Upcoming address to Catholic Biblical Association

On Jan, 29, I will address the Catholic Biblical Association at the annual regional meeting at the Dominican House, located in Washington, D.C. My presentation concerns one of my favorite topics, namely, The Gospel of John:

"The Dating of John: Challenging the Consensus"
While there has been wide agreement among many New Testament scholars in ascribing a late first-century date to The Gospel of John, such conclusions have often been built upon tenuous premises which do not necessitate such a late dating. In fact, recent biblical research and archaeological findings now support the possibility that the Gospel may have been composed decades earlier than the 90's. At the very least, it is time that the question be reopened in earnest.

This event is open to members of the Catholic Biblical Association. For details and to register click here.

N.T. Wright addresses Synod

On Oct. 14, one of the world's leading and respected 'Jesus scholars', N.T. Wright, addressed the Catholic Synod of Bishops, convened in Rome to address the role of the Bible in the Church today. ("The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church"). Read his full remarks, here:

In particular, I note his mention of the following 'fourfold' reading of Scripture:

We are to love God with heart, soul, mind and strength.1. The heart: Lectio Divina, private meditation and prayer, and above all the readings in the eucharist.2. The mind: historical study of the text and its original contextual meaning. 3. The soul: the ongoing life of the church, its tradition and teaching office. 4. The strength: the mission of the church, the work of God’s kingdom.

In many ways, Wright echoed the remarks of Pope Benedict on the role of Scripture in the life of the Church, particularly, the relationship between "exegesis" on the one hand, and "theology" on the other. (See John Allen's comments on "the Anglican star" at the Synod, here.)

The rest of my column today is on Wright himself, and why I believe he is one of the more important biblical scholars today ...

Wright is one of the most beloved scholars of Evangelical Christians - and many Catholics, given his reverence for the Scriptures, his insistence on reading the Bible as inspired and trustworthy, and his work on the person of Jesus in the Gospels. Interestingly, Wright is not an "Evangelical" strictly speaking, though his worldview is very aligned with bible-believing Christians. Wright is an Anglican Bishop (Durham, Great Britain).

Wright is, without question, one of the more prominent and prolific writers / speakers on topics related to Jesus and Scripture. His contributions over the last few decades on all questions related to the New Testament have been just outstanding.

Of all of his scholarly work, perhaps the most significant contribution is his "New Testament and the People of God series" deals admirably and vigorously with the crucial questions pertinent to the study of "the historical Jesus". In three large volumes, Wright addresses:

1) The New Testament and the People of God (vol 1). In the opening volume, Wright takes up the world of the New Testament and the world "behind" the New Testament ... how the Jewish Christians understood the Jesus story, and how we can step into their world and seek to understand Him. This is a great introductory volume to Wright, as he frames his discussions around key questions we ought to be asking about the New Testament.

2) Jesus and the Victory of God (vol 2). Here, Wright focuses on the identity of Jesus of Nazareth ... Who was he, what was he like, what did he believe about God? How did he understand his own actions in light of the God of Israel? This is a very important volume to "historic Jesus" studies, something Wright has been -- and continues to be invested in. Wright also addresses "Paul" and his prominence in the proclamation of Jesus in early Christianity.


3) The Resurrection of the Son of God (vol 3). Here, Wright explores the world of ideas and beliefs which helped to shape early Christian understandings of death, the afterlife (what Wright calls "life after life after death) and yes, resurrection. Wright argues that we must re-invigorate our Christian understanding of "resurrection" in light of its development in Second Temple Judaism. It is an important contribution in that here, Wright takes on those skeptical scholars who dispute that we can say anything of a historical nature about the resurrection of Jesus. To the contrary, Wright shows how those who argue so have shown a genuine lack of historical imagination in the best sense of the word. Simply put, such scholars have dismissed the resurrection as a "non-historical event" or, at the very least, a topic that cannot be dealt with by means of historical data. Nonsense, Wright says -- and he argues convincingly that "resurrection" is not only at the very center of the early Jesus movement, but that it can in in fact must be studied historically ... and that in applying the most vigorous and scrutinizing historical standards, the resurrection truly emerges with flying colors.

Yet, Wright , when not occupied with his duties as Bishop, is as well known for his many, many lectures. In fact, there is an unofficial "N.T.Wright Page", with dozens of his lectures - most, related to Jesus, Paul, Resurrection, and Scripture. The following are three good examples of his thought.

"Jesus and the Identity of God"
"The Resurrection and Christian Origins" (PDF)
"Five Gospels but no Gospel: Jesus and the Seminar"


Personally, there are a number of achievements that might be pointed to among Wright's work. Let me mention three:

1) Wright, the historic Jesus and the Resurrection.
First, Wright has produced an impressive body of work in which he argues for the historical reliability of the Bible. He has effectively taken on The Jesus Seminar -- dealing with their questions, and provoking many -- both scholars and non-scholars -- to re-consider the conclusions of biblical skepticism.

Wright has maintained fruitful and lively discussion with Marcus Borg and Dominic Crossan, not only critiquing the many problems with their arguments, but offering fresh, coherent and convincing arguments from a sound and "believing" Christian worldview. Wright has not only demolished many of the suppositions of the Jesus Seminar, but he has refocused the study of Jesus, and in particular, his resurrection, on biblical and historical footing.

2) Jesus, Paul and the End of the Exile.
Another key contribution of Wright concerns the theme of "exile" for understanding the whole biblical narrative, both Old and New Testaments. Some consider his contributions to be the most important since Albert Schweitzer, the early twentieth century Jesus scholar, and author of The Quest for the Historic Jesus.

Wright claims that Second Temple Jews considered themselves as "still in exile", even though the return from Babylon to Judea had begun in 539 B.C. In particular, he argues that Jews in this time period had understood "exile" more figuratively, and not literally. This is because historical study of Second Temple Judaism has shown that though a return from Babylon had
begun in 539 (in three waves), many more did not return. Moreover, even the remnant that did return knew full well that the political deliverance from Hellenistic overlords -- and later, the Romans -- was still in waiting. In other words, though the literal exile was over alright, most Jews awaited a "true end of the exile", in which God himself would intervene "in the middle of history", and restore Israel to himself once and for all.

Central to his thesis is eschatology, and the notion that this redemption would come through a period of intense suffering and tribulation. As Wright argues: "Such suffering and punishment would ... somehow hasten the moment when Israel's tribulation would be complete, when she would finally have been purified from her sin so that her exile could be undone at last" (Jesus and the Victory of God, 591). Wright believes Jesus viewed his own life -- and suffering and death -- as an act of eschatological redemption, in light of these hopes. So, for Wright, Jesus intentionally "stepped into this story", in which Yahweh would vindicate his people, ushering in an era of new creation and new life, i.e. the Kingdom of God.

One may 'quibble' with Wright's emphases: on the exile, his understanding of eschatology, how Jesus understood Israel's story and His story in light of it ... yet, his contributions to gospel studies cannot be disputed. Along the same lines, Wright has re-invigorated Pauline studies, in light of his eschatological thesis (above). Again, whether one agrees or disagrees about his perspective, one cannot deny that he has re-invigorated our study of Paul, emerging as one of the leading voices calling for a "new perspective" on Paul.

NOTE: For a very fine critique of Wright -- and one I happen to agree with, see Dr. Brant Pitre's "Jesus, the Tribulation, and the End of the Exile: Restoration Eschatology and the Origin of the Atonement". Pitre, a Catholic scholar, examines Wright's understanding of 'exile" and, while finding much that is commendable, offers a richer understanding of its meaning, and its biblical implications in a fine volume.


3) Wright and non-academics.
One final (but nonetheless important) contribution of Wright's should be noted. Wright has managed to keep one foot in the "guild" (i.e. biblical scholarship) and one in the "pew". That is, Wright has continued to argue, as has Pope Benedict in Jesus of Nazareth, that "authentic Christianity has nothing to hear from history", and that we must encounter the Word of God incarnationally, as the living Word took on flesh "and dwelt among us" (John 1:14).

Wright has done an exception job of taking on the academic positions of anti-supernatural bias. He's a leading scholar in the field of historic Jesus studies, erudite and accomplished. A skilled debater. A scholar's scholar. Yet, he has also done a great deal to advance an interest in Jesus & The Bible for the non-technical and new student of Scripture. He has a whole series of New Testament commentaries, for example, that are intended 'for everyone', no matter one's background ("Mark for Everyone", "Luke for Everyone", etc.) . These are written for the person in the pew, and are quite helpful. Similarly, Wright has given a number of speeches and written a number of books that are very akin to the aspirations of C. S. Lewis. Interestingly, some titles have a Lewisian ring: "Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense" (Cf. Lewis' "Mere Christianity") and "Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church" (cf. Lewis' "Surprised by Joy"). Similarly, Wright has taken on ailments such as the popular Da Vinci Code and dealt with it very neatly (here, for example). Finally, Wright's emphasis on the believability of Jesus and Christianity, the trustworthiness of the Bible and miracles, and the importance of acting on one's Christian faith today and living joyfully with God are all very commendable.

In short, there is much to appreciate about biblical scholar N.T. Wright and it was good to see -- and hear from him at the Synod. Again, you may read his Wright's full remarks to the Synod of Oct. 14 here.

Jesus and the Temple

The latest volume of Letter & Spirit is now available. From the Salvation History website:

This is the fourth annual volume of the remarkably popular journal of biblical theology edited by Scott Hahn and his St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. This volume features important new works by Hahn, Gary Anderson, John Cavadini, Brant Pitre, among others. Inspired by the ground-breaking work of Yves Congar and Jean Danielou, this volume includes original and thought-provoking contributions on such topics as: the Tabernacle and the origins of Christian mysticism; Jesus’ “self-consciousness” of being the new Temple and the new High Priest; and the doctrine of the “indwelling” of the Trinity in the soul; Hahn contributes a new perspective on the Gospel of John, showing how Israel’s Temple and feasts are fulfilled in Christ and the sacraments of the Church. As the editors write in their introduction to this volume: “The Temple theme is perhaps the richest in all of biblical theology, embracing the mysteries of Christ, Church, and Kingdom; liturgy, sacraments, and priesthood; salvation, sanctification, and divine filiation. These are the beautiful mysteries we contemplate in this volume of Letter & Spirit.”

This is a great resource for all students of biblical theology and, in particular, those interested in Jesus and the Temple. Purchase volume four of Letter and Spirit (and previous volumes) here.

On a related note, the annual Letter and Spirit conference will be held Nov. 14-15 in Pittsburg. See the Oct. 21 entry on this blog, Signs of Salvation (here). Also, Salvation History website has complete details here. Hope to see you in Pittsburg!

- Dr. Smith

3,000 year old Hebrew text discovered

Reuters is reporting that Israeli archaeologists unearthed the oldest Hebrew text ever found, just yesterday ((Thurs. 10/29), while excavating a fortress city overlooking a valley where the Bible says David slew Goliath.

Experts have not fully deciphered the five lines of text written on a pottery shard found at the five-acre known as Khirbet Qeiyafa (the region where David killed Goliath in the Valley of Elah). Scholars have been able to make out a few words, including "judge," "slave" and "king."

Archaeologists at Hebrew University said carbon dating of artifacts at the site indicate the Hebrew inscription was written some 3,000 years ago. This would pre-date the Dead Sea Scrolls by 1,000 years, and represent the oldest known such text. Lead archaeologist at the site, Josef Garfinkel, indicated that the discovery could shed considerable light on the period of David's kingship.

HAARETZ, a daily Jewish news source, has the most extensive coverage I have found on this still-developing story, here.

- Dr. Smith

Final Propositions from the Synod

Fifty-five proposals were submitted to Pope Benedict from the recent Bishop's Synod on the Word of God. As John Allen explains in his introductory remarks, these are "advisory only". They range from topics like:

#10 "The Old Testament in the Christian Bible"

#14 " The Word of God in the Liturgy"

#30 "Pastoral Work with the Bible"

#48 "Bible and Inculturation"

#53 "Dialogue Between Christians and Muslims"

#55 "Mary, Mater Dei and Mater fidei

and many more. Get the entire article here.

-- Dr. Smith

Patriarch of Constantinople Addresses Synod of Bishops!

Pretty astounding ... Bartholomew, the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople, addresses the Synod of Bishops!

When Patriarch Bartholomew, the first ecumenical patriarch to address a session of the world Synod of Bishops, had finished his 25-minute speech, the pope noted that the church fathers quoted by the patriarch are recognized as great theologians in both the East and the West.

"If we have fathers in common, how can we not be brothers?" Pope Benedict said. "This was a joyful experience of unity -- perhaps not full, but true and deep." Get the full story here.

- Dr. Smith

Protestant coverage of the Synod

Christianity Today, a prominent Evangelically-driven periodical, offers analysis of the Synod on the Word of God in Rome, here.

Next month, there will be a great biblical conference on St. Paul the apostle. The annual Letter and Spirit Conference will be held on Nov. 14-15, 2008 in Pittsburg, PA.

The theme is "St. Paul: Mission and Mystery". Dr. Scott Hahn will present the keynote address, and my esteemed colleague from Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Dr. William Bales, is among the presenters (cf. below).

More information is available in a downloadable flyer here (PDF). Hope to see you in Pittsburgh!

- Dr. Smith

2008 Letter and Spirit Conference
St. Paul: Mission and Mystery

St. Paul: Mission and Mystery
Dr. Scott Hahn, Founder and President
St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology

Saturday, November 15
The Biblical Basis for Bishops in Paul's Pastoral Epistles
Dr. Mike Sirilla, Associate Professor of Theology
Franciscan University of Steubenville

The Mystery of Marriage in Paul
Dr. John Bergsma, Associate Professor of Theology
Franciscan University of Steubenville

The Mystery of Christ in Ephesians
Dr. William Bales, Professor of Sacred Scripture
Mount Saint Mary's Seminary

The Mystery of the Spirit in First Corinthians
Dr. Mary Healy, Associate Professor of Sacred Scripture
Sacred Heart Major Seminary

Panel Discussion
All scholars

Holy Mass
Celebrant & Homilist: Bishop David A. Zubik
Diocese of Pittsburgh

Benedict - Dualism Between Exegesis and Theology Must Be Overcome

In our ongoing coverage of the Synod on the Word of God, Here is the intervention Benedict XVI gave last week during the 14th general congregation of the world Synod of Bishops.

"Dualism Between Exegesis and Theology Must Be Overcome"

VATICAN CITY, OCT. 19, 2008 (Zenit.org).

Dear Brothers and Sisters, the work for my book on Jesus offers ample occasion to see all the good that can come from modern exegesis, but also to recognize the problems and risks in it. Dei Verbum 12 offers two methodological indications for suitable exegetic work. In the first place, it confirms the need to use the historical-critical method, briefly describing the essential elements. This need is the consequence of the Christian principle formulated in Jn 1:14 "Verbum caro factum est." The historical fact is a constitutive dimension of Christian faith. The history of salvation is not a myth, but a true story and therefore to be studied with the same methods as serious historical research.

However, this history has another dimension, that of divine action. Because of this, Dei Verbum mentions a second methodological level necessary for the correct interpretation of the words, which are at the same time human words and divine Word.

The Council says, following a fundamental rule for any interpretation of a literary text, that Scripture must be interpreted in the same spirit in which it was written and thereby indicates three fundamental methodological elements to bear in mind the divine dimension, the pneumatology of the Bible: one must, that is

1) interpret the text bearing in mind the unity of the entire Scripture; today this is called canonical exegesis; at the time of the Council this term had not been created, but the Council says the same thing: one must bear in mind the unity of all of Scripture;

2) one must then bear in mind the living tradition of the whole Church, and finally

3) observe the analogy of faith. Only where the two methodological levels, the historical-critical and the theological one, are observed, can one speak about theological exegesis -- of an exegesis suitable for this Book.

While the first level today's academic exegesis works on a very high level and truly gives us help, the same cannot be said about the other level. Often this second level, the level constituted of the three theological elements indicated by Dei Verbum seems to be almost absent. And this has rather serious consequences.

The first consequence of the absence of this second methodological level is that the Bible becomes a book only about the past. Moral consequences can be drawn from it, one can learn ab out history, but the Book only speaks about the past and its exegesis is no longer truly theological, becoming historiography, the history of literature. This is the first consequence: the Bible remains in the past, speaks only of the past. There is also a second even more serious consequence: where the hermeneutics of faith, indicated by Dei Verbum, disappear, another type of hermeneutics appears of necessity, a secularized, positivistic hermeneutics, whose fundamental key is the certitude that the Divine does not appear in human history. According to this hermeneutic, when there seems to be a divine element, one must explain where it came from and bring it to the human element completely.

Because of this, interpretations that deny the historicity of divine elements emerge. Today, the so-called mainstream of exegesis in Germany denies, for example, that the Lord instituted the Holy Eucharist and says that Jesus' corpse stayed in the tomb. The Resurrection would not be an historical event, but a theological vision. This occurs because the hermeneutic of faith is missing: therefore a profane philosophical hermeneutic is stated, which denies the possibility of entering and of the real presence of the Divine in history. The consequence of the absence of the second methodological level is that a deep chasm was created between scientific exegesis and lectio divina. This, at times, gives rise to a form of perplexity even in the preparation of homilies. Where exegesis is not theology, Scripture cannot be the soul of theology and, vice versa, when theology is not essentially the interpretation of the Scripture in the Church, this theology has no foundation anymore.

Therefore for the life and the mission of the Church, for the future of faith, this dualism between exegesis and theology must be overcome. Biblical theology and systematic theology are two dimensions of the one reality, what we call Theology. Due to this, I would hope that in one of the propositions the need to bear in mind the two methodological levels indicated in Dei Verbum 12 be mentioned, where the need to develop an exegesis not only on the historical level, but also on the theological level is needed. Therefore, widening the formation of future exegetes in this sense is necessary, to truly open the treasures of the Scripture to today's world and to all of us.

[Translation by the secretariat of the Synod of Bishops]

© Copyright 2008 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

After the Synod (II) ... Bishop Kicanas Summarizes

With the Synod on the Word of God wrapping up, the Most Reverend Gerald F. Kicanas, Bishop of Tucson, offers a very nice summary of the work of the Synod. Among the most important of his reflections:

Interpretation of Scripture
• Call for an encyclical on the interpretation of Sacred Scripture.
• Call for more dialogue between theologians, exegetes, bishops and pastoral practitioners.
• Need to understand the role of the Magisterium, bishops who hold the apostolic tradition.
• Need for proper interpretation of Sacred Scripture, especially in the light of the challenge of fundamentalist sects.
• Need to distinguish between credible and non-credible sources.
• Need to be clear that teaching the Word needs the authority and guidance of the Church
• The Historical Critical approach to exegesis is important, but not sufficient: one needs a theological spiritual perspective as well in studying the Scriptures.
• Need to rediscover the spiritual sense of the Scriptures.
• The exegete is to be the servant of the Word, not the master.

There is much more: Scripture & Liturgy, obstacles to reading Scripture, Scripture & the Homily, Lectio Devina, etc. Most Get Bishop Kicanas' complete analysis here.

Peter Williamson on Scripture & the Church

Excellent article on the role of Scripture in the Church's mission, by Dr. Peter Williamson:

The Word of God explains the root causes of all that threatens us, and it offers the Good News that God has provided a means of rescue for us through the life, Death, and Resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ. This is what we have to offer the world, the one thing it needs most: a word from God. This is the mission entrusted to the Church: to tell people the Good News of salvation.

Read the entire piece here (PDF).

After the Synod (I) ... Benedict on Scripture's role in Evangelization

Pope Benedict discusses the role of Scripture in the Church's mission of evangelization. "Only the word of God can profoundly change the heart of man," the Pope said. The need for such conversion is great in today's confused society, in which human beings sometimes proclaim themselves "the only masters of creation." He went on to say that the message from Scripture is ultimately a positive one, and that "the certainty that evil and death will not have the last word, but it will be Christ who wins in the end. Always!"

Get the full story here.

The Synod has begun!

The 12th Synod of Bishops is meeting in Rome to discuss “The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church.” This is an important dialogue among the Bishops and others about Scripture and its importance in the life of the Church, and the central mission of the Church -- to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The USCCB has a wonderful site dedicated to the Synod, here. You will find excellent articles on Sacred Scripture by Dr. Peter Williamson, Dr. Scott Hahn and others on the USCCB site, here.

The following is an excerpt from Dr. Williamson's article:

We can only give to others what we ourselves possess. If
we wish to share in the Church’s mission of proclaiming
the Good News, we must immerse ourselves in the Word of
God. We must prayerfully read Scripture daily—whether we
follow the liturgical readings or a more comprehensive reading plan—and we must study the Bible to really understand it.

We must overcome an exaggerated fear of making mistakes
in interpretation. Our greatest danger today lies not in
mistaken interpretation but in unfamiliarity with the Word
of God. Many solid Catholic Bible resources are available
to guide our study and prayer. The Tradition of the Church
provides Catholics with extra protection. If we read the
Bible with the Church, interpreting it in harmony with the
Catechism and other expressions of the Church’s teaching,
we will not go astray, even if we do not understand every
text perfectly.

As we are nourished by reading, praying, and studying
the Bible, we will be changed and empowered by Christ.
As Pope Benedict has said, “The Church knows well that
Christ lives in the Sacred Scriptures” (Address, September
16, 2005). We will become witnesses as the Word of Christ
comes to dwell in us (Col 3:16) and we share what we
have learned. The Word of God is the foundation of the
Church’s mission because it bears divine power and is the
only thing capable of meeting humanity’s deepest need.
Christ has entrusted his Word to the Church and commands
us to proclaim it (Mt 28:20). That proclamation centers
on the Word that “became flesh and made his dwelling
among us” (Jn 1:14).

Also, there is a blog from the Synod itself, with daily updates, here. Finally, John Allen (NCR) reports on the "bubbling up" of the issue of the inerrancy of Sacred Scripture at the Synod, here.

-----------
Stay tuned to my blog, SIGNS OF SALVATION, for analysis and updates.
Steve Smith.

New Catholic Biblical Commentary Series

For years, I have said that we need a fresh approach to Catholic biblical commentaries; one that is both scholarly and pastoral on the one hand, and faithful to the teachings of the Catholic faith on the other.

Fortunately, there is now an excellent new series about to be published, "Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture" (CCSS) that meets this need. The authors look excellent, and at present, many of the books of the NT are planned for publication.

The series combines outstanding biblical scholarship with lively faith to help Catholics, especially those in pastoral ministry, interpret Scripture and apply it to Christian life today. In seventeen volumes, the series offers readable, informative commentary on each book of the New Testament. The CCSS responds to the desire of Catholics to study the Bible in depth and in a way that integrates Scripture with Catholic doctrine, worship, and daily life.

Central to the commentary’s approach are the theological principles taught by Vatican II for interpreting Scripture “in accord with the same Spirit by which it was written”—that is, interpreting Scripture in its canonical context and in the light of Catholic tradition and the analogy of faith (Dei Verbum, 12). The CCSS helps readers grasp the meaning of texts both in their historical and literary context and in their relationship to Catholic doctrine and life in the present.

• Written in an engaging style that can be read for personal study and spiritual nourishment as well as referenced for exegetical information

• Distinguished by a theological and pastoral hermeneutic rather than a focus on technical questions that legitimately interest scholars but have less relevance for Christian life

• Interprets the canonical form of the text in light of the whole of Scripture and the Church's faith

• Aims to serve readers across a spectrum of Catholic opinion while remaining faithful to Church teaching

• Employs ordinary modern English that does not require “translation” for preaching and catechesis

• Packed with features useful to preachers and teachers of the word, lay and ordained, and other Catholics interested in deepening their faith

• Fills a gap between substantial scholarly resources and brief popular commentaries

Learn more about this exciting new series here.