{"id":249,"date":"2009-02-17T04:30:34","date_gmt":"2009-02-17T12:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/?p=249"},"modified":"2010-04-14T22:52:20","modified_gmt":"2010-04-15T06:52:20","slug":"catholic-teachers-bookshelf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/catholic-teachers-bookshelf","title":{"rendered":"What’s on a Catholic Teacher’s Bookshelf?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"New<\/a>
New Catholic Commentary on Scripture<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Series Introduction<\/h2>\n

If you browsed the bookshelves of a Catholic teacher, what titles would you expect to find? Today marks the beginning of an ongoing series about the books that should be on the shelves of every Catholic teacher. The list is, of course, subjective, and we could debate about whether every title is “essential,” but I think that overall you’ll find the titles in this series useful on your journey as a Catholic educator.<\/p>\n

Book 1: The Bible<\/h3>\n

This may seem too obvious to list, but I want to begin here because even though I’m reasonably certain that every Catholic educator owns a Bible, it’s good to be reminded to take it out and read it. We’re on the front lines of faith formation, and we owe it to our students and our Lord to know the Bible more intimately than any other book we’ve ever read. I still have a long way to go in that department. I’ve been teaching Les Mis\u00e9rables<\/em> for almost thirteen years, and I have to admit that I probably know Hugo’s novel better than I know the Bible. Granted, the Bible is much more difficult to understand, but that’s all the more reason to read it habitually.<\/p>\n

How to Read the Bible<\/h3>\n

There are many ways to approach reading the Bible, but I want to highlight an approach called lectio divina<\/em>. Lectio divina<\/em> is one of those ancient-but-ever-new gifts of the Church, and rather than summarize it here, I will instead direct you to this excellent article<\/a> by Benedictine monk Fr. Luke Dysinger. I had the privilege of meeting Fr. Luke when I stayed a week at St. Andrew’s Abbey in California, and his article will give you a solid introduction to the practice of praying with scripture.<\/p>\n

Whether or not lectio<\/em> is for you, as a Catholic educator you must be a regular reader of God’s word. Take these epigrams as motivation:<\/p>\n

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