What do you think?
Rate this book
Scripture: Dei Verbum
An important addition to the Rediscovering Vatican II series, this book by noted biblical scholar, writer, and teacher Ronald Witherup explores Vatican II's teaching on Scripture, embodied in Dei Verbum, The Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation. Writing with the lay person in mind, the author recounts how Dei Verbum came into being, especially the battles that were fought to bring it to light. The book summarizes in popular format the content and significance of this dogmatic constitution, with an eye toward showing its far-reaching influence on contemporary biblical studies. For those who wish to read further, the author provides an annotated bibliography. ―is the most succinct and focused presentation on a Catholic approach to the Bible currently available ―addresses in detail the current controversies that will shape the future ―is a convenient digest and commentary on the constitution †
176 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2006
15 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 30, 2024
Dei Verbum is Vatican II’s document of roughly 5000 words which sets out the official position of the Catholic Church which regard to Revelation, Scripture and Tradition. The document went through about seven drafts (including 2 before the council even began) as it navigated the ‘long and tortuous’ (p2) process of agreement which stretched from the very beginning of the council to its final session, three years later.
The document is important because it sets out the Church’s position on matters such as biblical truth, inerrancy, inspiration and the relationship of Scripture to Tradition. However the need for compromise means that the document is not always as clear as it could have been, so there are genuine difficulties of interpretation which this book identifies and explains well.
But some of the explanations in this book are a little simplistic, and the book leans towards over stressing the contrasts and changes which Vatican II brought about. For example, the book states that ‘Prior to Vatican II, Catholics had been warned away from reading the Bible on their own’ (p52). This makes Vatican II’s recommendation of bible reading look particularly novel and revolutionary.
But that contrast is hard to sustain when we bear in mind that Pope Leo XIII issued an indulgence in 1898 to encourage Catholics to read the bible for at least 15 minutes a day. That doesn’t sound like ‘warning away’ from reading the bible prior to Vatican II. Yes, Catholic engagement with the bible was not all it could have been prior to Vatican II, and yes Vatican II helped to improve matters, but it is misleading to represent this as a formal change of position. It was more of an adding impetus to ideas which were already present.
Another overly sharp distinction occurs when we are told that ‘one Sunday the Mass was in Latin and the priest had his back to the people; the next Sunday it was in English and the priest was facing the people’ (p.65). The decision to use more English in the mass occurred in the first session of Vatican II, in 1962 and there were nine years of gradual introduction of English before the rite formally changed in 1971. While there may have been the kind of sharp contrast which the book talks about in some places, that wasn't necessarily true of all places.
Overall the book does well to identify the key ideas and key points of controversy in Dei Verbum. But it is also occasionally prone to black and white contrasts, where the reality is a more messy and complicated tone of grey, which it would have been helpful to explain more fully.
The document is important because it sets out the Church’s position on matters such as biblical truth, inerrancy, inspiration and the relationship of Scripture to Tradition. However the need for compromise means that the document is not always as clear as it could have been, so there are genuine difficulties of interpretation which this book identifies and explains well.
But some of the explanations in this book are a little simplistic, and the book leans towards over stressing the contrasts and changes which Vatican II brought about. For example, the book states that ‘Prior to Vatican II, Catholics had been warned away from reading the Bible on their own’ (p52). This makes Vatican II’s recommendation of bible reading look particularly novel and revolutionary.
But that contrast is hard to sustain when we bear in mind that Pope Leo XIII issued an indulgence in 1898 to encourage Catholics to read the bible for at least 15 minutes a day. That doesn’t sound like ‘warning away’ from reading the bible prior to Vatican II. Yes, Catholic engagement with the bible was not all it could have been prior to Vatican II, and yes Vatican II helped to improve matters, but it is misleading to represent this as a formal change of position. It was more of an adding impetus to ideas which were already present.
Another overly sharp distinction occurs when we are told that ‘one Sunday the Mass was in Latin and the priest had his back to the people; the next Sunday it was in English and the priest was facing the people’ (p.65). The decision to use more English in the mass occurred in the first session of Vatican II, in 1962 and there were nine years of gradual introduction of English before the rite formally changed in 1971. While there may have been the kind of sharp contrast which the book talks about in some places, that wasn't necessarily true of all places.
Overall the book does well to identify the key ideas and key points of controversy in Dei Verbum. But it is also occasionally prone to black and white contrasts, where the reality is a more messy and complicated tone of grey, which it would have been helpful to explain more fully.
Displaying 1 of 1 review