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The interpretation of Scripture has depended largely on the view of history held by theologians and exegetes. In Participatory Biblical Exegesis, Matthew Levering examines the changing views of history that distinguish patristic and medieval biblical exegesis from modern historical-critical exegesis.
Levering argues for a delicate interpretive balance, in which history is understood both as a process that participates in God’s creative and redemptive presence and as a set of linear moments. He identifies a split between theological and historical interpretations of scripture beginning in the high Middle Ages, considerably earlier than the emergence of historical-critical methods in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Instead, he offers a vision of Scripture that is rooted in the exegetical practice of St. Thomas Aquinas and his sources but embraces historical-critical research as well.
Participatory Biblical Exegesis provides an original theological basis for critical exegesis. It integrates the work of contemporary exegetes, philosophers, theologians, and historians to provide a compelling vision of biblical interpretation.
“At core, this is Levering’s notion of the participatory framework: we interpret out of the broader notion of God’s participation in human history, including God’s involvement in biblical revelation. . . . While this text is firmly written from the Roman Catholic perspective, its insights are well documented and have definite application to Protestant exegesis. It is well worth including in our broader dialogue of interpretation.” —Interpretation
Matthew Levering is the Perry Family Foundation Professor of Theology at Mundelein Seminary. He has published numerous books, including Christ’s Fulfillment of Torah and Temple: Salvation according to Thomas Aquinas (University of Notre Dame Press, 2002).