Religion Chapter 2
Explain an important difference between a literal and a literalist reading of the Bible
4. The literal interpretation considers what the author intended to convey. For example, an author writing "It's raining cats and dogs" has used a figure of speech to tell the reader "It's raining hard." But a literalist interpretation takes into account only the exact meaning of the words without considering any other factors. By this measure, "It's raining cats and dogs" means that cats and dogs are falling from the sky.
. Allegory
A protracted story in which elements of a story stand for moral qualities or spiritual realities
. Fable
A short story in which animals speak like humans
Law
A standard of behavior established by authority
. Riddle
A statement that teases the mind requiring thought and application
. Parable
A story which conveys religious truths
. Etiology
A story which reveals the reason why something is the way it is
What is the critical interpretation of Sacred Scripture? What are some examples of questions it seeks to answer?
Critical interpretation, or exegesis, means studying the passages in depth in order to learn what God is revealing. Exegesis requires that you ask questions such as these: ● What is the type, or literary genre, of writing? What does this tell me about how to understand the text's content? ● What occurred historically at the time this was written that might shed light on what this passage means? ● Who first wrote this material? ● How did these texts come to be in the Scriptures? ● How was this material gathered and edited? ● If any changes were made, why were they made?
True or False? Historical criticism identifies literary genres and seeks to determine how each biblical book took shape in the period of oral tradition before the authors put it into writing.
False. Form criticism identifies literary genres and seeks to determine how each biblical book took shape in the period of oral tradition before the authors put it into writing
What type of biblical criticism is being used? Example 2: In addition to the Gospel of Mark, both Matthew and Luke seem to have shared another source typically referred to as "Q" source.
Source criticism.
What is Vulgate? What is its significance?
St. Jerome's fourth-century translation of the Bible from Greek to Latin, known as the Vulgate, was the Church's official translation for many centuries
Why does the Catholic Church welcome and encourage the research of historians and scientists?
The Catholic Church welcomes and encourages the research of historians and scientists because "truth does not contradict truth"—scientific evidence does not conflict with religious beliefs
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, what does it mean to seek the literal sense of Sacred Scripture?
The Magisterium and Catholic Scripture scholars search for the literal meaning or literal sense of the biblical text. "The literal sense is the meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture and discovered by exegesis, following the rules of sound interpretation
What are there so many English translations of the Bible? In what languages was teh Bible written?
The nature of the original languages is the primary reason for the variety. The authors of the Old Testament wrote in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.
What does mean to say the Bible is the Inherrant Word of God?
The product is the inerrant ("without error") Word of God.
Why is the Bible relevant to you?
the biblical authors do not address all modern issues, but they do address common human emotions and dynamics that transcend time. In addition, the Bible is relevant because you are not simply reading words that God "once said." Instead, God speaks to you directly now through the Bible
Explain what it means to say that God inspired the writers of the Bible
"inspiration" means that while God is the true author of the Bible, he worked through many different human authors to reveal himself. God inspired human authors to write those truths that are necessary for your Salvation, and to do so without error.
Explain the meaning of the word canon
The word canon comes from the Hebrew for "measure"; in this case, it refers to the standard list of books recognized by a religious community to be genuine and inspired
In summary, what are the four senses of Scripture?
(1.) The literal sense helps you understand what the biblical authors intended to communicate to their audiences. (2.) The allegorical sense teaches what individual passages mean in the larger context of Salvation History. (3.) The moral sense teaches you how to live your life. (4.) The anagogical sense reminds you where you are going, building up the virtue of hope while leading you to Heaven.
Explain the focus of redaction criticism.
. An expert using redaction criticism focuses on the editor or editors who collected and arranged sources in a biblical chapter or book. Redaction criticism also tries to determine how a given biblical author's theology or understanding of God influenced the way that he organized the material. (
True or False? The Bible's literal senses depend on the spiritual sense achieved by good exegetical work.
. False. The Bible's spiritual senses depend on the literal sense achieved by good exegetical work
What type of biblical criticism is being used? Example 3: For Jews, a "Sabbath day's journey" was the equivalent of approximately 2000 cubits.
. Historical criticism.
What is the meaning of this quote from Dei Verbum: "Sacred Scripture must be read and interpreted in the light of the same Spirit by whom it was written?"
. In other words, if you want to understand the Bible, you must ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit while reading it.
Why should prayer always accompany your growing knowledge or Scripture?
. Prayer should always accompany your growing knowledge of Scripture so that, through Scripture, you can talk with God and God can talk with you.
What type of biblical criticism is being used? Example 1: An important theme in the Gospel According to St. Matthew is that Jesus is the new Moses.
. Redaction criticism
What is an integral part of every Mass and all sacraments?
. Scripture readings
History
. The development of a people
What do scholars believe happened to the Ark of the Covenant?
. The scholarly consensus is that the Babylonians destroyed the Ark and melted it down for its gold.
Briefly explain the objectives of historical criticism.
. Using historical criticism, Scripture experts try to determine the historical and cultural context of the biblical text. Historical criticism uses archaeological and historical research to discover more about the time period in which a text was written. (
What is the goal of source criticism?
... to find out where biblical material came from.
Creed
.A statement of religious beliefs Creed
Geneology
A record of one's lineage
What is one of the Magisterium's responsibilities?
One of the Magisterium's responsibilities is to identify the truths of the Faith revealed in Sacred Scripture and explain how they relate to academic scientific and historical research.
Explain how Catholics and Protestants differ in the way they refer to the seven Greek books of the Bible
Sometimes you will find a Protestant Bible that also contains the seven Greek books; they are usually put in the back of the Bible in a section called the apocrypha. Catholics call the seven Greek books deuterocanonical, which means "second canon," to acknowledge that they are not part of the Jewish canon
T or F, God respected the freedom of the human writers, but in every case, the Holy Spirit guided the author to the truth
True
T or F, THe Church discerned the inspired books for the Bible through her Sacred Tradition.
True
True or False? Scientific research and Christian faith do not contradict one other; they neither prove nor disprove one another
True
Prophecy
An idea that mirrors God's will
What are the three ways of interpreting Scripture in accordance with the Holy Spirit?
FIRST, read specific passages with the whole content and unity of Scripture in mind. SECOND, "read the Scripture within 'the living Tradition of the whole Church'" (CCC, 113). THIRD, pay attention to the analogy of faith: the unity "of the truths of the faith among themselves and within the whole plan of Revelation"
T or F, The Catholic Church teaches that God dictated the Bible to the authors
False. The Catholic Church does not teach that God dictated the Bible to the authors, but rather that he worked through them as they wrote, collected, and edited the biblical books.