Ecclesial Exegesis

Ecclesial Exegesis PDF Author: Gregory Vall
Publisher: CUA Press
ISBN: 0813235227
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 374

Book Description
There is broad support today for the idea that biblical scholarship ought to be informed by the faith of the Church and serve the life of the Church. In a word, it should be ecclesial. There is far less agreement, however, when one asks how this goal is to be achieved and what ecclesial exegesis ought to look like. In 1988, Joseph Ratzinger put forth his "Method C" proposal, calling for the development of a new exegetical and hermeneutical synthesis. This would be neither a retreat to the patristic-medieval approach (Method A) nor the continued hegemony of the historical-critical approach (Method B). The latter must be purified of its positivism through a transformational encounter with the former, so that the gifts of both might be released for the life of the Church. Such a synthesis, Ratzinger claimed, would require the philosophical, theological, exegetical, and hermeneutical work of "at least a whole generation" of scholars. Gregory Vall has devoted over thirty years to the development of ecclesial exegesis, and the present volume represents the mature fruit of his labor. Over against those who treat Dei Verbum as Vatican II's endorsement of the historical-critical method, he demonstrates that the dogmatic constitution actually points to something very much like Ratzinger's Method C. Employing a dialogic movement between the inductive-exegetical and the deductive-dogmatic, Vall offers nine studies that bring to the surface issues such as the relationship between Old Testament and New Testament, literal sense and spiritual sense, and Scripture and Tradition. While Vall brings theological knowledge and hermeneutical skill to the quest for Method C, he also provides a great deal of valuable exegesis of both testaments. Ecclesial Exegesis is not simply another book of theory. It demonstrates how Method C can be done.

The Church's Book

The Church's Book PDF Author: Brad East
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 1467464961
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 495

Book Description
What role do varied understandings of the church play in the doctrine and interpretation of Scripture? In The Church’s Book, Brad East explores recent accounts of the Bible and its exegesis in modern theology and traces the differences made by divergent, and sometimes opposed, theological accounts of the church. Surveying first the work of Karl Barth, then that of John Webster, Robert Jenson, and John Howard Yoder (following an excursus on interpreting Yoder’s work in light of his abuse), East delineates the distinct understandings of Scripture embedded in the different traditions that these notable scholars represent. In doing so, he offers new insight into the current impasse between Christians in their understandings of Scripture—one determined far less by hermeneutical approaches than by ecclesiological disagreements. East’s study is especially significant amid the current prominence of the theological interpretation of Scripture, which broadly assumes that the Bible ought to be read in a way that foregrounds confessional convictions and interests. As East discusses in the introduction to his book, that approach to Scripture cannot be separated from questions of ecclesiology—in other words, how we interpret the Bible theologically is dependent upon the context in which we interpret it.

The Future of Catholic Biblical Interpretation

The Future of Catholic Biblical Interpretation PDF Author: James B. Prothro
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 1467466204
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 425

Book Description
Notable Catholic interpreters of Scripture discern the guiding values of biblical interpretation at the brink of a new era for the church. Under the influence of Benedict XVI and Francis, Roman Catholics, whether lay or religious, have found renewed interest in studying sacred Scripture. Yet the church has also grown and faces new challenges in the new millennium. What does the future of Catholic biblical interpretation look like? And how ought the church’s rich heritage of biblical interpretation continue to influence it? This volume collects essays by some of the most influential voices in Catholic biblical scholarship today. Covering a variety of topics, from the Old Testament to the New Testament and biblical theology, the essays are united by a common goal: to hear the word of God and proclaim and apply it within the church. The authors pay special tribute to Marie-Joseph Lagrange. This nineteenth-century French Dominican led the way in blending critical methodology with respect for the Church’s authority in order to put scriptural study in service to the good of souls. Featuring diverse and authentically Catholic perspectives, The Future of Catholic Biblical Interpretation represents fresh purpose and direction for the church’s long and fruitful tradition of exegesis.

Distinguishing the Church

Distinguishing the Church PDF Author: Greg Peters
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1532654855
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 191

Book Description
As the Protestant Reformers did, so twenty-first-century Christians also recognize the need to distinguish between the true and false church. Thus, they find themselves looking closely at the modern church to determine whether it is a true and faithful church. Today's Christians know that proper criteria are necessary to discern the true church. The most common criteria, wrote John Calvin, are that the Word of God is rightly preached and heard and that the sacraments are administered according to Christ's institution. Moreover, Martin Luther said that suffering is a telltale sign of God's people, while Anabaptist and Reformed Christians included discipline among the distinguishing marks of the church. These standards take on particular poignancy today: The global church continues to live under severe persecution, and the American church, characterized by a lack of discipline, has been wounded by its own sins of chasing sex and power. In this collection of essays, first given at annual meetings of the Evangelical Theological Society, the authors take time to reflect on the Reformational marks of the church in order to help reform Christ's bride. With contributions from: Edward W. Klink III Duane Litfin J. Stephen Yuille J. V. Fesko Keith D. Stanglin Greg Cochran Jeremy M. Kimble Guy Waters Justin L. McLendon

Theology as an Ecclesial Discipline

Theology as an Ecclesial Discipline PDF Author: J Augustine Di Noia
Publisher: CUA Press
ISBN: 0813237904
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 354

Book Description
The practice of theology depends in part on asking the right questions. Not any sorts of questions, not idle questions, nor questions framed entirely by our own experience or the great issues of our times, but good theological questions focus the mind of the inquirer on the endlessly intelligible self-revelation of God to which the Sacred Scripture bears witness. Our own questions and the great questions of our times have a place, as long as they are purged of the ideological outlooks that can suppress or obscure the questions that the sacra pagina itself presses upon us. Among the essays gathered in Theology as an Ecclesial Discipline, the first set directs the reader's attention precisely to questions that trace the distinctive features of the nature of theology itself. What are the principles and scope of the field of theology as practiced by believers in an ecclesial context? Are historical-critical methods of exegesis compatible with a properly theological interpretation of the Scriptures? How can theology have a place in the academy as an intellectual discipline if the Magisterium seems to limit the scope of its inquiries? The second part considers a range of questions that preoccupy contemporary Protestant and Catholic theologians. Can the names Father, Son and Holy Spirit be replaced by more inclusive titles in doctrine and liturgy? By placing humanity at the center of theological investigation, is Christian humanism distinct from secular humanism? How can we be guilty of a sin committed by our first ancestors? Can the Christian vision of procreative human sexuality survive the cultural onslaught of the sexual revolution? The questions in the third part of this book arise from Catholic dialogue with non-Christian religions, or with other Christian communities, or with conceptions of a cosmos in ecological crisis. Is there a future for Catholic theology of religions? How can people who do not believe in Christ be saved? Is the cosmos a safe environment for human beings, or, alternatively, how can the cosmos be protected from human depredation? Can the concept of "church" stretch far enough to encompass Christian communities that see themselves as strictly local and independent bodies?

Called to Be Church

Called to Be Church PDF Author: Anthony B. Robinson
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 9780802860651
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 308

Book Description
Biblical scholar Robert Wall and pastoral leader Anthony Robinson here join forces to bring the Acts of the Apostles forward to our time as a resource for congregational renewal and transformation.Featuring both careful exegetical study and exciting contemporary exposition, the fifteen chapters of Called to Be Church each first interpret the text of Acts as Scripture and then engage Acts for today's church. The book dives into many of the most vexing issues faced by the church then and now -- such issues as conflict resolution, pluralism and multiculturalism, sexuality, money, church and state, the role of the Holy Spirit, and more.Enhanced by study questions at the end of each chapter, Called to Be Church will lend itself especially well to small-group study within congregations. Pastors, lay readers, students, and ordinary believers alike will find the book helpful and inspiring.

Augustine's Early Theology of the Church

Augustine's Early Theology of the Church PDF Author: David C. Alexander
Publisher: Peter Lang
ISBN: 9781433101038
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 484

Book Description
The nature and development of Augustine's understanding of the church between his conversion (386) and his forced entry into the clergy (391) provides an essential lens to understanding this seminal period of transition and the foundations of his future ecclesial contributions. Even so, most studies of Augustine's ecclesiology bypass this period, starting with the clerical Augustine (post 391). In fact, research on the 'young' Augustine and the Confessions too often stalls over debates between his neo-Platonic or Christian orientation, focusing on dichotomies in Augustine or an individualistic Augustine too rigidly labeled. This book helps fill these gaps and provides a case study supporting arguments for continuity between the 'young' and the clerical Augustine. A careful chronological textual approach to Augustine's early Christian years demonstrates how his ecclesiological thought began during this period and comprised a core component of his first theological synthesis. The emergence of his ecclesiological ideas was intimately intertwined with his overall personal, religious, philosophic, and theological development. As such it is crucial to our biographical and theological understanding of the great North African and will be of interest to specialists and students alike of Augustine's development, Confessions, mature ecclesiology, and the late antique world.

Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible

Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible PDF Author: Kevin J. Vanhoozer
Publisher: Baker Academic
ISBN: 0801026946
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 896

Book Description
This groundbreaking reference tool introduces key names, theories, and concepts for interpreting Scripture.

Studies in Matthew

Studies in Matthew PDF Author: Ulrich Luz
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 1467427586
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 406

Book Description
Translated by Rosemary Selle The work of one of the world's foremost New Testament scholars, Ulrich Luz, this book gathers eighteen penetrating studies of Matthew's Gospel, available here in English for the first time. Luz's groundbreaking work ranges widely over the critical issues of Matthean studies, including the narrative structure and sources of the Gospel and its presentation of such themes as christology, discipleship, miracles, and Israel. Several chapters also outline and demonstrate the hermeneutical methods underlying Luz's acclaimed commentary on Matthew, for which this book can serve as a companion. Luz is particularly conscious of the Gospel's reception history, a history of interpretation connecting us with the past that determines so many of our questions, categories, and values. Studies in Matthew thus constitutes a noteworthy contribution to biblical hermeneutics as well as to exegesis.

Wisdom and the Renewal of Catholic Theology

Wisdom and the Renewal of Catholic Theology PDF Author: Thomas P. Harmon
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1498278426
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 233

Book Description
For more than fifty years, Fr. Matthew L. Lamb has been one of the major figures in American Catholic theology through his writing, teaching, and involvement in scholarly societies. Over a decade ago, Fr. Lamb moved from the Department of Theology at Boston College to develop the graduate programs in theology at Ave Maria University in response to what he identified as the widespread decline in theological education. Twelve years into their operation, the graduate programs in theology have begun to produce junior scholars who have attained appointments in universities and seminaries across the United States. In Wisdom and the Renewal of Catholic Theology, Thomas P. Harmon and Roger W. Nutt have brought together some of this first generation of Ave Maria graduates to produce a collection of essays to honor their teacher and the architect of their theological education.