Study Methods
Ways to read the Bible together
Simple methods any group can use, from a parish hall to a kitchen table.
For centuries, the Church's great religious orders have each had their own way of reading Scripture. These methods borrow from those traditions and keep them simple enough for anyone in the pew. You don't need a theology degree, a study Bible or a trained leader. You need a Bible, a few people, and about an hour.
Choose a method
Franciscan-inspired
How can I live the Gospel? Seven steps shaped by the way Saint Francis read Scripture: Christ-centered, concrete and practical.
Read the method →Dominican-inspired
What truth am I discovering in Scripture, and how might I share it? Seven steps from prayer to study to sharing, after Saint Dominic.
Read the method →Inspired by Saint Paul
From God's Word to Action. How is God's word at work in me and through me? Seven steps built around Paul's letters.
Read the method →Augustinian-inspired
From a Restless Heart to Rest in God. A study that listens first, together, and asks how Scripture is teaching us to love.
Read the method →A-E-I-O-U
A simple five-step study of the coming Sunday's readings, so Mass is the second time you hear them.
Read the method →New to the Bible?
Father Dave answers 28 questions people ask about Scripture: who wrote it, whether it's all true, how to read the hard parts, and why we hear so much of it at Mass.
Read the 28 questions →Starting a study at home?
Father Dave's five-step guide: who to tell at the parish, what to read first, and how to run the first night.
Read the guide →Printables for any method
Two handouts that work with every method above. Print enough for your group.
About the author
Father Dave Mercer
Father Dave Mercer was ordained in 1987 for the Diocese of San José. Before the priesthood he served in the Air Force and worked in sales and purchasing in Silicon Valley's tech industry. He has ministered in parishes across Silicon Valley, in campus ministry at San José State, and on the Mescalero Apache Reservation in New Mexico. His writing has appeared in America, National Catholic Reporter, Aleteia and Catholic papers in the U.S., New Zealand and Australia. Now retired from full-time ministry, he still serves where he's needed, and keeps writing.