CATHOLIC FOR A REASON
Discussion Questions

Chapter 1

1. What is the purpose of the book, according to Scott Hahn? (see page 3)*
2. What are the three levels of mystery in the expression "Family of God"? (4)
3. Dr. Hahn calls the Sign of the Cross "the entire Gospel summed up in about three seconds." Why? (4)
4. Why is the Trinity "the chief mystery of our faith"? (6–7)
5. Why is a mystery of the Faith like light to our eyes but not like a secret or a puzzle? (5–6)
6. "God's eternal Fatherhood is more than a metaphorical image—it is a metaphysical reality" (footnote #3). Explain. What follows from this and why, according to the writer? (6–7)
7. Why does the author say that "the Trinity is thus much more than a dogma to be memorized. It provides us with a spiritual vision"? (7)
8. Why should every Christian want to study theology? (9)
9. Could the terms "Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier" be substituted for "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit"? (9)
10. Do you agree that seeing God as Father makes us look at the world differently?
11. How does it affect the way we look at His laws? (10)
12. What happens to sin and judgment when looked at from the point of view of a Trinitarian familial perspective? (10–11)
13. What is salvation in this Trinitarian familial perspective? (11)
14. What is the Church of the New Covenant in the perspective of the Trinity? (11)
15. Comment on the Church's teaching to which Scott Hahn referred when he wrote, "The Catholic Church is the universal Family of God, outside of which there is no salvation." (11)

Chapter 2

1. What is objective truth? Do people believe in such a concept nowadays? (23)
2. Why is the family at the center of the struggle between good and evil? (25)
3. How are we "co-workers with God in His saving plan"? Find examples in the Bible and in your own life. (25–26)
4. Why is history important to a Christian? (30)
5. How did God prepare the way for the Gospel? (31)
6. What is a covenant, and what did God use covenants for in salvation history? (32)
7. What were the three promises made by God to Abraham? How were they fulfilled? (33–34)
8. How does the New Covenant fulfill the Old Covenant? (34)
9. Is Christianity a new religion? Why or why not? (35–36)
10. Explain what is meant by typology? (35–36)
11. Why, as Christians, should we still be interested in the Old Testament? (36)
12. On page 39, the author gives a list of fourteen books. What do they have in common?
13. Have you read the whole Bible? How did you proceed? Did you find it frustrating?
14. Why does the writer advise us to have the Catechism on hand when reading the Bible? (41)
15. How does the Catholic Church view the Bible? (42)

Chapter 3

1. Can we know God apart from divine Revelation? (47–48)
2. Having learned about the different covenants, would you agree that through them God revealed Himself and His plan gradually?
3. Explain the term "obedience of faith." (51)
4. What is the place of Jesus Christ in God's progressive revelation? (53–55)
5. How is Jesus the perfect Mediator? (53–54)
6. Is God's revelation being gradually unveiled in our day? (55)
7. What was the role of the Holy Spirit in the writing of Sacred Scripture? (56)
8. The Catholic Church believes in the inerrancy of the Bible. What does this mean? (56–57)
9. Why do we need the Magisterium to help us interpret the Bible? (57–58)
10. How important is Scripture in the life of the Church? In the life of the individual Christian? (57–58)
11. How do we know which books ought to be in the Bible? (58)
12. Is all of the New Covenant revelation located in the New Testament? (59)
13. What is meant by Tradition? (59)
14. Why can it be said that Tradition encompasses Holy Scripture? (60)
15. What is the gift of infallibility? Who has it and why? (62)

Chapter 4

1. Why can the Christian family be called "the domestic Church"? (70)
2. What is the role of Saint Joseph toward the Church of Christ? (71)
3. May all human beings properly be called "children of God"? Why or why not? (73)
4. At what level does the Church represent family to you—parish, diocese, the universal Church, or some church organization?
5. Why is it important to understand the nature of "covenant" in order to understand the Church as the Family of God? (76–77)
6. Why is the Church as Family of God based on the Trinity? (79–80)
7. Are the three Persons of the Trinity different from one another? (79)
8. When we call the Persons of the Trinity Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, "these familial terms for God are not gender terms but rather relational terms." Explain. (79)
9. Are human beings "brothers" only if they belong to the Church? (82–83)
10. What was the effect of the Fall on mankind as a family? (83)
11. What progression does the author see in the covenants made by God with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David? (83–84)
12. Why do the words "Our Father" express both vertical and horizontal communion? (85–86)
13. Describe the visible structure of the Family of God. (86)
14. What is the position of non-Catholic Christians in respect to the Family of God? (87–88)
15. Explain the "theology of the two brothers" and how it applies to Christians and non-Christians. (88–89)

Chapter 5

1. What does the expression sola fide mean? (96)
2. How is justification by faith alone supposed to work? (96)
3. What is sanctification, and what is its relation to justification in Catholic theology? (96, including footnote)
4. How is justification understood in Catholic theology? (96–97)
5. Can we earn justification by our good works? (97)
6. The author says of the Protestant view of justification, "there is certainly some truth in this view, but it is not the whole truth." Explain. (98)
7. Who were the Judaizers, and what did they teach? (100)
8. What does Saint Paul mean by "works of the law" in his Epistle to the Romans? (100)
9. Explain Rom. 2:29, "real circumcision is a matter of the heart." (101–102)
10. How does the story of Abraham confirm the concept of progressive justification? (104)
11. Why is the word "adoption" used when we describing our divine filiation? (107–108)
12. Is our relationship with God exactly like that of human adopted children? (108)
13. Is faith opposed to good works? (111)
14. "Justification is a dynamic process." Explain. (110)
15. What is the best formula to describe justification? (111)

Chapter 6

1. Why was the author originally not well disposed toward sacramental theology? (115)
2. How did the sin of Adam affect us all? (119) Pelagius (a heretic of the fourth century) taught that the sin of Adam was personal and did not forfeit for his descendants the grace of divine sonship. How do you think this belief would change the Catholic Faith? (119–120)
3. Why does the Catechism call Baptism "the primary sacrament for the forgiveness of sins"? (120)
4. What is meant in Protestant theology by the "imputation of righteousness"? (121)
5. How do we participate in Christ's priesthood? (123)
6. How do Christians share in the prophetic office of Christ? (123–124)
7. Do we share in the kingship of our Lord Jesus? (124)
8. Are Catholics "born again Christians"? (124)
9. How do we know that Jesus is speaking of Baptism when He says one must be born of "water and the Spirit" in John 3:5? (124)
10. Is Baptism necessary for salvation? (125)
11. What is the role of the Holy Spirit at Baptism? (126–127)
12. Can we receive Baptism more than once? Why or why not? (127)

Chapter 7

1. As Christians, how are we to look upon the Old Testament? (145)
2. "In many parishes that I have visited around the country, it is clear that we, or "the community," is the focus of the whole liturgical enterprise." Do you agree with the writer? Why or why not? (146)
3. Why does the author state that liturgy is pedagogical? (147)
4. Explain how God "informs" and "transforms" us in the liturgy. (148)
5. "There is a woeful lack of community in our parishes." Comment. Is this important? Is it important according to the author? (149)
6. "If we are not worshipping, but only straining for community, we will have neither communion nor even mere community." Do you agree? (150)
7. The author is concerned that the family terms used in the liturgy are merely seen as affectionate forms of reference. Have you had the same impression?
8. What is the significance of the first Mass being inaugurated in the context of a Passover meal? (152)
9. How was the Jewish Passover celebration a form of family pedagogy? (152–153)
10. "The Passover haggadah, the memorial recitation of the history of Israel with special attention given to the events of the Exodus represented a way of mystically incorporating each new generation into the covenant with Yahweh." Is it the same with the Mass? In what part? (154–156)
11. "Lack of reflection is the enemy of the spiritual life." Comment. (157)
12. How do you foster "prayerful and loving remembrance of God's saving work" in your own life? (157)
13. What was the importance of "ritual remembering" in ancient Israel? (159)
14. Explain this statement: "The memory is an awesome faculty; its sanctification can sanctify us and its degradation can degrade us." (160)
15. John Paul II has stated, "Faith and piety do not grow in the desert places of a memory-less catechesis." Do you agree? Give your reasons. (161)

Chapter 8

1. In your opinion do the Catholics around you believe that Jesus is really present in the Eucharist?
2. Why does the author say that "the Eucharist is the very heart of our Catholic home"? (168)
3. Do Christians miss much if they don't know the Old Testament? Give reasons. (168–169)
4. What is the significance of the bread and wine being consecrated separately? (172–173)
5. What reasons does the writer give to show that the Mass is a sacrifice? (172–174)
6. "Mass is a bridging of two periods of time." Explain. (174)
7. Give examples of Passover imagery in Saint John's description of the crucifixion. (176)
8. How does the Eucharist relate to the Passover? (176-177)
9. What is the effect of the Eucharist in us when we receive Communion? (177-178)
10. How is Christ's presence in the Eucharist different from His presence anywhere else? (178)
11. Sum up the arguments against a metaphorical interpretation of the words of Our Lord, "This is my Body." (179–181)
12. When Jesus says, "The flesh is of no avail" (Jn 6:63), does He mean that the Eucharist is not His flesh but merely a symbol? (182–183)
13. "Jesus consistently transformed the lives of people who drew near to His presence with faith." What lesson should we draw for our own lives according to the author? (184–185)
14. Give reasons for Eucharistic worship outside of Mass. (185)

Chapter 9

1. How do we know Revelation 12 refers to Mary? How is she described? (192–193)
2. Why is Mary called "the woman" in Rev. 12, according to the author? (193–195)
3. What is the "proto-evangelium"? (194)
4. How is Mary like Eve, and how is she different? (195)
5. Why does the episode in Matthew 12 affirm Mary's role according to Tim Gray? (196)
6. "Christian brotherhood is not just a pious sentiment, but a true kinship bond in the blood of Christ." Explain why. (197)
7. Do we share a blood tie with Mary? Is she truly our mother? Why? (197)
8. How do we know that Jesus entrusting His mother to John had symbolic significance? (197–199)
9. Explain why "to understand the biblical nature of Mary's queenship, it must be seen in light of the Davidic kingdom." (200–204)
10. Where is Mary's queenship alluded to in the New Testament? By whom? (204)
11. What objects were inside the ark of the covenant? (206)
12. Why can it be said that Saint Luke's account of the Visitation shows Mary as the new Ark of the Covenant? (206–207)
13. For what other reasons can Mary be called the new Ark of the Covenant? (207–209)
14. "This role of bearing Christ to the world is a role that all Christians are to share with Mary." Explain. (208)
15. How is Mary's role decisive in the Church's spiritual battles? (209)

Chapter 10

1. Have you ever been challenged about Catholic priests being called "Father"? How did you respond?
2. Have you had people in your faith journey whom you considered spiritual fathers (or mothers)?
3. Why do you think it is easier for Protestants to accept the idea of spiritual brotherhood than spiritual fatherhood? (219)
4. Who were the priests in the patriarchal period? How did they exercise their ministry? How was their ministry passed on and to whom? (220–221)
5. Was the priesthood always passed to the first-born? Why or why not? (221)
6. What was the importance of the blessing received by Abraham from Melchizedek, according to the author? (223–224)
7. What did the special relationship between Yahweh and Israel mean in terms of the Family of God? (225–226)
8. "The priesthood of first-born sons operates on both the individual and collective levels." Explain. (226)
9. Why were the first-born sons of Israel displaced by the Levites in their priestly role? (226–227)
10. When Jesus is called Mary's first-born son in Luke 2:7, does that mean that she later had other children, or is there some other significance? (228)
11. What Jewish tribe was Jesus from? What significance does this have for his priesthood? (229)
12. What are the consequences of Jesus being a "priest after to the order of Melchizedek"? (230)
13. Why can the Church be called the new Israel of God? 231)
14. How is apostolic succession like the patriarchal blessing over the first-born son? (232)
15. How does the priest function as father on the parish level? (233)

Chapter 11

1. The author states that many today "walk away" when hearing the Church's teaching on marriage, just as many did when hearing Jesus teach on the Eucharist. Why do many Catholics today feel estranged by the Church's teaching on marriage? (239)
2. What was the situation in Israel regarding divorce at the time of Jesus? (240, including footnote)
3. How can the phrase used by Jesus "except for unchastity" be interpreted? (241–242)
4. What is the difference between a divorce and an annulment? (234)
5. Does the Church have the power to change the teaching on marriage and divorce? Why or why not? (243)
6. Why is Christian marriage a covenant rather than just a contract? What are the differences between the two? (246–248)
7. Should the Church confer the Sacrament of Matrimony on all baptized persons who ask for it? Give reasons for your answer. (248–249)
8. What are the three "ends of marriage"? (251–253)
9. Why does the Church refer to the procreation and education of children as the "primary" end of marriage, the others being "secondary"? (252–255)
10. What is meant by the education of children, as an end to Christian marriage? (253)
11. "In mutual assistance there is at least in principle a possibility of self enclosure." Explain. (254–255)
12. What lessons does the author draw from the covenant in Joshua 9 between the Israelites and the Gibeonites? (256–257)
13. In what ways are marriage vows like oaths taken in court, and in what ways are they different? (257)
14. What parallel does the writer draw between the marriage bond and the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist? (260–261)
15. How do modern people show that they despise their fertility?

Chapter 12

1. According to the author, why did Jesus spend so much time curing the sick? (269–270)
2. Why can we speak of a "new Jubilee inaugurated by Christ"? (270)
3. What are the consequences of sin? (270–271)
4. In what way is the covenant between God and Israel like a marriage covenant? (272)
5. How was Israel unfaithful to the covenant with God? (272–273)
6. Why did God allow Israel to suffer? (274)
7. When we sin, is our situation like Israel's? (275)
8. What was a Jubilee year in ancient Israel, and how was it celebrated? (277)
9. The year 2000 was a jubilee year. Were there any similarities with the Jubilees of old? (277)
10. What kind of release did the Messiah bring? (278–279)
11. Why is a sinner like a debtor? (279–280)
12. "The Old Testament recognizes a close connection between sickness and sin." Why? (282)
13. Why is leprosy an appropriate symbol of sin? (283–284)
14. How can it be that mere men have the power to forgive sins? (285–287)
15. How does the Church forgive sins? (287)

Chapter 13

1. Have you ever had difficulties with the Church's teaching on Purgatory?
2. Does the existence of Purgatory contradict "the basic understanding of God as a loving, all-caring, all-merciful God"? (295)
3. Does Purgatory offer a second chance? Why or why not? (295, 303–304)
4. The word "Purgatory" is not in the Bible. Why do we believe in its existence? (301–302)
5. The writer speaks about the "simplicity and confidence of Evangelical Christianity." Do you agree? (297)
6. What do the terms Trinity, Incarnation, and Purgatory have in common? (297)
7. What passages in the New Testament are clearly referring to a purgation after death? (297–300)
8. Why were the writings of the Church Fathers important in the author's search? (301–302)
9. How does the custom of praying for the dead imply a belief in Purgatory? (305)
10. "The doctrine of Purgatory is completely reconcilable with a loving God who is a consuming fire." Explain. (309)
11. Why does the writer state that "in heaven, generosity will not hurt, the lack of generosity will hurt"? (309)

*The number following the question refers to the page number where the answer can be found.

Our thanks to Michelle G. Liewehr who developed these questions and to Kristie Wellman who provided the page references.