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Come and See: Isaiah
God s people have rebelled; they have become a sinful nation. But God calls His people back, through Isaiah, with a message of judgment, consolation, and hope. Isn t this how God calls all sinners? Move with the Greatest of the Prophets deeply into the mystery of God and the beauty of His truth. Isaiah , the tenth book in the "Come and See ~ Catholic Bible Study" series, covers the major Old Testament prophet Isaiah in a 22 week study. The primary author of the commentary is Monsignor Charles Kosanke, STD, former rector of Saints Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake, Michigan, who completed his doctorate at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
- GenresCatholic
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 10, 2026
Reading the 66 books of Isaiah in 22 chapters is ambitious, as there are around 37,000 words in Isaiah (depending on which translation is used).
What this book does, is to engage with the 22 sections of Isiah by highlighting a few key themes, and then providing a set of stimulus questions for readers to engage with. The questions include (obviously) themes from Isaiah, but they also cross reference to the Catechism. They also invite readers to reflect on their lives and about how they can put specific issues from the text into action in their lives.
One of the weaknesses of the book is that it is very much a broad brush stroke treatment of Isaiah. So readers will learn about the end of the Northern and Southern kingdoms, the exile and the return, with Isaiah, Deutero Isaiah and Trito Isaiah, but that is about the limits of where the book will take readers.
Yet when we engage with the actual text of Isaiah, there are some very interesting ideas about the relationship between the prose and the poetic sections, with some commentators seeing (later) commentaries on earlier prophecies. In places, ideas like that can really make the reader think about what the text says. But this book doesn’t go into any of those kinds of issues. They are a kind of next-level study issue.
So, I think what this book is essentially, is a kind of first study, quick overview of Isaiah, ideally for readers who are not very familiar with the text. So the broad brush summaries and relatively fast reading of some substantial blocks of text is a good way of building familiarity with the text.
Readers who have some familiarity with Isaiah, or with biblical studies in general, may well find this a little too basic for them, unless they are reading it mainly for the extension spiritual exercises relating matters to themselves or to the Catechism.
This is a difficult book to rate, because its pitched for a specific readership. Those within the readership will probably find it a good and helpful book. Those outside may well find it frustratingly vague in places.
What this book does, is to engage with the 22 sections of Isiah by highlighting a few key themes, and then providing a set of stimulus questions for readers to engage with. The questions include (obviously) themes from Isaiah, but they also cross reference to the Catechism. They also invite readers to reflect on their lives and about how they can put specific issues from the text into action in their lives.
One of the weaknesses of the book is that it is very much a broad brush stroke treatment of Isaiah. So readers will learn about the end of the Northern and Southern kingdoms, the exile and the return, with Isaiah, Deutero Isaiah and Trito Isaiah, but that is about the limits of where the book will take readers.
Yet when we engage with the actual text of Isaiah, there are some very interesting ideas about the relationship between the prose and the poetic sections, with some commentators seeing (later) commentaries on earlier prophecies. In places, ideas like that can really make the reader think about what the text says. But this book doesn’t go into any of those kinds of issues. They are a kind of next-level study issue.
So, I think what this book is essentially, is a kind of first study, quick overview of Isaiah, ideally for readers who are not very familiar with the text. So the broad brush summaries and relatively fast reading of some substantial blocks of text is a good way of building familiarity with the text.
Readers who have some familiarity with Isaiah, or with biblical studies in general, may well find this a little too basic for them, unless they are reading it mainly for the extension spiritual exercises relating matters to themselves or to the Catechism.
This is a difficult book to rate, because its pitched for a specific readership. Those within the readership will probably find it a good and helpful book. Those outside may well find it frustratingly vague in places.
June 28, 2012
I am not a Catholic; I am a Protestant. I have never read Catholic theology books before. I am not very familiar with Catholic theology, and certainly not the Catechism. So, when I first looked through this book I was surprised to find, that as a Protestant, I was going to be lost with this book as it requires access to Catholic literature, and is designed for Catholic consumption. However, I did my best while reading this book, and just skipped over the Catholic-y parts that didn't pertain to me. What I found is a pretty good book that provides commentary about the Scripture, as well as a whole lot of in-depth discussion questions. Additionally, there is a very well-written discussion at the beginning of the book about how to run a Bible study. While a Protestant group of believers would have to wade through or skip over some of the theology and questions, there is still a great amount of material that could still be covered. This book also provides ample space to write down answers or reflections, so it is a book meant to be used and is designed accordingly.
I suspect that for Catholics this book would be an excellent resource, and its rating gets lowered one star because of its limited appeal and usability.
[This book was given to me through a goodreads.com giveaway. I wasn't required to give a review, but did so gladly.]
I suspect that for Catholics this book would be an excellent resource, and its rating gets lowered one star because of its limited appeal and usability.
[This book was given to me through a goodreads.com giveaway. I wasn't required to give a review, but did so gladly.]
June 8, 2012
A thorough and succinct guide that takes you through the entire book of Isaiah. Suitable for a large parish Bible study, yet intimate enough for a small home group, this book comes complete with questions and ideas for group discussion, as well as monthly social activities. I especially enjoyed the commentaries and quotes of various figures from history on the book of Isaiah, which were both informative and interesting to read.
I have received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I have received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
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June 8, 2012I won this free book on first reads giveaway. Thank you!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews