The Great Adventure is a uniquely Catholic Bible study that follows the principles prescribed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and Dei Verbum (The Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation).
The Great Adventure takes the canonical approach to studying the Bible by focusing on the final form of the biblical texts, attending to the content and unity of Scripture.
More specifically, beginning with the story that ties all Scripture together, this program provides a narrative context for Bible reading and study. Having established this “big picture” as a starting point, The Great Adventure uses the historical background and an appreciation of cultural influences and literary genres to illuminate the texts. Through all of this, The Great Adventure is changing lives by encouraging Catholics to get to know God through Scripture and to study, celebrate, and live out His Word within the living Tradition of the Catholic Church.
There are 73 books in the Bible, and many stories. Together, these stories contribute to a single Story. It has been called “the greatest story ever told” – the story of God’s plan for us, His people. It has been given to us through the Church and written in Sacred Scripture – not only so we can read the story, but so we can meet God there, hear Him speak, and be changed by the encounter.
This grand narrative, the “Story,” tells us who we are, why we are here, and what we were made for. It tells us that God is, that He loves us, and how He has acted through the ages so we can get from here to Him.
The Great Adventure: A Journey Through the Bible is a Catholic Bible study program that seeks to draw people into a transforming relationship with Christ through Scripture as it is read from within the heart of the Catholic Church.
The primary purpose of The Great Adventure is to provide a simple, faithful (with Imprimatur), Catholic approach to Scripture study that invites people into a transformative encounter with Jesus Christ.
The Great Adventure program follows the criteria for interpreting Scripture put forth in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (112-114):
- Be especially attentive “to the content and unity of the whole Scripture.”
- Read the Scripture within “the living Tradition of the whole Church.”
- Be attentive to the analogy of faith (the coherence of the truths of faith among themselves and within the whole plan of Revelation).
The Great Adventure recognizes that while the Bible is made up of many different books, it is tied together by the single story of God’s plan. All study in The Great Adventure springs from a foundation of knowing first that plan as it is told in the Scripture narrative. The Old Testament is read in light of the New, and vice versa, and all is read from within the context of the overall plan of God’s revelation.
St. Clare’s is offering Step 1 of the Foundation Series in The Great Adventure Scripture series. The Foundation Series is a three-part program that integrates personal reading with studying the “big picture” of the Scriptural narrative in light of the Catholic faith.
- Step 1 in the series is “The Bible Timeline: The Story of Salvation“. Presenter: Trevor Burke – phone 408-945-1044.
- Step 2 in the series is “Matthew: The King and His Kingdom“.
- Step 3 in the series is “Acts: The Spread of the Kingdom“.
During the month of August, 2014, you are invited to sign-up for “The Bible Timeline” (Step 1). Classes will begin on Friday, September 12, 2013. The class will meet in the Saint Clare Rectory conference room from 7:00pm to 9:00pm.
We are requesting a donation of $39 (cash or check made out to Saint Victor Church) to cover the cost of the course materials, however, if you do not have the means to donate COME ANYWAY!
Further details about the course are available at biblestudyforcatholics.com or by calling Trevor Burke @ 408-945-1044.
Please note: When we meet on Friday, September 12 we will combine the course Introduction with Session 1. Therefore, if your schedule permits, please familiarize yourself with the Catechism of the Catholic Church sections 50-141. Relax! You do not have to memorize the Catechism… time permitting, just scan the cited paragraphs to acquaint yourself with the Church’s teaching on how to approach Sacred Scripture. If you do not have time to review the Catechism, come anyway. If you do not own a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church you may read the material on line at many websites (e.g. EWTN, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Knights of Columbus, etc.).
Remember – the wisdom of St. Jerome is as true today as when he uttered the words 1,600 years ago, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ!” Each book of the Bible is a love letter written by God to YOU. It is time to get busy brothers and sisters and to start reading what He has to say!
You may sign-up for the course by emailing Trevor Burke by clicking here. Make sure to include your full name, email address and phone number so you can be contacted to confirm your registration.
Here is the complete list of the 23 classes dates:
- September 12 (Introduction and Session 1)
- September 19 (2)
- September 26 (3)
- September 30 (4)
- October 3 (5)
- October 10 (6)
- October 17 (7)
- October 24 (8)
- November 7 (9)
- November 14 (10)
- November 21 (11)
- December 5 (12)
- December 12 (13)
- January 9 (14)
- January 16 (15)
- January 23 (16)
- January 30 (17)
- February 6 (18)
- February 13 (19)
- February 20 (20)
- February 27 (21)
- March 6 (22)
- March 13 (23)
- March 20 (if needed)
- March 27 (if needed)