This section of the website contains material from Scripture and Tradition that can be
useful for the preparation of discussions of the Sunday readings, as well as for the
presentation of doctrinal topics. The various types of books in the Old Testament, as
well as those in the New Testament, are examined in some detail. There are also
discussions of more general topics, such as inspiration, and how the canons of
both Testaments were established. It is important for RCIA team members to be
well informed reguarding the Bible, and the essays included on this website can fill in any
background that is lacking. Finally, there are five essays on the nonscriptural Christian
writings of the first three centuries of Christianity. These provide insights into how
the Apostolic Church developed from its beginning in Jerusalem, and how in several generations
it spread throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.