Biblical Exegesis and Church Doctrine
Overview
In this book, Raymond Brown reflects on the interplay between biblical criticism employed by a majority of Roman Catholic scholars and the doctrinal proclamations of the Catholic Church. He also presents his argument for how liberals and ultraconservatives both misinterpret the effects of biblical criticism on doctrine. He gives special attention to the positive results of contemporary biblical studies for the understanding of Mary, the Holy Spirit, and the Church.
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- Reflects on the interplay between biblical criticism and doctrinal proclamations
- Explores the misinterpretations of biblical criticism on doctrine
- Pays special attention to the positive results of contemporary biblical studies
- Historical-Critical Exegesis of the Bible in Roman Catholicism
- Critical Biblical Exegesis and the Development of Doctrine
- Liberal Misunderstanding of the Interaction between Biblical Criticism and Dogma
- Conservative Misunderstanding of the Interaction between Biblical Criticism and Dogma
- The Contribution of Critical Exegesis to an Understanding of Mary and Marian Doctrine
- Diverse New Testament Views of the Spirit—a Preliminary to Doctrinal Reflection
- The New Testament Background for the Emerging Doctrine of “Local Church”
- The Preaching Described in Acts and Early Christian Doctrinal Priorities
- Appended Notes on the Shroud of Turin
- Appended Notes on R. Laurentin’s Exegesis of the Infancy Narratives
Top Highlights
“The basic thrust of the response is that, while the Gospels are substantially historical, they are not literally historical in every word and detail. Before being written down, the gospel material passed through three stages of development which thoroughly modified it: (1) Jesus did and said things (2) which eyewitness disciples later incorporated into their preaching, and (3) still later this preaching became the source of the writers who gave us the Gospels.” (Page 13)
“Biblical hermeneutics or the search for the meaning of the Scriptures cannot be content with the literal sense (the meaning that the book had when it was first composed); it must look to the meaning that the book had when it became scriptural or part of the Bible, i.e., part of the canon.” (Page 21)
“Second, the apostles adapted Jesus’ message to the people of their time” (Page 13)
“Rahner:53 ‘The Church cannot be a debating society: it must be able to make decisions binding on all within it. Such demand cannot be a priori contrary to man’s dignity, if … he is indeed a social being. And then a supreme point at which all reflections and democratic discussions are turned into universally binding decisions cannot be without meaning.’” (Page 53)
“The maxim of Pope Pius XII (Divino Afflante Spiritu 23 [RSS 550]) remains valid: ‘Let the interpreters bear in mind that their foremost and greatest endeavor should be to discern and define clearly that sense of the biblical words which is called literal.’” (Page 23)
Raymond E. Brown was a Sulpician priest and bible scholar. He taught for many years at Saint Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore and was professor emeritus of biblical studies at the Union Theological Seminary in New York. Over his lifetime he was awarded more than dozen honorary doctorates from American and European universities and was commended by Pope Paul VI for his “learning, prudence, and Catholic regard for the Magisterium of the Church.” Brown was the author of three books in the Anchor Yale Bible series on the Gospels and Epistles of John. He died in 1998.