Letter and Spirit, Vol. 3 - The Hermeneutic of Continuity

Product Description

The Hermeneutic of Continuity - what does this mean? The word hermeneutic (her-mah-noo-tik) means "a method of interpretation". The word continuity means "continuation without change". Together, the words mean that an in-depth study of a topic - such as a book of the Bible - can only be complete when you take into consideration the meaning of the whole. In short, it means to consider things within context.

This is the third annual volume of the remarkably popular journal of biblical theology edited by Dr. Scott Hahn. Letter & Spirit takes a crucial step toward recovering the fundamental link between the literary and historical study of Scripture and its religious and spiritual meaning in the Church’s liturgy and Tradition. This volume features important contributions by Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, and Cardinal Avery Dulles. Also included are original and thought-provoking contributions on such topics as: the biblical basis of indulgences; feminine and maternal images of the Holy Spirit in early Christianity; and the "image of God" doctrine in St. Thomas Aquinas' writings. Hahn contributes a deep exploration of how the Gospel of Luke portrays Christ as the Davidic Messiah and the Church as the restoration of the Davidic kingdom.

From the Introduction

The hermeneutic of continuity is hardly a term of art in biblical theology. In fact, as near as we can tell the term itself is of fairly recent vintage, perhaps originating from the deliberations of the Synod of Bishops in 1985.

The synod had been convened to discuss the reception and interpretation of the Second Vatican Council (1963 - 1965). The synod fathers were disturbed by a tendency in the post-conciliar era for theologians and pastoral leaders to interpret Vatican II"s teachings as marking a sharp break or departure from the teachings of earlier Church councils. To the contrary, they affirmed that by its very nature the Council stands in an unbroken line of continuity with the whole of the Church's doctrinal, liturgical, and moral tradition.

The actual expression, "hermeneutic of continuity," did not appear in the synod's final report. But the principle was crisply stated: "The Council must be understood in continuity with the great tradition of the church, and at the same time we must receive light from the Council's own doctrine for today’s Church and the men of our time. The Church is one and the same throughout all the councils."

For us, the hermeneutic of continuity describes something more than the officially preferred way of reading Vatican II. The hermeneutic of continuity is in fact the original and authentic Christian approach to understanding and interpreting divine revelation in general and sacred Scripture in particular.

Read the complete introduction.

Table of Contents

Contributors
Editors' Introduction

Articles

The Impression of the Figure: To Know Jesus as Christ -Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, O.P. Read an excerpt.

The Church and the Kingdom: A Study of their Relationship in Scripture, Tradition, and Evangelization - Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J.

Reedeem Your Sins by the Giving of Alms: Sin, Debt, and the “Treasury of Merit” in Early Jewish and Christian Tradition - Gary A. Anderson

Sonship, Sacrifice, and Satisfaction: The Divine Friendship in Aquinas and the Renewal of Christian Anthropology - Romanus Cessario, O.P.

Divine Liturgy, Divine Love: Toward a New Understanding of Sacrifice in Christian Worship - David W. Fagerberg

Christ, Kingdom, and Creation: Davidic Christology and Ecclesiology in Luke-Acts - Scott W. Hahn

Notes

Covenant and the Union of Love in M. J. Scheeben’s Theology of Marriage - Michael Waldstein

Rebuilding the Bridge Between Theology and Exegesis: Scripture, Doctrine, and Apostolic Legitimacy - R. R. Reno

Tradition & Traditions

Feminine-Maternal Images of the Spirit in Early Syriac Tradition - Emmanuel Kaniyamparampil, O.C.D.

Seven Theses on Christology and the Hermeneutic of Faith - Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger / Pope Benedict XVI

Reviews & Notices

See also:
Letter and Spirit, Vol. 1 - Word, Worship, and the Mysteries
Letter and Spirit, Vol. 2 - The Authority of Mystery
Letter and Spirit - From Written Text to Living Word in the Liturgy
Letter and Spirit, Vol. 4 - Temple and Contemplation God's Presence in the Cosmos, Church, and Human Heart
Letter and Spirit, Vol. 5 - Liturgy and Empire - Faith in Exile and Political Theology