First Comes Love by Scott Hahn

softcover, 212 pp.

Scott Hahn has the rare ability to explain the essential teachings of Catholicism in a totally accessible manner. Rather than burdening the reader with difficult or arcane references and arguments, he writes of familiar feelings and situations and allows the theology to unfold naturally. In First Comes Love, Hahn turns his attention to the search for a sense of belonging, revealing the intimate connection between the families men and women create on earth and the divine family, the Holy Trinity.

Delving into the Gospels, Hahn shows that family terminology--words like brother, sister, mother, father, and home--dominates Jesus' speech and the writings of His first followers, and that these very words illuminate Christianity's central ideas. As he explores the fatherhood of God, the marriage of the Church to Christ, and the all-enveloping role of the Holy Spirit, Hahn deepens readers' understanding of the sacraments, teaches them how to create a family life in the image of the Trinity, and demonstrates the ways in which the analogy of the family applies to every aspect of Catholicism and its practices--from the role of "father" embodied by the ancient patriarchs and contemporary parish priests, to the comfort and guidance offered by the brothers and sisters who comprise the Communion of Saints, to the nurturing embrace of Mary, the mother of all Christians.

Through real-life examples (both humorous and compassionate) and quotations drawn from the Scriptures, Hahn makes it clear that no matter what sort of family readers come from--no matter what sort of "dysfunction" they have experienced--they can find a family in the Church. Reaching out to newcomers and to lifelong Christians alike, First Comes Love is an invitation to discover a true home in the divine.

"Hahn reflects simply yet profoundly on the nitty-gritty of life, love, relationships, marriage, and family in the context of the bedrock doctrines of Christian Faith. His retelling of the story of our salvation in Jesus Christ opens up to the truth of our origin and destiny in the one God, a Trinity of Divine Persons who abide in a communion of love--a love stronger than sin and death. This book is full of good news and solid answers to life’s tough questions." --Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap., Archbishop of Denver

"It is a joy to recommend this most recent accomplishment of Scott Hahn to anyone looking for a faith-filled, Spirit-driven, and completely delightful exposition of the meaning of family in all of its divine and human implications." --Most Reverend Donald W. Wuerl, Bishop of Pittsburgh

SCOTT HAHN, an internationally renowned Catholic lecturer and theologian, is professor of Biblical theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. He is the director of the Institute of Applied Biblical Studies and president of the St. Paul Center for Applied Biblical Theology. His books include A Father Who Keeps His Promises; Rome Sweet Home, coauthored with his wife, Kimberly; The Lamb's Supper; and Hail, Holy Queen. He lives in Steubenville, Ohio, with his wife and their six children.