Christ in Promise, in Person, and in His Church is the Seventh Grade textbook in the Our Holy Faith series, devoted to a study of biblical and Church history.
This is the Student Textbook for the Seventh Grade.
From the first promise of a Redeemer to the life of the Church through the centuries, this volume traces the unfolding of God's plan for the salvation of mankind. Rather than presenting biblical and Church history as a collection of isolated events, it helps students recognize the providence of God at work throughout the ages, preparing for the coming of Christ and guiding His Church.
The course is divided into three parts:
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Christ in Promise — The history of God's Chosen People, from Creation and the Patriarchs through Moses, the kings, and the prophets, revealing how the Old Testament prepares the way for the promised Messiah.
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Christ in Person — The fulfillment of God's promises in the life of Our Lord, from His coming into the world and His public ministry to His Passion, Death, and Resurrection.
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Christ in His Church — The spread of Christianity from the time of the Apostles, the trials and triumphs of the Church through the centuries, and the preservation of the Faith amid persecution, heresy, and division.
Throughout the course, students are encouraged to look beyond the events themselves to discover their spiritual significance. The lessons show how the people, promises, and institutions of the Old Testament foreshadow Christ and His Church, and how the same divine providence continues to guide the Church He founded.
Illustrated chapters, questions, review exercises, and suggested activities help students understand the material and consider its lessons for their own lives.
Part of the Our Holy Faith series of traditional Catholic religion textbooks, this volume is faithfully reprinted from the original 1961 edition, preserving its text, illustrations, and instructional content without modernization or adaptation. Thorough and orthodox in their presentation of Catholic doctrine, these books have served generations of Catholic children and remain valuable resources for families, schools, and homeschoolers today.
Available in economical softcover and durable hardcover editions.
PLEASE NOTE: Textbooks may require additional processing time before shipment.
6" x 9" paperback 514 pages
NOTE: The accompanying Teacher's Manual is available separately. While the student textbook contains the complete course material, the manual provides teaching guidance, suggested activities, sample lesson plans, and evaluations to help parents and teachers present and reinforce the lessons.
Q: Why does Seventh Grade focus on Bible History and Church History instead of continuing the Baltimore Catechism?
A: The Our Holy Faith series deliberately places a year of historical study between the two halves of the Revised Baltimore Catechism No. 2, taught in Sixth and Eighth Grades. In Seventh Grade, students follow the unfolding of God's plan for mankind, from the promises of the Old Testament through the life of Christ and the history of His Church. This helps them understand the doctrines they have studied within the larger story of salvation and see God's providence at work throughout history.
Q: Can my child study this book without having completed Sixth Grade?
A: Yes. Although Seventh Grade forms part of a three-year sequence, this volume presents a complete course in Bible History and Church History that can be studied independently. In fact, the original authors specifically noted that it could be used in any grade from Sixth through Eighth, making it a flexible choice for families entering the series at a later stage or adapting their religion curriculum.
Q: Is the Teacher's Manual useful for homeschooling?
A: Yes. Although the student textbook is sufficiently developed to be used independently, the accompanying Teacher's Manual provides valuable assistance for parents directing their children's studies. It offers teaching objectives, suggestions for developing understanding, supplementary activities, practical applications, and sample lesson plans. It also includes additional evaluation exercises with answers to the textbook's end-of-chapter tests and reading-comprehension questions, making it especially useful for checking progress and reinforcing what students have learned.
Q: How does this textbook approach the interpretation of Sacred Scripture?
A: Written in the early 1960s, this textbook reflects developments in Catholic biblical scholarship encouraged by Pope Pius XII's 1943 encyclical Divino Afflante Spiritu, particularly its emphasis on understanding the literary forms and historical circumstances of the inspired writers.
In applying these principles, the authors interpret certain Old Testament narratives as primarily intended to convey religious truths rather than as strictly historical accounts, occasionally suggesting that particular details developed as a result of oral tradition. These interpretations differ significantly from traditional historical readings, and parents may wish to review these passages and provide appropriate guidance.
Throughout the course, the authors nevertheless affirm the divine inspiration of Scripture and emphasize the unity of salvation history, showing how God's promises find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ and His Church. Families who approach the disputed passages with discernment may find much of lasting value in this course.
