A Father Who Keeps His Promises: God's Covenant Love in Scripture (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Everybody felt it: a moment of eerie silence, a low rumble and then the ground began to shake..." (more)
Key Phrases: cosmic temple, covenant plan, covenant family, God the Father, Old Testament, Jesus Christ (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A convert to Catholicism, Scott Hahn brings salvation history to life for the lay Catholic. By focusing on our status as part of the family of God, he shows how the broken human family is made whole in Christ. This book helps readers understand the deep personal love God bears for his people and the plan that he has to bring them into an intimate family relationship .

From AudioFile

Hahn, a world-class Roman Catholic apologist and theologian, unearths truths about the Christian God (denominational distinctions are almost nonexistent) as seen through Old Testament promises and New Testament fulfillments. Though a few mispronunciations are evident to the astute listener, Paul Smith fully commits to the text. However, the subheads, very evident as such in the printed book, are not clearly articulated during the reading, and seem to start unfinished sentences, giving a halting effect to the narration. Hahn's intention is to interject humor with these subheads, so to have them not set off in some way from the surrounding text betrays the desires of the writer. But this issue should not deter interested listeners. S.M.M. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 293 pages
• Publisher: Servant Publications (March 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892838299
• ISBN-13: 978-0892838295
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,031 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #9 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Reference > Criticism & Interpretation > Old Testament
  #22 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Theology > Soteriology
  #23 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Reference > Theology

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Luther in Reverse Indeed!, April 28, 2000

By	Tim Drake "Author and Journalist" (Saint Joseph, Minnesota) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Many have described professor Hahn as a kind of Luther in reverse. Countless conversions have resulted from the Holy Spirit's work in Scott Hahn's life and through his work - his audiotapes (most especially his conversions story available free through the Mary Foundation), his lectures (he is a professor at the Franciscan University of Steubenville), and his books.

Rome Sweet Home is essentially his conversion story on tape. This book is the result of Hahn's own doctoral thesis.

Hahn cracks open the Scriptures and explains them like few others can. His Protestant background makes him well suited to explaining the Biblical basis for Catholicism. This book looks at God's progressive covenants with his people over time.

It is an insightful book, full of wit and wisdom. It is easy and enjoyable to read. The reader will come away with a new appreciation for Scripture and all it entails.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Reading for Lent, Wonderful Synthesis of Scriptures, January 20, 2005

By	Glutton for books - See all my reviews

"A Father Who Keeps his Promises" is an excellent book for some one who wants to dive into scripture study for the first time, and for the more experienced scripture reader, who might want to broaden their scope of analysis. It analyzes the theme of the covenant between God and his people throughout the history of the Bible, beginning with Adam and ending with Jesus. The book is worth its price for Hahn's intrepretaiton of the culpability of Eve and Adam alone.

Obviously this is a lot of territory and time to cover. The book is an emphasis on themes, and does not analyze every minute detail or story behind the writing, or provide information about the writers. People searching for critical commentaries on the evolution of scripture as it was written should look elsewhere.

This book analyses how God progressively created covenants between himself and with an individual, then with families, then with a nation and finally with the world. It is a never-ending cyclical story of love, committment, reproach, forgiveness, and redemption. The book preaches love and hope.

Due to space constraints, everything in the Bible is not covered in thorough detail, but only the dominant main characters. However, nuances of the stories that involve the main characters are examined to significant depths, as well as typologies are occasioanlly stressed, to connect threads of thought in the New Testament or later parts of the Old Testament that are introduced, or prefigured in the Old Testament.

Hahn includes excperts from the essential passages to which he refers, so it is not necessary to have a Bible to grasp the main points of the text, but a Bible is an excellent reference to further investigate the nuances that Hahn highlights. I have been reading the Bible for years, but have been greatly enriched by Hahn's insight; particularly with the story of the fall from Eden and the trickery of Jacob over Esau.

Although Hahn is listed as a "Catholic Apologist," this book is a great resource for all Christians. I highly recommend it to any one who reads the scripture, the beginners and the experienced alike. It might also appeal to Jews who are curious to explore how Christians relate the New Covenant as an extension and evolution of Jewish traditions.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid, Bible-based Theology Sure To Provoke Further Study, July 26, 2005

By	K. Fontenot "Prairie Cajun" (The Bayou State) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I've always enjoyed reading the works of Scott Hahn. From the first time I cracked open he and his wife's book, "Rome Sweet Home," I've liked the simplistic complexity of his books. He can take some of the most difficult of subjects and put them into words that any layperson can understand. He also manages to throw in some "big" words but using great context clues, the reader can pick up on their meaning quite easily.

"A Father Who Keeps His Promises" stays within the boundaries of Hahn's writing style. He gives the reader a basis for understanding God's covenant love through some major players in the Bible and Jesus Christ. He starts in Genesis, working with Adam, and swiftly and easily bridges him to Noah, Abraham, Moses, King David, and finally, Jesus Christ.

In simple terms, Hahn shows us how God has always kept His promises, even though it may take a few years to follow through on them. He does it by using primarily Biblical teachings, but does utilize the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the writings of leaders, Catholic, Protestant AND Jewish, and other books of the Bible that may not be recognized in other churches.

By doing this, Hahn makes a strong argument for the infallibility of the Catholic Church and her teachings. He also disarms many arguments against Catholicism by using the one thing so many naysayers thump in the face of today's Catholic. He does this in a very inoffensive manner, which goes a long way in trying to get his point across.

In short, if you aren't familiar with Hahn's writings or his show on EWTN, I suggest that you start with "Rome Sweet Home" and then work your way into books like "A Father Who Keeps His Promises." It is highly recommended to Catholics, especially those who have come into the Church by way of a Bible-based background. Non-Catholics will also enjoy it for its rich and wonderful message that can be applied to their lives as well.