This episode's recommended books are:
- Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation Dei Verbum Second Vatican Council
- Verbum Domini:Post-Synodal Exhortation on The Word of God in the Life and Ministry of the Church by Benedict XVI
- Letter and Spirit: From Written Text to Living Word in the Liturgy (also availble for Kindle) edited by Scott Hahn
- Bible Basics for Catholics: A New Picture of Salvation History(also availabe for Kindle) by John Bergsma
- A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament(also available for Kindle) by John Bergsma and Brant Pitre
Five Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books listed.
Sacred Scripture is the Word of God but “there are some things in them that are hard to understand” (2Peter 3:16). Consequently, the interpretation of Sacred Scripture has always involved difficulties and debates. These have become more intricate in modernity. The Protestant Reformation disputed the normativity of Tradition and the Church’s magisterium for the interpretation of Scripture. The development of historical research provided an array of new techniques and insights. Unfortunately, these have often been divorced from the rule of faith and wedded to rationalist premises. What then are the proper principles that allow us to hear what God is really saying to us in Sacred Scripture?
On the one hand, the Church teaches us to give priority to the literal or historical sense of Scripture, by taking into account the hagiographer’s intention and modes of writing. “On the other hand, since Scripture must be interpreted in the same Spirit in which it was written, the [the Second Vatican Council’s] Dogmatic Constitution [on Divine Revelation] indicates three fundamental criteria for an appreciation of the divine dimension of the Bible: 1) the text must be interpreted with attention to the unity of the whole of Scripture; nowadays this is called canonical exegesis; 2) account is be taken of the living Tradition of the whole Church; and, finally, 3) respect must be shown for the analogy of faith.” (Benedict XVI, Post-synodal exhortation Verbum Dei).
In this episode, Dr. Jeffrey L. Morrow will explain the Church’s principles of biblical interpretation and take us through some of the best books on them.
Dr. Jeffrey L. Morrow is Professor of Theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology at Seton Hall University. A Jewish convert to Catholicism, he specializes in the history of modern biblical interpretation. Among his publications are Jesus’ Resurrection: A Jewish Convert Examines the Evidence, A Catholic Guide to the Old Testament (co-authored with Jeff Cavins and others), Murmuring Against Moses: The Contentious History and Contested Future of Pentateuchal Studies (co-authored with John Bergsma), and Modern Biblical Criticism as a Tool of Statecraft (co-authored with Scott Hahn).
Read the interview at www.fivebooksforcatholics.com/principles-of-biblical-interpretation/
For more interviews like this, visit www.fivebooksforcatholics.com
Sign up to receive updates on the latest interview.
Become a premium subscriber to listen to the full interview and have access to complete archive on the website.
If you have enjoyed this episode, please give the podcast a top rating.
You can also support this podcast by making a one-off tip or donations. Just click here.
