Bulletin Q&A Article; Published 1-28-24:
What are your thoughts on reading non-canonical texts such as the Book of Enoch?
With so many options, and so little time, it is important for us to make wise choices about what we should select to read. I think there are two basic questions we can ask ourselves. First, will reading the material be profitable? Will it brings us enjoyment, be educational or inspirational, or help us on our spiritual journey? And second, will reading the material cause us harm? Will it lead us to sinful thoughts, harmful practices, or beliefs contrary to Church teaching?
Back in 2010, a parishioner at Sacred Heart parish asked me for my thoughts on The Shack which was a popular work of fiction at the time. It was a bit controversial, but she was considering including it on the parish book club list. I read the book and found it to be entertaining, but definitely not consistent with Church teaching. For example, it appears to question, among other things, the existence of Hell, the existence of the Church as an institution, and the need for a healthy fear of the Lord. And so, I cautioned that those who were not strong in their faith should avoid reading it lest they be led astray. Actually reading it together with other Catholics, with Bible and Catechism at the ready, could be a good way to reaffirm the true faith. But it could definitely be harmful, and would not be a good gift idea for a young person who was still searching for what to believe.
And so, what about the Book of Enoch? I was not very familiar with this text and so I did some searching online. There is an interesting audio article by Tim Staples of Catholic Answers (https://www.catholic.com/audio/caf/is-the-church-hiding-the-book-of-enoch) that gives some insights. In Genesis, we hear of Enoch who was the great-grandfather of Noah. Apparently, the Book of Enoch is a very exciting apocalyptic piece of literature that was referenced by some of the early Church Fathers as being scriptural. St Jude even references the Book of Enoch in his letter which in the Bible. Well, he actually references the first of five books of Enoch, the Book of the Watchers. But Tim Staples outlines in the article why it is not scriptural and actually conflicts with the Bible. It is a “a story that’s built on the Bible, but it isn’t biblical.”
The Book of Enoch tells a story of how the Watchers, who were angels that were supposed to watch over the people, begin to lust after the women. These angels fell and came down to earth to have intercourse with the women and create a breed of giants, half-angels and half-men. They are the source of all evil that leads mankind astray. This resulted in God bringing the great flood to wipe them off the face of the earth. (It is a similar story to that found in Chapter 6 of Genesis, but in that story we understand that the sons of God are not angels, but instead descendants of the good sons of Adam. The daughters of man are the descendants of Cain.) Beside the fact that angels are pure spirits and could not take on bodily form without God willing it, Staples points out that our faith teaches that the fall of the angels took place before the creation of man. There is no understanding of angels, who had originally chosen to be with God, to then fall at a later time. The angels are not the cause of evil in the world, it was the sin of Adam.
The Book of Enoch is not the inspired Word of God. And so, consider why you are interested in reading it. It sounds like an interesting story and may be an enjoyable fictional read much like The Shack. But then, also consider if it will be harmful. If you are well-grounded in your faith, then it probably won’t create a problem, but be sure to have your Catechism and Bible ready. Maybe read it with a group of other Catholics to provide an additional level of accountability.