Friday, 9 September 2022

The Acts Of The Apostles - Henry Wansbrough OSB - CTS Scriptures

The Acts Of The Apostles
Henry Wansbrough OSB (Introduction)
ISBN  9781860821844
CTS Booklet SC77


I have now read several of the volumes from the Catholic Truth Society in the CTS Scriptures Series. All of the ones I have read to date have an introduction by Dom Henry Wansbrough OSB. The ones I have read and single one I have remaining are:


I first read the four gospels, then Psalms, then the Letters of Paul and finally this volume. I have really enjoyed reading the books of the bible in these booklet formats. My son who is 14 has asked for them and has read them after I have finished. I feel like there are some volumes missing, I would love the following in the same format:

Proverbs
Revelation
The Epistles

That way you would have the whole New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs in little volumes, but back to this specific volume. The description of this volume is:

“The Acts of the Apostles was penned by the same author as the Gospel of Luke. It is a gripping story of the adventures of Paul and Apostles taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.

The Acts of the Apostles was penned by the same author as the Gospel of Luke. It is a gripping story which follows the adventures of Paul and the other Apostles taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. Contains the famous Pentecost narrative and the vital role of the Holy Spirit in the newly formed Church.”

First I want to call out that Dom Henry was the chief editor of the work of The Revised New Jerusalem Bible Study Edition, The introduction in this volume is taken directly from that work. At one point in the introduction it states:

“The book reads like an adventure story, with plenty of trials leading to the freeing of a hero, dangerous journeys and ordeals, escapes from prison, shipwrecks – just the stuff of the novels of the time. Yet it is serious history. Luke has done his research and makes no mistake about the complex and varied political circumstances of the Greco–Roman Empire of the eastern Mediterranean where Paul was spreading the message. Many of the details of route, distance and lodgings seem to go back to a diary or log-book kept by the travellers.”

And it ends with:

“Two widely differing forms of the text of this book have been preserved. The Western text (so called because it was used by early Christians in North Africa, such as Cyprian and Augustine) is nearly one-third longer than the Alexandrian text. In many cases it is impossible to say which text is the older, more reliable or more ‘correct’. This, however, explains why in some cases only a verse number without a text is here given, following a scholarly judgement that the text was a later addition.”

It was wonderful to read through Acts in this booklet format. It does read like an adventure story and a story we are still living out today. These are great little booklets. It is an excellent resource from the Catholic Truth Society! I just wish that proverbs and the remainder of the New Testament was available in booklets as well. It is great to pick up and read in a sitting or two and then pass on to a friend.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2022 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.

Books by Henry Wansbrough OSB:
CTS Books:
36 Days & 36 Ways Daily Meditations from Advent to the Epiphany Year B
40 Days and 40 Ways Daily Meditations for Lent Year A
40 Days and 40 Ways Daily Meditations for Lent Year B
40 Days and 40 Ways Daily Meditations for Lent Year C
Companion to the Sunday Gospels: The Year of Mercy
Jesus: The Real Evidence
The CTS New Catholic Bible (Editor)

Other Books:
40 Days With Paul
Benedictines In Oxford (Editor)
Children's Atlas Of The Bible: A Photographic Account Of The Journeys In The Bible From Abraham To St. Paul
Doubleday Bible Commentary: Genesis
Doubleday Bible Commentary: The Gospel of Luke
Event And Interpretation
In the Beginning
Introducing the New Testament
Jesus and the Oral Gospel Tradition
Luke: A Bible Commentary For Every Day
Mark and Matthew
Risen from the Dead
Sunday Word: A Commentary on the Sunday Readings
The Bible A Reader's Guide: Summaries, Commentaries, Color Coding for Key Themes
The Gospel of Matthew: Take and Read (Editor)
The Gospels: Take and Read
The Holy Spirit
The Incarnation
The Lion and the Bull: The Gospels of Mark and Luke
The New Jerusalem Bible (Editor)
The New Testament of the New Jerusalem Bible (Editor)
The Passion
The Passion And Death Of Jesus
The Resurrection
The Spck Bible Guide
The Story of Jesus
The Story of Jesus: Photographed as If You Were There!
The Story Of The Bible: How It Came To Us
The Use and Abuse of the Bible: A Brief History of Biblical Interpretation













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