Scripture: History and Interpretation(Engaging Theology: Catholic Perspectives)

Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." What Saint Jerome said centuries ago is surely still true today; any serious theological study must be grounded in Scripture. While there are plenty of biblical scholars today, few authors are able to introduce Scripture to students the way Dianne Bergant does. Bergant invites readers to genuinely engage Scripture, to enter the world of the text and explore some of the age-old questions that arise in every generation: ' What does it mean to say that the Word of God is both divine and human? ' Why is biblical history so important to the study of Scripture and theology? ' Why are there different literary forms in the Bible? ' Why the competing voices and apparent contradictions? In language that is clear and compelling, Bergant explores the answers to these and other questions. She surveys the world of the Bible and biblical scholarship in an introduction that is sure to spark enthusiasm and further interest. This volume in the Engaging Theology series instills solid knowledge of Scripture and, thereby, knowledge of Christ, demonstrating that "the Bible is an inexhaustible source of challenge and delight, of inspiration and guidance, and a testimony to ultimate meaning and value." Dianne Bergant,CSA, is professor of biblical studies at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. She is a member and past president of the Catholic Biblical Association of America and is an active member of the Chicago Catholic/Jewish Scholars Dialogue. She has published numerous works in the area of biblical scholarship, including Lamentations in the Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries (Abingdon Press); Song of Songs in the Berit Olamseries, Collegeville Concise Glossary of Biblical Terms, and Israel's Story (Part One and Two), all published by Liturgical Press. "

Table of Contents:
Contents Editor’s Preface   vii Introduction   ix Part I: In Human Words   1 Chapter 1: Out of History   3      The Tribes of Israel   3      The Monarchy   6      Postexilic Israel   10      Hellenistic Period   12      Roman Period   15      Summary   16 Chapter 2:      In a Place   17      Shrines   18      Cities   21      Culture   23      Summary   27 Chapter 3: About God   28      Images of God   28      Covenant   35      Worship and Prayer   40      Summary   49 Chapter 4: From God  50      Revelation   51      Inspiration   53       “Fulfilled in your hearing”   54      Summary   55 Part II: What Did It Mean?   57 Chapter 5:      What Kind of Book Is It?   59      Literary Forms   59      The Canon   67      Summary   72 Chapter 6:      What Did They Believe?   73      “You will be my people”   73      “I will be your God”   78      This Age and the Age to Come   82      Canonical Form   85      “Who do you say I am?”   89      Summary   107 Part III: What Does It Mean?   109 Chapter 7:      How Did They Do It?   113      Rewriting   113      Prefigurement/Typology   114      Allegory   114      Midrash   116      Theological Interpretation  117      Summary   117 Chapter 8: How Do We Do It?   119      Author-centered Approaches   120       Text-centered Approaches   131       Reader-centered Approaches   145      Summary   156 Conclusion   158 Further Reading   160 Subject Index   162 Scripture Index   169

About the Author :
Dianne Bergant, CSA, is the Carroll Stuhlmueller, CP, Distinguished Professor of Old Testament Studies at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. She is a past president of the Catholic Biblical Association. Her many books include Scripture: History and Interpretation, the two New Collegeville Bible Commentary volumes on Psalms, and the two-volume Israel's Story, all from Liturgical Press.

Review :
I would certainly recommend this work not only for adult bible discussion groups, but also as a kind of "Cliff Notes" version of an academic Introduction to the Bible or to either Testament.Catholic Books Review Dianne Bergant's volume on Scripture is a model of the undergraduate introductory text. It synthesizes complex material clearly and concisely, and provides examples that connect to students' experience... In section one, she does a masterful job of providing a historical overview of key periods and figures, a synthesis of central dimensions of the geography and culture, a sketch of some of the central images of God and understandings of covenant and worship, and a discussion of inspiration and revelation.Horizons The publishers of this new series of studies from Collegeville, which they hope will create and sustain the passion of a new generation of theologians and church leaders, are indeed to be congratulated. Bergant's contribution should be a very useful source indeed.Review of Biblical Literature [T]his helpful volume ... addresses fundamental questions about the nature of the Bible, the Catholic conviction that it is 'God's Word in human words,' the history of Israel, of Jesus and the early community from which it emerges, the various types of literature in the Bible, and the various methods and issues in sound interpretation of the Scriptures.The Bible Today In this introduction to the Bible, Dianne Bergant provides a refreshing and accessible account of what the Bible is, the history of the Bible's composition and reception, the history it reflects, its central themes, and the manifold ways it is legitimately read from author-centered, text-centered, or reader-centered perspectives. While written in a Catholic ethos, readers across the ecumenical spectrum will profit deeply from the wisdom embodied on every page.Ralph W. Klein, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago