Catholics/The Three Wise Men

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Expert: - 1/10/2008


Question
Hello Michael

I am a 70 year "young" catechumen. During my lessons last week I wanted to know the names of the Wise Men. I have since found out the names but I am having trouble finding where it is listed in the Bible. I have been told that they are not in the Bible and, if that is the case I would like to know how we do know the names. I was under the impression that all that is to do with the birth of Jesus would be in the Bible. If they are indeed not in the Bible could you inform me where "it is written" and how we know them.
Thanks a bunch
Ethel

Answer
Hi Ethel, just copy and paste these links into your browser's address bar...

http://www.ewtn.com/vexperts/showmessage.asp?number=524082&Pg=Forum13&Pgnu=1&rec...

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09527a.htm

Since you are a catechumen I ask that you bring up the question in your next RCIA session. Somebody there should be able to help you.  

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Michael Clark, Ph.D.

Expertise

I'm a progressive Catholic--not a liberal, conservative nor a single-minded critic of Catholicism. I simply believe that adults in the 21C should use the mind God gave them and not just repeat ancient and medieval modes of thinking.

I can probably help with questions that intelligently and respectfully question those aspects of Catholicism that are not infallible. But if you're looking for someone to vigorously defend or perhaps refute Catholicism as a whole, that's not me. So please ask another expert.

Experience

I run an educational website earthpages.org and know what the web has to offer. I might suggest hyperlinks and/or book titles as I have a Ph.D. in Religious Studies and a considerable personal library.

Publications
Print Media:
My table from "Religions and Cults" at earthpages.org is reproduced with permission in L. Lindsey, S. Beach and B. Ravelli, Core Concepts in Sociology, 2nd ed., p. 157

World Wide Web:
My online article "Letter to God" coauthored with Buddhist monk, E. Raymond Rock, appears on several different spirituality-based websites, including http://tinyurl.com/db7a5o

I've interviewed, as a Christian, a self-proclaimed mystic: http://tinyurl.com/cawykr

My articles appeared at the former New View magazine nuvunow.ca and are published at earthpages.org.

Education/Credentials
Ph.D. in Religious Studies
M.A. in Comparative Religion
B.A. Hon. in Psychology/Sociology
For more info, please see my CV and letters of recommendation and my blog at michaelwclark.com.

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