Inspiration and Textual Preservation: A Catholic Essay on the Bible

Pro Ecclesia ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 106385122199391
Author(s):  
James B. Prothro

The doctrine of inspiration grounds Christian use and interpretation of Scripture, making this doctrine at once theoretical and practical. Many theoretical accounts, however, restrict the “inspired” status of biblical texts to a single text-form, which introduces problems for the practical use of Scripture in view of the texts’ historical multiformity. This article argues that such restrictions of inspiration are theologically problematic and unnecessary. Contextualizing inspiration within the divine revelatory economy, this article argues that the Spirit’s same goals and varied activities in the texts’ composition obtain also in their preservation, so that we can consider multiple forms of a text to be inspired while acknowledging that not all forms are inspired to equal ends in the history and life of the church. The article concludes with hermeneutical reflections affirming that we, today, can read the “word of the Lord” while also affirming the place of textual criticism in theological interpretation.

2016 ◽  
Vol 128 (6) ◽  
pp. 276-285
Author(s):  
George G. Nicol

Following some general remarks on recent significant trends in biblical studies, I note that these will exacerbate the gulf between church and academy with respect to biblical interpretation. A brief introduction to the official documents of the Church of Scotland shows that they provide little indication of how the Bible should be interpreted as a document of the church. In view of the ideological nature of many of the biblical texts an argument against too ready recourse to theological interpretation is outlined.


Author(s):  
Dale B. Martin

Many Christians in the modern period have worked with inadequate notions about what “scripture” is. They have often thought of the Bible as a rule book, a manual for human behavior, a source for scientific or historical facts, a constitution for modern structures, including the church, or even a sex manual. In order to proceed with an adequate theological interpretation of the Bible, Christians need to develop an adequate notion of what theological scripture “is.” Chapter 2 offers different and various ways of imagining the nature of scripture, as cathedral or space we occupy rather than a foundationalist source for ready-to-hand knowledge.


2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anneke Viljoen

Theological interpretation of the Bible represents a broadening of the hermeneutical approaches available to an interpreter of Bible texts. As such, Theological interpretation of the Bible opens up the possibility to investigate and explore more aspects of the Bible text. Especially aspects that are in line with the nature of the Bible text such as Scriptures of the church as well as the illocutionary force of these texts. After a few introductory remarks concerning Theological interpretation of the Bible, three questions guided reflection on defining theological interpretation: first, Why Theological interpretation of the Bible?; second, What is Theological interpretation of the Bible not?; and third, What is Theological interpretation of the Bible? Last mentioned was explored on the basis of a focus text, namely Acts 8:26–40 that served as a case study.


2012 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriaan L. Rheeder

In ’n vorige artikel is beredeneer dat die grammaties-historiese metode van Skrifuitleg as kreatuurlike geskrif nie meer voldoende is vir alleengebruik in Skrifvertolking nie en dat dit met ander uitgangspunte aangevul moet word. In aansluiting by twee hermeneutiese uitgangspunte wat in ’n vorige artikel behandel is (Rheeder), word in hierdie artikel ’n verdere drie hermeneutiese vertrekpunte bespreek, naamlik teenkultuur, nie-wetenskaplike skopus en moreel-etiese vertolking. Die teenkulturele vertrekpunt gaan uit van die oortuiging dat outentieke getuienis in die Skrif gevind word in dit wat verskil (afwyk) van die omliggende antieke kultuur, terwyl die nie-wetenskaplike skopus vertrekpunt uit gaan van die standpunt dat wetenskaplike (of empiriese) kennis in die Bybel buite die skopus of bedoeling van die Skrif staan. Die moreel-teologiese vertolking as vertrekpunt van die standpunt uitgaan dat ’n moreel-teologiese beoordeling van liefde die keuse tussen twee konflikterende, maar beide aanvaarbare, interpretasies moet begelei. Daar word tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat ’n etiese verstaan van die posisie van die vrou beteken dat die vrou as gelykwaardig aan die man beskou en so behandel moet word, wat beteken dat die vrou, net soos die man, tot enige amp in die kerk toegelaat mag word.Appeal to Scriptures in the formation of an ethical point of view: An ethical understanding of women in the Bible. In a previous article it was argued that the grammatical-historical method  of  Bible  exposition  was  no  longer  sufficient  as  sole  method  and  should  be supplemented with other hermeneutical points of departure. Following the discussion of two hermeneutical points in a previous article (Rheeder), this article will discuss three other hermeneutical points of departure, namely counterculture, non-scientific scope and moral-ethical interpretation. The counter-cultural point of departure is based on the belief that authentic witness in Scripture is found in that which is different (that which deviates) from the surrounding ancient culture, while a non-scientific scope starts from the view that scientific (or empirical) knowledge in the Bible is outside the scope or intent of Scripture. The point of departure of the moral-theological interpretation is the view that a moral-theological evaluation of love should inform the choice between two conflicting but mutually acceptable interpretations. It is concluded that an ethical understanding of women in the Bible means that women should be regarded and treated as equal to men, which leads to the further conclusion that all offices in the church should be open to women.


Author(s):  
AZAT BOZOYAN

The Armenian Church from the beginning had a great interest in publishing the Holy Bible. However the political conditions until 70-ties of XVIII century didnt allow to develop the publishing business neither in Western, nor in Eastern Armenia. Exactly because of this reason the Armenian catholicoses tried at any cost to support the publishing business abroad. In this period the activity of printer's ''Holy Etchmiadzin and st.Sargis'', which was established in Amsterdam, became a new phenomenon in the Armenian book-printing. By virtue of work of this printinghouse and the efforts of former chancellor of the Mother See Voskan Yerevantsi the first Armenian Bible came into being. In the XVIII-XIX centuries the political conditions didnt allow the Mother See to focus on the research and preparation of the text of the Bible.It seems that Mother See Holy Etchmiadzin yielded to Mekhitarists the primacy of research in this field. The catholicoses Macar Teghutetsi and Khrimean Hairik, lived in the late 19th - early 20th century, focused attention of the congregation of Vagharshapat on the republication of the biblical texts. Unfortunately the work was interrupted. As it was unclear how to present the text of the Bible to the reader. If Karapet Ter-Mkrtchean set a goal to restore the classical condition of the text, the greater part of the spiritual estate required in a short time to publish a Bible that satisfies the religious needs of the Church. Another part of the believers and Church ministers hoped to have a Bible translated into a language understandable to the people. I suppose that these opposite goals also contributed to the termination of the work. One should regret that to this day it is not known where are kept the results of the work done under the leadership of K. Ter-Mkrtchean. From the standpoint of stimulating the publication of the Bible important was the celebration of the 300th anniversary of publication of the Bible of Voskan, which was initiated by catholicos Vazgen I. The rather serried phalanx of armenologists got down to work, and thanks to their efforts in 1996 the Bible was translated into the Eastern Armenian language. The most important achievment of the last decades was the publication of dozens of scientific biblical texts. Today the preparation of the scientific text of the Bible remains one of the most important tasks facing modern Armenology and the Mother See Holy Etchmiadzin.


Author(s):  
Theodore W. Jennings

While the Bible is often understood to forbid same-sex love, a closer examination reveals a wide variety of forms of same-sex love that are presupposed and even celebrated in these texts. After demonstrating that biblical texts taken to prohibit same-sex love have been misunderstood, the chapter explores multiple forms of same-sex love in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. Love between women in the story of Ruth, the expressions of warrior love in the stories of David and the centurion who came to Jesus, the transgendering of Israel in the prophets and the transgendering of Jesus and Saint Paul in the New Testament, even tales of sexual awakening and violence, provide a rich tapestry of same-sex love exhibited in biblical literature giving deeper meaning to the message of divine love which for Christians is exemplified by Jesus.


1988 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-188
Author(s):  
Mark Coleridge

The point of this article is to explore the role of imagination in both the production and interpretation of the biblical texts. To speak of the metaphoric character of the Bible is to reject all authoritarian notions of interpretation which would claim that there is only one correct interpretation of a text. The biblical texts demand constantly fresh interpretations, the discovery of new possibilities. All our reading of the Scripture runs down to the sea of adoration, into that dark moment when we surrender to the infinite possibility which imagination has perceived at the heart of things. A failure to actualise Scripture in the life of the Church is a failure primarily of imagination.


Author(s):  
Jens Zimmermann

Chapter 7 demonstrates the importance of biblical interpretation to Bonhoeffer’s Christian humanism. Beginning with the Barthian inspiration for a theological reading of scripture as the book of the church, Bonhoeffer develops a biblical hermeneutic for transformative, humanist reading of the Bible that incorporates historical critical tools in seeking out God’s address in concrete life situations. After describing Bonhoeffer’s incarnational approach to the biblical text, and his criticism of verbal inspiration, the middle portion of this chapter describes Bonhoeffer’s theological interpretation of the Old Testament, pointing out striking parallels to patristic interpretation, including the Bible’s sacramental role for Christformation. The same sacramental ontology that governs his general hermeneutics and ethics also help explain Bonhoeffer’s often misunderstood notions of non-religious interpretation of biblical concepts, non-religious Christianity, and a world come of age. The remainder of the chapter clarifies the meaning and humanist implications of these ideas, showing their congruence with Bonhoeffer’s increasing appreciation of the Old Testament’s importance for a this-worldly Christianity that celebrates God’s presence in the midst of life.


2021 ◽  
pp. 67-81
Author(s):  
Daniel Dzikiewicz

Nowadays, Catholic exegetes interpret the Bible using a variety of methods and approaches. The most important of these are mentioned in the document entitled The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church. More than 25 years have passed since this act was published. This article wants to commemorate this event. It proposes an approach to the Bible through fables. The application of the proposed approach undoubtedly enriches the interpretation of the Scriptures. This thesis is demonstrated by the application of two fables motifs: fish and laughter. In fables, fish and laughter quite often mark the beginning of a new stage in the life of a certain protagonist or even become the causative agent of pregnancy, i.e. a new life. Paying attention to these ideas enables a better understanding of those biblical texts that also contain themes of fish and laughter.


Author(s):  
Pieter Verster

Is the Bible clear on heaven, hell, and eternity? This question is important for the mission of the church. In recent books, N.T. Wright challenges the concepts of heaven and hell and the saving of souls for eternal heaven or the proclamation of judgement to those who are lost. Although his view is one of critical realism, which differs substantially from Bultmann’s demythologizing of the Bible as viewpoint, there are some similarities. Hans Küng also has some questions regarding traditional views on eternity. Bram van de Beek, however, explains that it is necessary to mention that this world is not our abode. In discussing biblical texts such as many parables and many of Paul’s utterances, one must regard the references to eternal life and the reality of heaven and hell as essential in the proclamation of the gospel. God’s grace is, however, much more glorious and encompassing than his wrath.


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