Scott Hahn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Scott Hahn
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Hahn in 2019
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| Born | October 28, 1957 |
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| Title | Father Michael Scanlan Chair of Biblical Theology and the New Evangelization |
| Spouse(s) |
Kimberly Hahn
(m. 1979) |
| Children | 6 |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Franciscan University of Steubenville |
| Thesis | Kinship by Covenant: A Biblical Theological Analysis of Covenant Types and Texts in the Old and New Testaments |
Scott Walker Hahn was born on October 28, 1957. He is an American Catholic theologian and a Christian apologist. An apologist is someone who explains and defends their faith.
Scott Hahn used to be a Protestant and served as a Presbyterian minister. Later, he decided to become a Catholic. He is well-known for his books like Rome Sweet Home and The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth. His talks are also available in many audio recordings.
Hahn is famous for studying Early Christianity from the time of the apostles. He also writes about the early leaders of the Church, called the Church Fathers.
Today, Hahn teaches at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, which is a Catholic university in Steubenville, Ohio. He has also given lectures at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. Scott Hahn is married to Kimberly Hahn. Together, they run a Catholic organization called the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.
Contents
Scott Hahn's Education Journey
Scott Hahn studied at several universities. He earned his first degree, a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), in 1979 from Grove City College in Pennsylvania. He studied three main subjects: theology (the study of religious faith), philosophy (the study of knowledge and existence), and economics (the study of how money and resources are used). He graduated with high honors.
In 1982, he received his Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree from Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary. He also graduated with very high honors from there.
Later, in May 1995, he earned his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in systematic theology from Marquette University. This is the highest degree you can get in a field of study.
His Ph.D. paper was about how the idea of a "covenant" connects the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. A covenant is like a special agreement or promise. A version of his paper was published as a book called Kinship by Covenant: A Canonical Approach to the Fulfillment of God's Saving Promises.
Why Scott Hahn Became Catholic
After finishing his studies, Scott Hahn started working as a pastor at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Fairfax, Virginia. Over the years, he held different jobs at various schools and universities.
When he was younger, Hahn believed that the Catholic Church was wrong about some things. He even said he had helped some Catholics become Protestants. However, his own journey toward Catholicism began when he and his wife started thinking deeply about how families are formed and what the Bible teaches about it.
He noticed that the Catholic Church was the only major Christian group that still held to a very old teaching about family planning. Other Protestant groups had changed their views on this in the early 1900s. This made him curious. He continued to study other important topics, such as how people are saved, the role of faith and good actions, and the Protestant idea of sola scriptura. This idea means "scripture alone" and suggests that the Bible is the only source of religious authority.
In his book Rome Sweet Home, Scott Hahn explains that a big reason for his conversion was his study of the "covenant" in the Bible. He saw the covenant as a key idea. He understood it as a sacred family bond that brings people into a close relationship. He believes that God made a series of these special agreements throughout history. The new covenant, started by Jesus Christ, created a worldwide family.
Hahn believes that Jesus and his apostles used family words to describe how God saves people. For example, God is called "Father," Christ is the "Son" and the "firstborn" among brothers, and heaven is like a "marriage feast." The Church is seen as the "spouse of God," and Christians are called "children of God."
According to Hahn, this new family is led by Christ. He believes the Pope acts as Christ's "prime minister" on Earth, holding the "keys of the kingdom" – a role he sees in the Old Testament too. Hahn writes that the Catholic Church, whose leader is called "Holy Father," is the worldwide family described in the Bible. He also believes that the Protestant ideas of sola fide ("faith alone") and sola scriptura are not fully supported by the Bible.
In his view, the Bible teaches that both faith and good actions (charity) are needed for saving faith, which leads to salvation. He also points to a Bible verse (1 Timothy 3:15) that calls the Church "the pillar and bulwark of the truth."
Scott Hahn became a Catholic on Easter in 1986 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His wife, Kimberly, also became Catholic later, on Easter in 1990. Their book Rome Sweet Home tells the story of their shared journey.
In another book, Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace, he shared how an organization called Opus Dei influenced his conversion. He felt that Opus Dei was a special calling for him within the Catholic Church because of several reasons:
- Its members loved the Bible.
- It welcomed non-Catholics as helpers.
- Its members lived good lives.
- They were ordinary people who lived out their faith.
- They had a strong work ethic.
- They were welcoming and answered his questions.
- They made time for prayer every day.
Scott Hahn's Current Work
Scott Hahn started and is currently the president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. This is a Catholic non-profit group that helps Catholics learn more about the Bible.
Some of his projects include:
- Online and local Bible studies.
- A series of books.
- Pilgrimages (religious journeys).
- A scholarly journal called Letter and Spirit.
He also founded and directs the Institute of Applied Biblical Studies.
Scott Hahn is a popular speaker. He has given over 800 talks in the U.S. and other countries. These talks cover topics about the Catholic faith and the Bible. He often appears on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). His talks are also available through Lighthouse Catholic Media. He has written many books and is a co-editor of the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible.
Since 1990, Hahn has taught at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. He holds a special teaching position there in Biblical Theology and the New Evangelization. In 2004, he received an honorary degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico. In 2014, he was appointed to a special visiting professorship at Mundelein Seminary in Chicago.
Scott Hahn's Family Life
Scott Hahn is married to Kimberly Hahn. They have six children together. As of 2025, they also have twenty-three grandchildren.
Books by Scott Hahn
- Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism (with Kimberly Hahn), 1993.
- Catholic for a Reason (with Leon Suprenant, editor), 1998.
- A Father Who Keeps His Promises, 1998.
- The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth, 1999.
- Hail, Holy Queen: The Mother of God in the Word of God, 2001.
- First Comes Love: Finding Your Family in the Church and the Trinity, 2002.
- Lord Have Mercy: The Healing Power of Confession, 2003.
- Swear to God: The Promise and Power of the Sacraments, 2004.
- Letter and Spirit: From Written Text to Living Word in the Liturgy, 2005.
- Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace, 2006.
- Reasons to Believe: How to Understand, Explain, and Defend the Catholic Faith, 2007.
- Answering the New Atheism: Dismantling Dawkins' Case Against God, (with Benjamin Wiker), 2008.
- Kinship by Covenant: A Canonical Approach to the Fulfillment of God's Saving Promises, 2009.
- Signs of Life: 40 Catholic Customs and Their Biblical Roots, 2009.
- Catholic Bible Dictionary, 2009.
- Covenant and Communion: The Biblical Theology of Pope Benedict XVI, 2009.
- Hope for Hard Times, 2009.
- Many Are Called: Rediscovering the Glory of the Priesthood, 2010.
- Politicizing the Bible: The Roots of Historical Criticism and the Secularization of Scripture 1300-1700 (with Benjamin Wiker), 2013.
- Consuming the Word: The New Testament and The Eucharist in the Early Church, 2013.
- Evangelizing Catholics: A Mission Manual for the New Evangelization, 2014.
- Angels and Saints: A Biblical Friendship with God's Holy Ones, 2014.
- Joy to the World: How Christ's Coming Changed Everything and Still Does, 2014.
- God's Covenant with You: The Bible Tells a Story, 2015.
- The Creed: Professing the Faith Through the Ages, 2016.
- Romans (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture), 2017.
- The First Society: The Sacrament of Matrimony and the Restoration of the Social Order, 2018.
- The Fourth Cup: Unveiling the Mystery of the Last Supper and the Cross, 2018.
- Hope to Die: The Christian Meaning of Death and the Resurrection of the Body, (with Emily Stimpson Chapman), 2020.
- It is Right and Just: Why the Future of Civilization Depends on True Religion, (with Brandon McGinley), 2020.
- Holy Is His Name: The Transforming Power of God’s Holiness in Scripture, 2022.
Books in Spanish:
- La evangelización de los católicos. Manual para la misión de La Nueva Evangelización, 2015.
- Esperanza para momentos difíciles, 2016.
See also
In Spanish: Scott Hahn para niños
