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