Catholic Bible Interpretation

Reading List

Also see Reading Lists: Catholic Bible Interpretation Methods

Verbum resources

Church documents and their commentaries

The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church
Catholic Principles for Interpreting Scripture: A Study of the Pontifical Commission’s The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church
“Catholic Church Documents related to Biblical Studies” | Felix Just, S.J.
“Biblical Interpretation in Crisis: On the Question of the Foundations and Approaches of Exegesis Today” in God’s Word: Scripture—Tradition—Office | Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger: Pope Benedict XVI

Starting points

Making Senses out of Scripture: Reading the Bible as the First Christians Did | Mark Shea
The Catholic Church and the Bible | Rev. Peter M. H. Stravinkas
You Can Understand the Bible: A Practical Guide to Each Book in the Bible | Peter Kreeft
Torah through Time | Shai Cherry
Biblical Hermeneutics: Five Views | Stanley E. Porter and Beth M. Stovell, editors.
Holy People, Holy Land: A Theological Introduction to the Bible | Michael Dauphinais and Matthew Levering

Reference works

Handbook for Biblical Interpretation: An Essential Guide to Methods, Terms, and Concepts | W. Randolph Tate
Dictionary of Major Biblical Interpreters | Donald K. McKim earlier edition Historical Handbook of Major Biblical Interpreters
Handbook of Women Biblical Interpreters: A Historical and Biographical Guide | Marion Ann Taylor and Agnes Choi

Studies

Biblical Exegesis and Church Doctrine | Raymond E. Brown, S.S.
Opening up the Scriptures: Joseph Ratzinger and the Foundations of Biblical Interpretation | José Granados, Carlos Granados, and Luis Sánchez-Navarro, eds.
Scripture and Tradition: What the Bible Really Says | Edith M. Humphreys
The Sensus Plenior of Sacred Scripture: A Dissertation | Raymond E. Brown, S.S.
Verbum Domini and the Complementarity of Exegesis and Theology | Fr. Scott Carl
The Interpretation of Scripture: In Defense of the Historical-Critical Method | Joseph A. Fitzmyer, S. J.
Feminist Interpretation of the Bible and the Hermeneutics of Liberation | Silvia Schroer and Sophia Bietenhard
Hermeneutics: An Introduction | Anthony C. Thiselton
The Hermeneutics of Doctrine | Anthony C. Thiselton
Text and History: Historiography and the Study of the Biblical Text | Jens Bruun Kofoed
Time and the Word: Figural Reading of the Christian Scriptures | Ephraim Radner
Covenant and Communion: The Biblical Theology of Pope Benedict XVI | Scott Hahn
Scripture Matters: Essays on Reading the Bible from the Heart of the Church | Scott Hahn
A General Introduction to the Study of Holy Scripture | A. E. Breen
General Introduction to the Study of the Holy Scriptures | Francis E. Gigot
The Interpretation of Dogma | International Theological Commission (Catholic Church)

Examples

‘In the Beginning …’: A Catholic Understanding of the Story of Creation and the Fall | Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger)
Jesus and the Last Supper | Brant Pitre (and other works)
Lovely, like Jerusalem: The Fulfillment of the Old Testament in Christ and the Church | Aidan Nichols, O.P.
Fulfilled in Christ: The Sacraments—A Guide to Symbols and Types in the Bible and Tradition | Fr. Devin Roza, LC

History

Biblical Interpretation in the Early Church: An Historical Introduction to Patristic Exegesis | Manlio Simonetti
The Use and Abuse of the Bible: A Brief History of Biblical Interpretation | Henry Wansbrough
Chrysostom: A Study in the History of Biblical Interpretation | Frederic Henry Chase
Alfred Loisy & Modern Biblical Studies | Jeffrey L. Morrow
Jewish Interpretation of the Bible: Ancient and Contemporary | Karin Hedner Zetterholm
Creative Biblical Exegesis: Christian and Jewish Hermeneutics through the Centuries | Benjamin Uffenheimer and Henning Graf Reventlow

Hauser and Watson series

A History of Biblical Interpretation, Volume 1: The Ancient Period | Alan J. Hauser and Duane F. Watson
A History of Biblical Interpretation, Volume 2: The Medieval through the Reformation Periods | Alan J. Hauser and Duane F. Watson

Reventlow series

History of Biblical Interpretation, Volume 1: From the Old Testament to Origen | Henning Graf Reventlow
History of Biblical Interpretation, Volume 2: From Late Antiquity to the End of the Middle Ages | Henning Graf Reventlow
History of Biblical Interpretation, Volume 3: Renaissance, Reformation, Humanism | Henning Graf Reventlow
History of Biblical Interpretation, Volume 4: From the Enlightenment to the Twentieth Century | Henning Graf Reventlow

Hughes Oliphant Old series

The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church, Volume 1: The Biblical Period | Hughes Oliphant Old
The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church, Volume 2: The Patristic Age | Hughes Oliphant Old
The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church, Volume 3: The Medieval Church | Hughes Oliphant Old
The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church, Volume 4: The Age of the Reformation | Hughes Oliphant Old
The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church, Volume 5: Moderatism, Pietism, and Awakening | Hughes Oliphant Old
The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church, Volume 6: The Modern Age | Hughes Oliphant Old
The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church, Volume 7: Our Own Time | Hughes Oliphant Old

Bibliographies

An Introductory Bibliography for the Study of Scripture | Joseph A. Fitzmyer, S.J.
“Reading Lists: Bible Researcher’s Bibliography of Biblical Interpretation” | use with caution

Online resources

“How to Read the Bible” | Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia
“How to Read Your Bible” | Bishop Kallistos Ware
“How to Study the Bible” | George Barbary

Physical books

Liturgy and Biblical Interpretation: The Sanctus and the Qedushah. Sebastian Selven. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2021.
Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls: Revealing the Jewish Roots of Christianity. John Bergsma. Image, 2019
Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper. Brant Pitre and Scott Hahn. Image, 2016.
Medieval Exegesis: The Four Senses of Scripture. Henri du Lubac. Eerdmans, 1998/2000/2009

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