Hahn, Scott 1957–

(Scott Walker Hahn)

PERSONAL: Born October 28, 1957, in Pittsburgh, PA; son of Fred Karl and Molly Lou Hahn; married Kimberly Kirk, August 18, 1979; children: Michael, Gabriel, Hannah, Jeremiah, Joseph, David. Education: Grove City College, A.B. (magna cum laude), 1979; Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, M.Div. (summa cum laude), 1982; Marquette University, Ph.D. (summa cum laude), 1995. Religion: Roman Catholic.

ADDRESSES: Home—808 Bellview Blvd., Steuben-ville, OH 43952. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Immanuel Baptist Church, Ipswich, MA, associate minister, 1979–80; College Hill Presbyterian Church, Cincinnati, OH, pastoral intern, 1980; Eastminster Presbyterian Church, Wichita, KS, pastoral intern, 1981; Fairfax Christian High School, Fairfax, VA, instructor in theology, philosophy, and economics, 1982–83; Trinity Presbyterian Church, Fairfax, VA, assistant pastor, 1982–83; Dominion Theological Institute, McLean, VA, instructor, 1982–83; Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church, College & Youth Ministry, Grove City, PA, pastoral associate, 1983–85; Grove City College, guest instructor and assistant to the president, 1983–85; Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, teaching assistant, 1985–87, guest instructor in theology, 1986–87; College of St. Francis, Joliet, IL, assistant professor of religious studies, 1987–90; Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH, professor of theology and scripture, 1990–; Institute of Applied Biblical Studies, Steubenville, OH, founder and director, 1994–; St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, Steubenville, OH, founder and executive director, 2002–. Speaker at Franciscan University Summer Adult Conferences, 2006. Visiting professorships at St. Vincent's Seminary, Latrobe, PA; Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Rome, Italy; and Christendom College, Front Royal, VA. Advisory board member for Couple to Couple League, Catholics United for Faith, and Coming Home Network; senior advisor and member of board of trustees for the Fellowship of Catholic University Students.

MEMBER: Society of Biblical Literature, Catholic Biblical Association, Catholic Theological Society of America, Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, Missionaries of Faith Foundation (president, 1998–2000), Society of Catholic Social Scientists, Society of Christian Ethics, Phi Beta Kappa.

AWARDS, HONORS: Baker Award for Top-Ranking Graduate, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, 1982; Columbia Devlin Teaching Award, Franciscan University Student Association, 1990–91; Junior Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence, Franciscan University, 1993–94.

WRITINGS:

(With wife, Kimberly Hahn) Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism, Ignatius Press (San Francisco, CA), 1993.

(Editor, with Leon J. Surprenant) Catholic for a Reason, Emmaus Road (Steubenville, OH), 1998.

A Father Who Keeps His Promises: God's Covenant Love in Scripture, Servant (Ann Arbor, MI), 1998.

The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1999.

Hail Holy Queen: The Mother of God in the Word of God, Doubleday (New York, NY), 2001.

Understanding "Our Father": Biblical Reflections on the Lord's Prayer, Emmaus Road (Steubenville, OH), 2002.

First Comes Love: Finding Your Family in the Church and the Trinity, Doubleday (New York, NY), 2002.

(With Mike Aquilina) Living the Mysteries: A Guide for Unfinished Christians, Our Sunday Visitor (Huntingdon, IN), 2003.

Lord, Have Mercy: The Healing Power of Confession, Doubleday (New York, NY), 2003.

Scripture Matters: Essays on Reading the Bible from the Heart of the Church, Emmaus Road (Steubenville, OH), 2003.

Swear to God: The Promise and Power of the Sacraments, Doubleday (New York, NY), 2004.

Understanding the Scriptures: A Complete Course on Bible Study, Midwest Theological Forum (Wood-ridge, IL), 2005.

Letter and Spirit: From Written Text to Living Word in the Liturgy, Doubleday (New York, NY), 2005.

"IGNATIUS CATHOLIC STUDY BIBLE" SERIES; WITH CURTIS MITCH; STUDY QUESTIONS BY DENNIS WALTERS

The Gospel of Matthew: With Introduction, Commentary, and Notes and with Study Questions, Ignatius Press (San Francisco, CA), 2000.

The Gospel of Luke: Revised Standard Version, Ignatius Press (San Francisco, CA), 2001.

The Gospel of Mark: With Introduction, Commentary, and Notes and with Study Questions, Ignatius Press (San Francisco, CA), 2001.

The Acts of the Apostles: Revised Standard Version, Ignatius Press (San Francisco, CA), 2002.

The Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans: Revised Standard Version, Ignatius Press (San Francisco, CA), 2003.

The Gospel of John: Revised Standard Version, Ignatius Press (San Francisco, CA), 2003.

The First and Second Letters of Saint Paul to the Corinthians: Revised Standard Version, Ignatius Press (San Francisco, CA), 2004.

The Letters of Saint Paul to the Philippians, the Colossians, and Philemon: Revised Standard Version, Ignatius Press (San Francisco, CA), 2005.

The Letters of Saint Paul to the Galatians and to the Ephesians: Revised Standard Version, Ignatius Press (San Francisco, CA), 2005.

OTHER

Also author or coauthor of narration for videotapes produced by St. Joseph Communications, including Applying Our Faith to Our Families, The Bible Finally Made Simple, The Great Adventure: A Journey through the Bible, The Lamb's Supper, Laying the Groundwork, Salvation History, The Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church, Understanding Our One, Holy, Catholic & Apostolic Church; author or coauthor of narration for audio tapes, all produced by St. Joseph Communications, including The Acts of the Apostles: The Search for the Church of the Apostles—The Clues Are All Catholic, All Things Catholic, The Apocalypse of Jesus Christ, The Bible Alone?, The Bible Finally Made Simple, The Bible and the Catholic Church, The Book of Exodus: The Family Affair Continues, Can You Trust the Bible?, The End: A Study of the Book of Revelation, Eucharistic Kingdom: The Church—Past, Present, and Future, Exploring the Depths of Jonah, Faith and Reason, Faith Works, First Epistle of Peter, Genesis 1-22: The Covenant Is a Family Affair, The Gospel of John, The Gospel of Matthew: Did Jesus Really Intend to Establish the Catholic Church?, The Great Adventure: A Journey through the Bible, The Greatest Sermon Ever Preached: A Bible Study of the Sermon on the Mount, House of the Rising Son: A Study of the Book of Hebrews, How to Study the Bible, Indulge Yourself: With a Bible Study on the Doctrine of Indulgences, The Mystery: A Bible Study on the Book of Ephesians, Now You Can Learn How to Interpret the Bible according to Catholic Teaching: Returning to Our Senses, Protestant Minister Becomes Catholic, REUNITED—Sibling Rivalry in Salvation History, Reclaiming the Culture: Taking Back What Is Ours, The Rise and Fall of the Old Testament Church: The Family Affair in Ruins, Romanism in Romans: A Study of the Book of Romans, Salvation History: An Old Testament Overview, A Study of the Book of Galatians, Thy Kingdom Come, What Is the Covenant?, What the Hell?, Where Are the Twelve Tribes Today?, and A Window into Our Savior's Heart: The Seven Last Sayings of Jesus. Contributor to The Meaning of Christian Brotherhood, by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Ignatius, 1993; The Church and the Universal Catechism, edited by A.J. Mastroeni, Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, 1993; Surprised by Truth, Basilica Press, 1994; Many Religions, One Covenant, by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Ignatius, 1999; Contemporary Insights on Marian Dogma, edited by M. Miravalle, Queenship, 2000. Coeditor of Bulletin of Applied Biblical Studies. Contributor of articles to numerous periodicals, including Scripture Matters, Our Sunday Visitor, New Convent, Inside the Vatican, and Bulletin of Applied Biblical Studies.

SIDELIGHTS: Theologian, educator, lecturer, and writer Scott Hahn has explained the Catholic faith in many media, including books, videotapes, and audiotapes. While a high school student, Hahn became a Christian, and it was only after earning a divinity degree, becoming a Protestant minister, and marrying the daughter of a Protestant minister, that he felt drawn to the Catholic faith. After a lengthy period of study and contemplation, Hahn converted to Catholicism and became one of its leading apologists outside the priesthood—especially through his role as a professor of theology at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio. Scott Hahn and his wife Kimberly recount their conversion experience in Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism. Beginning in 1990 Hahn created several dozen videotape and audiotape series to explain the Catholic faith, and since then he has given more than six hundred talks about Catholic teachings in the United States and abroad.

With The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth, Hahn presents the relationship between the Mass—the Roman Catholic worship service—and the biblical Book of Revelation. In the first section he points out the sources in scripture for some parts of the Mass, and in the second he shows correspondences between John's visions in the Book of Revelation and the Mass. Finally he discusses how attending the Mass can change a person's life. "All through his brief but pithy book are vivid scenes and Endtime tableaux meant to jolt us into a keen awareness of what salvation is all about," wrote Emilie Griffin in America. Noting the thorough examination of the subject matter, a Publishers Weekly contributor described The Lamb's Supper as "a fine introduction to eucharistic theology for the Catholic layperson." A reviewer writing in Kirkus Reviews took Hahn to task for his lighthearted treatment of the subject matter, particularly his use of puns in chapter titles, yet still deemed the work a "worthwhile addition to one's eucharistic library."

In Hail, Holy Queen: The Mother of God in the Word of God, Hahn explores the uniquely Roman Catholic devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, including what he sees as her divine role as the mother figure for all Christians. He also explains specific teachings of the Catholic Church concerning Mary. A Publishers Weekly contributor commented that this "well-researched work will be instructive to anyone interested in the history of the Church's teaching on this subject." Sally Cunneen, writing in America, noted: "This short, enthusiastic explanation of why and how Catholics should come to know Mary the mother of Jesus through better acquaintance with her 'types' in the Hebrew Scriptures obviously springs from true devotion." Pointing to the complexity of Catholic theology concerning Mary, Library Journal contributor Graham Christian wrote that the author "negotiates this difficult territory well."

Hahn ponders the meaning of the Holy Trinity and its relationship to the concept of family in his book First Comes Love: Finding Your Family in the Church and the Trinity. According to a Publishers Weekly contributor, the author's primary thesis "is that God exists as a Trinitarian family, and that living in God's image means modeling our lives and relationships on" this concept. John-Leonard Berg, writing in the Library Journal, concluded that the book "conveys a monumental message."

Lord, Have Mercy: The Healing Power of Confession delves into the role of confession in the Catholic Church. In the book Hahn discusses such topics as the different types of sin within the Church's theology and various approaches to making a confession. A Publishers Weekly contributor wrote that the author "painlessly presents heavy theological topics." In a review in Books & Culture, Frederica Mathewes-Green pointed out: "It's a work of firm and orderly persuasion, calling Catholics back to a sacrament that has become astonishingly neglected." In Swear to God: The Promise and Power of the Sacraments, the author explores all seven of the Catholic sacraments and how they represent God's covenant with humans. "Catholics … will find Hahn's enthusiasm inviting," commented a Publishers Weekly contributor in a review of the book.

Hahn also served as coeditor with Leon J. Surprenant of Catholic for a Reason, which includes essays by various Catholic scholars. A Catholic Insight contributor called the book "a great read." In Letter and Spirit: From Written Text to Living Word in the Liturgy, Hahn discusses the relationship between Catholic liturgy and scripture in the context of the modern theological movements within the Church. The author defines technical terms and provides references based on scripture and scholarly writings. "Hahn's approach in this book requires thoughtful reading," wrote a Publishers Weekly contributor. In a review for the Library Journal, Pius Charles Murray called the book "informative and finely written."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

America, November 6, 1999, Emilie Griffin, "A Book-bag for Fall," p. 8; April 9, 2001, Sally Cunneen, review of Hail Holy Queen: The Mother of God in the Word of God, p. 38.

Booklist, April 15, 2001, Margaret Flanagan, review of Hail Holy Queen, p. 1513; April 15, 2002, Margaret Flanagan, review of First Comes Love: Finding Your Family in the Church and the Trinity, p. 1364; March 15, 2003, Margaret Flanagan, review of Lord, Have Mercy: The Healing Power of Confession, p. 1257.

Books & Culture, September-October, 2003, Frederica Mathewes-Green, review of Lord, Have Mercy, p. 28.

Catholic Insight, November, 1994, review of Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism, p. 16; October, 2004, review of Catholic for a Reason, p. 44.

Kirkus Reviews, September 1, 1999, review of The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth.

Library Journal, May 1, 2001, Graham Christian, review of Hail, Holy Queen, p. 94; April 15, 2002, John-Leonard Berg, review of First Comes Love, p. 92; November 1, 2005, Pius Charles Murray, review of Letter and Spirit: From Written Text to Living Word in the Liturgy, p. 81.

Publishers Weekly, September 27, 1999, review of The Lamb's Supper, p. 94; April 17, 2000, Judy Quinn, "Lasting 'Supper,'" p 24; March 26, 2001, review of Hail Holy Queen, p. 88; February 25, 2002, review of First Comes Love, p. 61; March 3, 2003, review of Lord, Have Mercy, p. 72; April 26, 2004, Judy Roberts, "From Protestant Pastor to Catholic Apologist," p. 61; April 26, 2004, review of Swear to God: The Promise and Power of the Sacraments, p. 61; August 29, 2005, review of Letter and Spirit, p. 52.

ONLINE

100% Catholic Web site, http://www.mindspring.com/∼darcyj/ (May 26, 2006), information on the author and his works.

Franciscan University Adult Conferences 2006 Web site, http://www.franciscanconferences.com/ (May 26, 2006), information on the author and his works.

Scott Hahn Home Page, http://www.scotthahn.com (May 26, 2006).