The word of god at vatican ii - Catherine Upchurch study guide
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study guide
the word of god
at vatican ii
Catherine Upchurch
A ministry of the Diocese of Little Rock
in partnership with Liturgical PressdiOcesE OF little rock
2500 North Tyler Street • P.O. Box 7565 • Little Rock, Arkansas 72217 • (501) 664-0340 Fax (501) 664-6304
Dear Friends in Christ,
The role of Sacred Scripture in the life of the church is
beautifully articulated in one of the foundational docu-
ments of the Second Vatican Council, Dei Verbum. The em-
phasis on the central role of Scripture in the life of faith is
a timeless message that continues to be relevant in each
generation.
As we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Council,
we continue to see signs that the Good News remains one
of the best tools for evangelization and conversion. In 1974,
the ministry of Little Rock Scripture Study took up the call
of the Council to apply the message of salvation to the
modern world. In celebration of these anniversaries, we
offer a short but engaging study of Dei Verbum.
I am pleased to present this study guide from Little Rock
Scripture Study to serve as an aid for thoughtful reflection
in your understanding and prayerful reading of Scripture.
It is my hope that as you study this important church teach-
ing, you will grow in your appreciation of our tradition.
May the Word of God empower you as Christians to live
a life worthy of your call as a child of God and a member
of the body of Christ.
Sincerely in Christ,
W Anthony B. Taylor
Bishop of Little RockInvitation
The year 2014 marks forty years since the first gathering of a Little
Rock Scripture Study group. This initial effort emerged as a local re-
sponse to the growing hunger for the word of God that was generated
by the Second Vatican Council. It was a work of the Holy Spirit. One
of the council’s primary documents, Dei Verbum (Dogmatic Constitu-
tion on Divine Revelation), gave rise to a new generation of Catholics
who were eager to delve into the Scriptures, to study and pray with
them, and to live boldly in response to the truth they discovered there.
This Study Guide and the accompanying commentary The Word of
God at Vatican II: Exploring Dei Verbum by Ronald D. Witherup, SS, will
allow you to explore what has become foundational and life-giving
teaching that shapes our Catholic understanding of Scripture. Along
the way, especially in Lessons Two and Three, you will also work with
select Scripture passages to further your appreciation of Scripture,
for the church’s encouragement since the council stresses that “access
to sacred scripture ought to be widely available to the Christian faith-
ful” (Dei Verbum 22).
Instructions
MATERIALS FOR THE STUDY
• This Study Guide: The Word of God at Vatican II
• Commentary: The Word of God at Vatican II: Exploring Dei Verbum,
by Ronald D. Witherup, SS (Liturgical Press, 2014). This book
includes a translation of the document itself, along with back-
ground information and insightful commentary.
34 Instructions
• Bible: We highly recommend the Little Rock Catholic Study Bible
(Liturgical Press), although any version of the New American
Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE), or the New Jerusalem Bible will
suffice. Paraphrased editions are discouraged as they offer little,
if any, help when facing textual questions.
Note: Insure that all group members receive the Study Guide and
commentary (known as a Study Set) prior to the first session.
WEEKLY SESSIONS
Each week’s lesson corresponds to materials provided in the com-
mentary as well as occasional Scripture passages used to illustrate
and reflect on the teachings of Dei Verbum.
Session 1—A brief history of Dei Verbum
Session 2—Dei Verbum, paragraphs 1–13
Session 3—Dei Verbum, paragraphs 14–26
Session 4—Ongoing interpretation and the fruits of Dei Verbum
ELEMENTS OF STUDY
This short course of study will be most effective if you include these
essential elements:
• Daily Prayer and Personal Study
• Weekly Group Prayer
• Weekly Small-Group Discussion and Faith Sharing
Daily Prayer and Personal Study
Plan to spend about twenty minutes a day in prayerful study for
each lesson. The Study Guide will direct you to read the assigned
pages of the commentary and the occasional assigned Scripture
passages, and respond to a few questions each day.
As you start each week’s assigned reading, take the time to begin
first in prayer, asking God to guide you in your comprehension
and understanding. Invite the Holy Spirit to open your mind and
heart to God’s word and the church’s teachings about the role of
God’s word in our lives.Instructions 5 Some of the Study Guide questions are objective and will help ensure that you are focusing on and understanding the important points of Dei Verbum. Other questions are more likely to help you reflect on how the church’s approach to Scripture has shaped your own appreciation for Scripture. Still other questions will help you explore Scripture itself as you apply what you are learning to the way you understand and act in faith. Weekly Group Prayer You are encouraged to spend five to ten minutes of your weekly group gathering praying together using a simple method known as conversational prayer. The steps of conversational prayer are found on the inside front cover of this Study Guide. You may also view a video about this form of prayer: http://www.littlerock scripture.org/training/video.html?t=3. The group facilitator may lead the first step by reading a short passage of Scripture or using silent time inviting Jesus to be a part of your group. Then the group members can share their own simple prayers of thanksgiving, petition, and intercession. After the time of prayer, the group discussion will begin. Using a conversational form of prayer, with simple and brief state- ments, will help to create an appropriate atmosphere for learning and faith sharing. Weekly Small-Group Discussion and Faith Sharing Participants gather in small groups (ideally eight to twelve people) to pray together (as above), to discuss what they are learning, and to begin to explore how their learning may affect their faith and practice. Plan to spend forty-five to fifty minutes in discussion after the group prayer. The questions in the Study Guide will provide a framework for the discussion and allow the group to clarify and think critically about the topics under discussion. God’s presence in the group assures that this learning is not simply a matter of acquiring information but also allowing for transformation.
SESSION 1
A Brief History of Dei Verbum
THE WORD OF GOD AT VATICAN II: EXPLORING DEI VERBUM,
PAGES 1–16
Day 1
1. Has your own familiarity with the Bible changed over the course
of your lifetime? In what noticeable ways?
2. In your lifetime, how has the church’s use of Scripture helped you
to appreciate the gift of God’s revelation?
3. List a few things you know about the Second Vatican Council
either from personal recollection or from having read or heard
about it.
Day 2
4. Why is Vatican II referred to as an “ecumenical” council?
5. What is the significance of enthroning the Book of the Gospels at
the council sessions and of issuing the document on Scripture
(Dei Verbum) as a dogmatic constitution?
6. In the process of issuing Dei Verbum in its current form, what role
was played by Pope John XXIII and by Pope Paul VI?
Day 3
7. Generally, how did the final document that was promulgated by
the council differ in tone from the earliest schema that was sub-
mitted for consideration?
8. When comparing the first schema and the final document, what
four differences are highlighted in the commentary used for this
course?
9. What is the connection between the sixteenth-century Council
of Trent and the content of the Bible as we have it today?
6Session 1—A Brief History of Dei Verbum 7
8 Session 1—A Brief History of Dei Verbum
Day 4
10. Review the chart on pages 11–12 of the commentary comparing
the teachings about Scripture from the councils of Trent, Vatican
I, and Vatican II. What stands out to you about Vatican II?
11. What scholarly advances did Pope Leo XIII begin to address in
his 1893 encyclical Providentissimus Deus?
12. How did Pope Pius XII open the door to wider use of scholarship
in biblical studies?
Day 5
13. What is meant by the term “biblical exegesis”? And how does this
differ from “eisegesis”? (See glossary.)
14. How would the use of sound scholarship found in biblical foot-
notes and well-researched commentaries help readers avoid the
dangers of eisegesis (seeing in a text something that is not there)?
15. The 1964 document Sancta Mater Ecclesia affirmed the truth of the
gospels while at the same time taught that the gospels cannot be
understood as strictly eyewitness accounts.
a) List the three levels of tradition or steps of the process that
produced the gospels.
b) How does this double affirmation help you to approach the
gospels and understand their purpose?
Day 6
16. What was the value of the bishops and expert advisors at the
Second Vatican Council returning to earlier sources of our tradi-
tion as they crafted their teachings?
17. How does a review of the historical influences on Dei Verbum (and
Vatican II in general) help prepare you to read and appreciate the
church’s teachings?Session 1—A Brief History of Dei Verbum 9
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