A New Model for Bible Study

Catholics love numbers. What I mean by that is, Catholics love lists of things, enumerating things to help remember them. 10 Commandments, 7 Spiritual Works of Mercy, 7 Corporal Works of Mercy, 9 Beatitudes, 3 Theological Virtues, 4 Cardinal Virtues, 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit, 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Here are some important 4s for you to memorize:

The Four Ways to Love God (Luke 10:27)
1. Heart
2. Soul
3. Strength
4. Mind

The Four Senses of Scripture (CCC 115-119)
1. Literal (the meaning conveyed by the words)
2. Allegorical (their relation to Christ and the Paschal Mystery)
3. Moral (how they instruct us in right living)
4. Anagogical (their relation to eternal realities)

The Four Pillars of the Catechism
1. The Creed
2. The Sacraments and Liturgy
3. The Moral Life
4. Christian Prayer


What does this have to do with "a new model for Bible Study"? And why is Jeff advocating yet another "model for Bible Study" when we already have great systems like the Great Adventure Bible Timeline and Catholic Scripture Study International?

Don't worry. I'm not supplanting or competing. Rather, my suggestion has to do with HOW you use those or any other models for studying the Bible. I would say that GABT and CSSI are very close to this model already.

My model is a combination of those three sets of four.

1. Mind refers to information, intellectual knowledge of the faith: The Creed, the literal sense
2. Soul refers to formation, spiritual understanding of the faith: The Sacraments and Liturgy, the allegorical sense
3. Strength refers to right action, moral living: The Life of Faith, the moral sense
4. Heart refers to intimate union with God: Christian Prayer, the anagogical sense

I'll explain this more in detail later, and provide a couple sample studies.