documents are not quite so accepting of higher criticism as Brown makes them out to be. The interested reader might wish to read the works of the late William Most for a different perspective.

Father Brown is an unequaled scriptural scholar who has the rare gift of tackling perplexing biblical questions with easily understood answers. In the 101 questions found in this book, Father Brown covers a wide array of topics. Thus, the book can be profitably read by anyone interested in scripture. That said, it can be especially profitably read by Catholics with questions about their faith's stance on a number of biblical issues. Those not of the Catholic faith can gain a greater understanding of the Catholic position on scriptural studies. Those taking a literal view of scripture will also find a discussion of the difference between their view and the Catholic view, with benefit to both parties. Father Brown synthesizes much of his more scholarly work in this book, to the great benefit of the reader. An excellent choice both for the serious student of the Bible and the beginner.