The Jewish Roots of the Papacy – Dr. Brant Pitre

Find Dr. Pitre’s books, talks, and more at brantpitre.com. More information also available through Catholic Productions.

In a talk from The Coming Home Network’s 2009 Deep in History conference, Scripture scholar Dr. Brant Pitre looks at the history of Jewish Temple worship, and how the language used by Jesus in establishing Peter as the head of the Church in Matthew 16 draws from those traditions. Dr. Pitre looks at what the power to bind and loose looked like in the Davidic monarchy, what Jesus meant by calling Peter a “rock,” the meaning of the “keys to the kingdom,” and a lot more.

For more of Dr. Pitre’s research on this question, we recommend his book Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper.

Study Questions:

-How is it that the first Christians — who were all Jews — so quickly accepted the authority of Peter over Christ’s Church?

-Why did the first Christians see Peter as a priest (why is the pope a priestly figure)?

-What are the four main bodies of literature that the Jews held? How does this illuminate Catholic Tradition and practices?

-Which Jewish tradition that Dr. Pitre described was most interesting to you? Why?

-Which book does Dr. Pitre suggest the audience read?