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39 of 39 found the following review helpful:
Great Reading for Lent, Wonderful Synthesis of Scriptures Jan 21, 2005
By Glutton for books
"A Father Who Keeps his Promises" is an excellent book for some one who wants to dive into scripture study for the first time, and for the more experienced scripture reader, who might want to broaden their scope of analysis. It analyzes the theme of the covenant between God and his people throughout the history of the Bible, beginning with Adam and ending with Jesus. The book is worth its price for Hahn's intrepretaiton of the culpability of Eve and Adam alone.
Obviously this is a lot of territory and time to cover. The book is an emphasis on themes, and does not analyze every minute detail or story behind the writing, or provide information about the writers. People searching for critical commentaries on the evolution of scripture as it was written should look elsewhere.
This book analyses how God progressively created covenants between himself and with an individual, then with families, then with a nation and finally with the world. It is a never-ending cyclical story of love, committment, reproach, forgiveness, and redemption. The book preaches love and hope.
Due to space constraints, everything in the Bible is not covered in thorough detail, but only the dominant main characters. However, nuances of the stories that involve the main characters are examined to significant depths, as well as typologies are occasioanlly stressed, to connect threads of thought in the New Testament or later parts of the Old Testament that are introduced, or prefigured in the Old Testament.
Hahn includes excperts from the essential passages to which he refers, so it is not necessary to have a Bible to grasp the main points of the text, but a Bible is an excellent reference to further investigate the nuances that Hahn highlights. I have been reading the Bible for years, but have been greatly enriched by Hahn's insight; particularly with the story of the fall from Eden and the trickery of Jacob over Esau.
Although Hahn is listed as a "Catholic Apologist," this book is a great resource for all Christians. I highly recommend it to any one who reads the scripture, the beginners and the experienced alike. It might also appeal to Jews who are curious to explore how Christians relate the New Covenant as an extension and evolution of Jewish traditions.
27 of 27 found the following review helpful:
Solid, Bible-based Theology Sure To Provoke Further Study Jul 27, 2005
By K. Fontenot
"Prairie Cajun Lives!"
I've always enjoyed reading the works of Scott Hahn. From the first time I cracked open he and his wife's book, "Rome Sweet Home," I've liked the simplistic complexity of his books. He can take some of the most difficult of subjects and put them into words that any layperson can understand. He also manages to throw in some "big" words but using great context clues, the reader can pick up on their meaning quite easily.
"A Father Who Keeps His Promises" stays within the boundaries of Hahn's writing style. He gives the reader a basis for understanding God's covenant love through some major players in the Bible and Jesus Christ. He starts in Genesis, working with Adam, and swiftly and easily bridges him to Noah, Abraham, Moses, King David, and finally, Jesus Christ.
In simple terms, Hahn shows us how God has always kept His promises, even though it may take a few years to follow through on them. He does it by using primarily Biblical teachings, but does utilize the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the writings of leaders, Catholic, Protestant AND Jewish, and other books of the Bible that may not be recognized in other churches.
By doing this, Hahn makes a strong argument for the infallibility of the Catholic Church and her teachings. He also disarms many arguments against Catholicism by using the one thing so many naysayers thump in the face of today's Catholic. He does this in a very inoffensive manner, which goes a long way in trying to get his point across.
In short, if you aren't familiar with Hahn's writings or his show on EWTN, I suggest that you start with "Rome Sweet Home" and then work your way into books like "A Father Who Keeps His Promises." It is highly recommended to Catholics, especially those who have come into the Church by way of a Bible-based background. Non-Catholics will also enjoy it for its rich and wonderful message that can be applied to their lives as well.
61 of 68 found the following review helpful:
Luther in Reverse Indeed! Apr 29, 2000
By Tim Drake
"Author and Journalist"
Many have described professor Hahn as a kind of Luther in reverse. Countless conversions have resulted from the Holy Spirit's work in Scott Hahn's life and through his work - his audiotapes (most especially his conversions story available free through the Mary Foundation), his lectures (he is a professor at the Franciscan University of Steubenville), and his books. Rome Sweet Home is essentially his conversion story on tape. This book is the result of Hahn's own doctoral thesis. Hahn cracks open the Scriptures and explains them like few others can. His Protestant background makes him well suited to explaining the Biblical basis for Catholicism. This book looks at God's progressive covenants with his people over time. It is an insightful book, full of wit and wisdom. It is easy and enjoyable to read. The reader will come away with a new appreciation for Scripture and all it entails.
24 of 25 found the following review helpful:
Ideal book for parish bible study & high school kids Mar 11, 2000
I have to admit that Scott Hahn has me addicted to studying Scripture, especially with "A Father Who Keeps His Promises". After my third reading, I recommended it to our parish priest, and he loved it. In fact, he decided to use it in teaching our parish Bible Study group this winter. And it's been a big hit with the whole group. So our priest announced last Sunday that he plans to use it again next fall. Meanwhile, one of the members of the Bible Study has adopted it as a text for his Religion class at a local Catholic high school. He says they love it too. I'm not surprised. I've never done anything like this before, but if you're only going to buy one book about Scripture this year, you really owe it to yourself to make it "A Father Who Keeps His Promises". It will really make Scripture come alive.
16 of 16 found the following review helpful:
Great book Oct 05, 2003
By Paul Iacovitti
This is another excellent book by Scott hahn. I've gotten alot out of every book of his I've read. This book tells the story of Gods covenant relationship with his people. You see how over and over God is faithful, but we keep falling away. The book starts with Genesis and Gods covenant with Adam then, Noah, Abraham,Moses,David, and finally Jesus. The last 40 pages or so talks about how Jesus fulfills the covenant. It is my favorite part of the book it goes in depth about the church being the bride of Christ and the eucharist being a renewal of the covanant. This book gave me a deeper understanding of Gods love and mercy and how God has continued to love us even when we fail.
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