Old Testament
Dei Verbum (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation)
https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.htmlThis Vatican II document is the foundation for all Catholic biblical interpretation. Pay particular attention to chapter III, nos. 11-13.
Form Criticism
https://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/crit_form.phpThis page provides a bibliography of scholarly articles on form criticism, including a link to an 11-page book excerpt introducing form criticism. Although the articles here will be too advanced for most high school students, some teachers may appreciate the additional background.
Art Index By Scripture: Old Testament
http://www.textweek.com/art/scripture_index_OT.htmPart of an online biblical artwork concordance, with links to hundreds of images of artwork related to key passages in the Old Testament. Teachers may wish to use this resource to enhance their lectures, or refer students to this resource to find images for their research of salvation history.
Abraham, the World’s First Jewish Radical
https://www.aish.com/48948761.htmlA short essay by Lori Palatnik, a Jewish author and educator, argues that Abraham’s journey embodies a call to radical living, undefined by fashion or cultural expectations. Short and easily accessible, this would be an appropriate text for students to analyze using the Jigsaw, Barometer, Found Read, or Take a Stand methods outlined in the methods section of this Web site.
Crash Course in Jewish History: Abraham’s Journey
https://www.aish.com/jl/h/48930707.htmlBeginning with the intriguing question, “How have the Jewish people managed to survive so long and accomplish so much despite their small numbers?”, Rabbi Ken Spiro writes engagingly about how Abraham embodied the essence of what the Jewish nation was called to live out: truth telling, kindness, and a stubborn drive for righteousness. This essay is more than two thousand words long. Although it would be accessible to most high school students, it may best serve as an excellent background article for teachers.
Gregory of Nyssa, Life of Moses—Christian Spirituality
http://spsseminarians.blogspot.com/2008/02/gregory-of-nyssa-life-of-moses.htmlCatholic seminarian James Lannan reflects on Gregory of Nyssa’s famous spiritual work, Life of Moses, which uses the story of Moses’ life as a revelation of the stages of the spiritual life. Lannan’s reflection offers a unique perspective for teachers, and may be an appropriate text for use with advanced students.
King David’s Palace Is Found, Archaeologist Says
https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/05/international/middleeast/05jerusalem.html?_r=1This article from The New York Times discusses the discovery of a building foundation that may date to the time of King David. The discussion of the dispute among archaeologists sparked by the find provides insight into the special considerations surrounding biblical archaeology. Also, students may be interested to read about attempts by archaeologists to verify the Deuteronomistic history with physical evidence.
Kings of Israel and Judah
https://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0197620.htmlThis site provides a chronological list of the kings of Israel and Judah, with links to brief articles from the Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia for each king.
What Is Biblical Prophecy?
https://catholic-resources.org/Bible/Prophecy.htmThis website page discusses what biblical prophecy is and is not. It is an interesting and helpful resource for a deeper understanding of the prophets and prophetic books of the Bible.
Prophetic Books of the Old Testament
https://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/prophets.phpThe Biblical Studies Website presents an extensive list of resources providing deep background on the prophetic books of the Bible, including many scholarly articles available online. Note that the left navigation bar also contains links to resources on specific Old Testament prophets.
A Biblical Map of the Prophets of Israel and Judah
https://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/prophets.phpThis website offers a small map of some of the locations associated with the Old Testament prophets; it would possibly be a useful resource for students who choose to research a prophet for their final performance task. Note that the Web site is an independent evangelical ministry.
NET Bible Maps
https://bible.org/mapsThese are maps of the land of the Bible during different time periods. See in particular Old Testament Map 5: Israel During the Divided Monarchy.
The Prophet Elijah
https://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/article_elijah.htmlThe Biblical Studies Web site offers an in-depth look at Elijah, including a useful map of significant locations in the life of Elijah and a chart documenting the relationship of kings and prophets in the books of Samuel and Kings.
Word as Power in the Ancient Near East
https://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/myers/moriarty.pdfThis site includes a scholarly article by Frederick L. Moriarty of Boston College on the significance of the concept of the word in the biblical world. This article will be more appropriate as background for teachers than for use by most students.
Catholic-Resources.org Homepage
http://www.Catholic-Resources.orgThis web site, developed by Fr. Felix Just, SJ, PhD, of Loyola University in Orange, California, is very helpful for finding background articles on the Holy Trinity. Enter “Trinity” in the search box, and a list of articles that mention the Trinity will be given. Of particular interest for Step 6 is Fr. Just’s article “Trinity in the New Testament.” A list of links to the Trinity in biblical art is also given in this article.
The Incarnation (Catholic Encyclopedia)
https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07706b.htmThe New Advent Web site hosts the Catholic Encyclopedia, which includes an article on the Incarnation. Below the table of contents, you will find an entire paragraph devoted to the meaning of the word “incarnation,” its use by the Fathers of the Church and Church councils, and its roots in Scripture. Other Greek words found in Scripture that reflect the mystery of the Incarnation are also defined, the most familiar being kenosis in Philippians 2:7. This is the 1917 edition of the encyclopedia, so contemporary thought and theology will not be found here.
