Since before the parting of the ways, those who would be called Christian have debated the proper way to interpret Scripture. While the Alexandrian and Antiochene schools may have been synthesized in the medieval quadriga, the historical critical methods of the enlightenment have challenged the status quo. In his Erasmus lecture, then Cardinal Ratzinger proposed his own synthesis of the historical and theological methods. This lecture and his “Method C” exegetical proposal have been influential in forming the perspectives of today’s students and needs to be understood and set within a broader historical and theological synthesis.

This colloquium aims to critique and carry on Ratzinger’s work of integrating historical and theological exegesis through gathering established leaders in this exegetical approach with emerging scholars implementing these methods in seminary and undergraduate contexts. The ultimate goal of this colloquium is a published handbook of exegesis accessible to all levels of higher education addressing valid criticisms of historical critical methods while articulating ways that these tools have ongoing utility in concert with theological exegesis. The tone will be constructive, providing an overview of major historical developments and figures as well as exemplary applications of exegesis fluent in both historical and theological modes.

The agenda animating this project affirms that the close analysis of texts and historical contexts of Scripture in pre-modern exegesis are compatible with many modern methods of exegesis, along with an acknowledgement that historical-critical and theological exegetical methods are subject to limitations that careful integration of the approaches can ameliorate. Far too often, advocates of separation between the academy’s historical-critical exegesis and the church’s theological interpretation impoverish students who come to the academic study of Scripture out of a desire to strengthen the foundations of their faith. Whether through a disillusionment with faith born of a rigorous rejection of theological readings or a fideistic avoidance of exegetical methods employed by skeptical scholars, ignorance of the long integration of historical and theological exegesis in late antiquity, the medieval era, and its retrieval in the present era, stunts the formation of exegetes for the church and the academy.

Despite permission for and promotion of the historical methods by the Church, studentsfollowing popular scholars within the field–recoil from the fruits of the historical methods, especially when they challenge the conclusions of patristic and medieval exegetes or their own previous catechesis. The tone of the conference is an apology for the historical methods congruent with Church teaching, while attempting to situate those methods within the theological tradition of the Church.

The scope of this project will include papers focused on the exegesis of the Old Testament, New Testament, and Deuterocanonical texts of the Bible that integrate historical and theological modes of exegesis, studies of individual figures of late antiquity and the medieval era who exemplify an integration of historical and theological exegesis, and methodological essays critiquing the methodologies and/or proposing ways to integrate them. Historical essays about Ratzinger and his influences, critiques of his methodology, and evaluations of his exegetical works also fit within the scope, as do papers on the theology of the Bible (inspiration, inerrancy, etc.) which must make reference to historical and exegetical factors. Further papers proposing means of integrating historical and theological exegesis in practice and in pedagogy are also welcome. The organizers will edit these papers into a volume that will be useful in the classroom.

For conference details, click here.