There is broad support today for the idea that biblical scholarship ought to be informed by the faith of the Church and serve the life of the Church. In a word, it should be ecclesial. There is far less agreement, however, when one asks how this goal is to be achieved and what ecclesial exegesis ought to look like. In 1988, Joseph Ratzinger put forth his "Method C" proposal, calling for the development of a new exegetical and hermeneutical synthesis. This would be neither a retreat to the patristic-medieval approach (Method A) nor the continued hegemony of the historical-critical approach (Method B). The latter must be purified of its positivism through a transformational encounter with the former, so that the gifts of both might be released for the life of the Church. Such a synthesis, Ratzinger claimed, would require the philosophical, theological, exegetical, and hermeneutical work of "at least a whole generation" of scholars. Gregory Vall has devoted over thirty years to the development of ecclesial exegesis, and the present volume represents the mature fruit of his labor. Over against those who treat Dei Verbum as Vatican II's endorsement of the historical-critical method, he demonstrates that the dogmatic constitution actually points to something very much like Ratzinger's Method C. Employing a dialogic movement between the inductive-exegetical and the deductive-dogmatic, Vall offers nine studies that bring to the surface issues such as the relationship between Old Testament and New Testament, literal sense and spiritual sense, and Scripture and Tradition. While Vall brings theological knowledge and hermeneutical skill to the quest for Method C, he also provides a great deal of valuable exegesis of both testaments. Ecclesial Exegesis is not simply another book of theory. It demonstrates how Method C can be done.

Those who wish to interpret and understand the Bible face a fundamental question: How do I interpret Scripture faithfully? Theological interpretation is an approach that has received much attention in recent years, and R. R. Reno is a leading practitioner and proponent of this approach. In The End of Interpretation, Reno's first full statement on the topic, he argues that Scripture is interpreted correctly only when it is read through the lens of creedal orthodoxy--that is, through the apostolic faith. The principle of accordance between doctrine and Scripture is of first importance for solid Christian interpretation. Reno provides a simple explanation of this multifaceted approach. He wrestles with what makes interpretation "theological" and provides two historical case studies, discussing Origen and the Reformation debate over justification. He then demonstrates what theological interpretation looks like in practice, reflecting on Genesis 1, John 17, and 1 Corinthians. Reno's insights will benefit serious readers who seek to interpret Scripture faithfully.

Henri De Lubac's work on medieval exegesis and his ecclesiological works are too often studied in isolation from each other. In countering this tendency, Susan Wood argues that de Lubac's work on spiritual exegesis is ultimately not about biblical exegesis and the four different meanings of the text but instead is intimately related to issues within the life of the church. Standing as the only study of de Lubac that interprets his theology through the categories of medieval exegesis, this volume provides the intellectual tools for thinking about a theology of history, a theology of symbol and sacrament, and a theology of the church's relationship to Christ and the Eucharist. Including an extensive bibliography of the primary and most important secondary sources of the theology of de Lubac, this study attributes the organic unity found in de Lubac's work to his immersion in the principles of spiritual exegesis and interprets his ecclesiology in the light of these principles.

Notable Catholic interpreters of Scripture discern the guiding values of biblical interpretation at the brink of a new era for the church. Under the influence of Benedict XVI and Francis, Roman Catholics, whether lay or religious, have found renewed interest in studying sacred Scripture. Yet the church has also grown and faces new challenges in the new millennium. What does the future of Catholic biblical interpretation look like? And how ought the church’s rich heritage of biblical interpretation continue to influence it? This volume collects essays by some of the most influential voices in Catholic biblical scholarship today. Covering a variety of topics, from the Old Testament to the New Testament and biblical theology, the essays are united by a common goal: to hear the word of God and proclaim and apply it within the church. The authors pay special tribute to Marie-Joseph Lagrange. This nineteenth-century French Dominican led the way in blending critical methodology with respect for the Church’s authority in order to put scriptural study in service to the good of souls. Featuring diverse and authentically Catholic perspectives, The Future of Catholic Biblical Interpretation represents fresh purpose and direction for the church’s long and fruitful tradition of exegesis.

Christianity Today Book Award Winner This work argues that the heart of patristic exegesis is the attempt to find the sacramental reality (real presence) of Christ in the Old Testament Scriptures. Leading theologian Hans Boersma discusses numerous sermons and commentaries of the church fathers to show how they regarded Christ as the treasure hidden in the field of the Old Testament and explains that the church today can and should retrieve the sacramental reading of the early church. Combining detailed scholarly insight with clear, compelling prose, this book makes a unique contribution to contemporary interest in theological interpretation.

What role do varied understandings of the church play in the doctrine and interpretation of Scripture? In The Church’s Book, Brad East explores recent accounts of the Bible and its exegesis in modern theology and traces the differences made by divergent, and sometimes opposed, theological accounts of the church. Surveying first the work of Karl Barth, then that of John Webster, Robert Jenson, and John Howard Yoder (following an excursus on interpreting Yoder’s work in light of his abuse), East delineates the distinct understandings of Scripture embedded in the different traditions that these notable scholars represent. In doing so, he offers new insight into the current impasse between Christians in their understandings of Scripture—one determined far less by hermeneutical approaches than by ecclesiological disagreements. East’s study is especially significant amid the current prominence of the theological interpretation of Scripture, which broadly assumes that the Bible ought to be read in a way that foregrounds confessional convictions and interests. As East discusses in the introduction to his book, that approach to Scripture cannot be separated from questions of ecclesiology—in other words, how we interpret the Bible theologically is dependent upon the context in which we interpret it.

As the Protestant Reformers did, so twenty-first-century Christians also recognize the need to distinguish between the true and false church. Thus, they find themselves looking closely at the modern church to determine whether it is a true and faithful church. Today’s Christians know that proper criteria are necessary to discern the true church. The most common criteria, wrote John Calvin, are that the Word of God is rightly preached and heard and that the sacraments are administered according to Christ’s institution. Moreover, Martin Luther said that suffering is a telltale sign of God’s people, while Anabaptist and Reformed Christians included discipline among the distinguishing marks of the church. These standards take on particular poignancy today: The global church continues to live under severe persecution, and the American church, characterized by a lack of discipline, has been wounded by its own sins of chasing sex and power. In this collection of essays, first given at annual meetings of the Evangelical Theological Society, the authors take time to reflect on the Reformational marks of the church in order to help reform Christ’s bride. With contributions from: Edward W. Klink III Duane Litfin J. Stephen Yuille J. V. Fesko Keith D. Stanglin Greg Cochran Jeremy M. Kimble Guy Waters Justin L. McLendon