IntroBible-1a

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ST LAWRENCE MARTYR CATHOLIC COMMUNITY FAITH ENRICHMENT SERIES 2007-2008 INTRODUCTION TO THE BIBLE: A CATHOLIC PERSPECTIVE Juanita Meller, Ph.D. Fr. Kevin Schindler-McGraw, OFM Conv. Session 1 Sat., 18 Oct. 2008

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CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH Luke 1:68-79 (Morning Prayer – “The Benedictus”)     Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people and set them free.   He has raised up for us a mighty savior, born of the house of his servant David.   Through his holy prophets he promised of old that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us.   He promised to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant.   This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to set us free from the hands of our enemies, free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life. You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins.   In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.   Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,   As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

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Text for the Course:

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Schedule for the course: Session 1: Sat., 18 Oct. 2008 Introduction / Resources for Scripture study Praying the Scriptures – practice of Lectio Divina & theological reflection Overview: Principle elements of a mature, contemporary approach to the study and praying of Scripture (what it is and what it is not) [For next session: read Dawes, Introduction to the Bible, pp. 6-33]

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Session 2: Sat., 25 Oct. 2008 Overview of the corpus of the Scriptures: (including, but not limited to: Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament/Christian Scriptures - their origins; major genres; how they relate to each other; how they relate to the Church, etc.) Prayer: practice of Lectio Divina & theological reflection We will use: - elements of the Morning Prayer (Lauds) of the Church to open and close the sessions in prayer - an element of reflection/meditation on a specific Scripture passage toward the middle/break time of each session.

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Sacred Scripture: Types of Resources

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Selected Translations/Versions of the Bible: (in English) Revised Standard Version (NRSV/RSV) New American Bible (RNAB/NAB) Jerusalem Bible (NJB/JB) New International Version (NIV) Good News Bible (paraphrase rather than translation)

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Introductions/Surveys Commentaries Concordances/Indices Lexica (Lexicon) Atlases/Maps

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Document text available on Vatican website: (www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/pcb_index.htm)

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2008, Paulist Press

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2007, Liturgical Press

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Sept. 29, 2008

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Development of Interpretation in History

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Underlying principles: * no reading of Bible w/o interpretation - even if un-self-conscious * Word of God in words of humans Dei Verbum: “God speaks to men and women in sacred Scripture in human fashion”   * SS = ‘sign’ - concrete, physical object - points beyond itself to meaning - like w/ poem … painting …

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* endures after death of author & loss of content AND the ‘original’ text/language * distance between author <--> interpreter * need for consciousness of interpretive process   METHODS   * exegesis = act of interpretation * hermeneutics = theory of how / principles/assumptions employed

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Patristic ? Medieval Periods (ca. 200 – 1500 C.E.) Harmony between message of OT & NT Harmony between message of Bible and message of Church - based on source rather than content Harmony between sacred & secular knowledge Different interpretations on different levels simultaneously Imaginative (fluid) methodology [In modern period ? loss ? great shift]

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Reformation and Counter-Reformation (ca. 1500 – 1650 C.E.) Protestant Reformers: * The Bible interprets itself * The Bible authenticates itself * The Bible has a single meaning Word of God accessible to individual believer w/o bishops, theologians, etc. Catholic Response (reaction) / (e.g., Council of Trent, 1546): * right of Church, not indiv., to decide true meaning of Scripture * interp. must conform w/Church tradition (“Church Fathers”) SCRIPTURE + TRADITION BUT ? strict, closed to necessary re-interpretation

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Modern Era (ca. 1650 C.E. – Today) * Rise of “historical criticism” (critique) * Divine authorship ? human authorship Word of God in human words e.g., for Pentateuch ? “J-E-D-P” for gospel acct.’s ? “2 source theory” (Mk & “Q”) * Protestants & Catholics ? differences re: INERRANCY - inspiration ? divine / human origins [“Both/And” rather than “Either/Or”]

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CATHOLIC CHURCH Not conducive to freedom of thought e.g. Pius IX ? “Syllabus of Errors” 1864 Sequence/development of “opening” - largely around question of inspiration/inerrancy 1893 – Leo XIII / “Providentissimus Deus” 1943 – Pius XII / “Divino Afflante Spiritu” 1965 – Vatican II / “Dei Verbum”

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“Postmodern” (present period) Again – renewed reflection on hermeneutics AND exegesis ? the subject interpreting AND the object of interp. Increasingly “psychological” & introspective/reflective BUT – Catholic perspective / “corrective” in this e.g., Benedict XVI ? insistence on dichotomy between relativism TRUTH e.g., “Veritatis Splendor”

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Development will CONTINUE! God – Revelation ? ongoing / process

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Key Elements of Catholic Approach * Inspiration / Inerrancy * God’s role as “author” human instrument w/ limitations * Inerrancy as such downplayed FOCUS ? TRUTH presented/communicated * Revelation * “Salvation history” “History of salvation” Salvation IN History * God’s being & action our reception & interpretation * SS = record of that – inspired by H.S. – in ongoing way in the community of faith

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* Canonicity “canon” Gk. = kanon Heb. = qaneh (“reed”) “measuring stick” / “ruler” Early Church = “rule of truth” in SS & Tradition “canonical” = * belongs to list of sacred books * inspired by God * have regulating (“rule”) value for faith & morals Rom. Cath. Church Protestant Churches “protocanonical” - no doubt - canonical deuterocanonical - some discussion - apocryphal apocryphal - outside canon, - pseudepigraphcal but noteworthy

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[For next session: read Dawes, Introduction to the Bible, pp. 6-33] Session 2: Sat., 25 Oct. 2008 Overview of the corpus of the Scriptures: (including, but not limited to: Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament/Christian Scriptures - their origins; major genres; how they relate to each other; how they relate to the Church, etc.) Prayer: practice of Lectio Divina & theological reflection