Continuing Seminar:                                                     Theological Exegesis

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Description

This seminar provides a platform for meaningful dialogue on theological exegesis, engaging primarily with Catholic scholars while fostering collaboration with other Christian traditions. Building on a century of diverse historical-literary analyses, many Catholic interpreters, alongside colleagues from other confessions, recognize the readiness of the scholarly community to embark on an academic theological reading of biblical texts. This endeavor, guided by the principle of fides quaerens intellectum draws on the foundational work of the Pontifical Biblical Commission’s 1993 document, The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church. Our discussions will focus on examining the hermeneutical presuppositions underlying this approach, evaluating past and ongoing efforts, and exploring methodologies that are both innovative and academically robust. This seminar invites participants to contribute to this evolving conversation with insights that reflect the richness of their scholarly and confessional contexts.

Seminar Leaders in 2026

• Antonio Portalatín, Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
  Ahida Pilarski, Saint Anselm College

Program Details for 2026

Focus: Biblical Literal Sense 

Presenter: Séamus O'Connell, St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, Ireland
"'They invent foolish tales of their own": Protecting the "literal sense" in the Antiochene Critique of Alexandrian Biblical Interpretation."

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Presenter: Andrew Geist, Providence College, RI
"The Literal Sense of the Literal Sense: Contemporary Efforts to Retain or Recover the Idea."

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Presenter:  Discussion of literature (It will be sent to the participants or interested in the Seminar)

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  History

• 2025

  • Ahida Pilarski, Saint Anselm College
    "Historical Trajectory of Catholic Biblical Interpretation" (Saint Anselm College)

    Abstract: This initial presentation provides an overview of the significant epistemological, ontological, and linguistic shifts that have shaped biblical interpretation since modernity. By engaging briefly with the works of Hans-Georg Gadamer and Paul Ricoeur—two pivotal figures referenced in the Pontifical Biblical Commission's 1993 document—the presentation traces their philosophical influence on the historical development of Catholic biblical interpretation. Emphasizing the interplay between modern hermeneutical theories and Catholic exegetical practices, the seminar situates these shifts within broader theological and interpretive frameworks, offering insights for the future of biblical studies.

    Reading for Conversation:

    Senior, Donald. “Interpreting the Scriptures: The Church and the Modern Catholic Biblical Renewal.” In The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. 3rd Fully Revised Edition. Eds. Collins, John, Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid, and Donald Senior. London and New York: T&T Clark, 2022. 1923-1949.

  •  Antonio Portalatin, Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
    "Perspectives of theological interpretation from the PBC 1993's document." 

    Abstract: The 1993’s PBC document “The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church” continues to be a point of reference —although, perhaps, there is the need of a new one—in Catholic biblical hermeneutics. Taking it as a departing point, we want to explore some initiatives in theological exegesis in order to have a conversation on the status of theological exegesis today in general, but particularly in the Catholic academia.

    Reading for Conversation:

    Matera, Frank J. “The Bible in the Life of the Church.” In The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. 3rd Fully Revised Edition. Eds. Collins, John, Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid, and Donald Senior. London and New York: T&T Clark, 2022. 2084-2107. 

  • Discussion of texts: From Sandra Schneider's The Revelatory Text; from Emmanuel Levinas' "Interpretation in the Face of the Other." After the discussion, there will be a collaborative conversation to finalize next year's program.

    Readings for Conversation:

    1) Schneiders, Sandra M. The Revelatory Text: Interpreting the New Testament as Sacred Scripture. 2nd ed. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 1999. "Introduction."

    2) McLean, Bradley H. Biblical Interpretation & Philosophical Hermeneutics. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 2012. Chapter 11: “Interpretation before the Face of the Other: Emmanuel Levinas.”