Synopses & Reviews
Jean-Louis Chrétien's collection of essays and speeches on reading sacred scripture is enriched by his immersion in the classics of ancient philosophy and theology, as well as the imaginative creativity and sensibility of a poet. He is just as likely to quote Claudel as Aquinas or Origen. His intimate acquaintance with patristic writings combines with a sympathetic understanding of such Protestant sources as Luther, Calvin, and Barth, yielding an admirably ecumenical perspective on the Bible. The title refers to the passage in the Epistle of James (1:23-24) concerning the Word of God as a mirror into which one gazes. The concomitant notion of not only examining the text itself but actually being examined by the Word is a fruitful trope for learning how to be more fully nourished by one's study of the Bible. The Great Conversation of author and reader that is the stuff of great secular literature thus plays itself out in Chrétien's vision as a rich sacred dialogue between readers and their Author-Maker. He also makes particularly profitable use of Kierkegaard and St. Augustine as he explores topics such as the teachability of the bishop as teacher (like Chaucer's clerk, he would "gladly learn" before he can "gladly teach") and productively meditates on the biblical doctrines of joy, hope, and witness/testimony (for which there is but one word in French).
Review
In "Under the Gzae of the Bible," Chretien opens up the depth and warming brilliance of the Word by finding how to appropriately address oneself to the Bible as a listener and doer of the word, such as he has learned from Origen, Augustine, Aquinas, Pascal, Kierkeegard, Barth, von Balthsar et al. He shows us how to engage the Divine Word, mind and heart, so as to understand and live Christian wisdom, joy, hope, and witness as have the great Christian masters. In the span of eight well crafted chapters, Chretien takes the reader on a journey through some key texts and themes of the Bible and draws upon some of the great thinkers of the Christian tradition. I enthusiastically recommend this book for its illuminating reading of the Word, for the wisdom it proffers, and for its surprising and delightful understanding of just what "reading the Word" can and must entail. -John P. Hittinger, University of St. Thomas
Synopsis
Chretien's essays on reading sacred scripture are enriched by his immersion in the classics of ancient philosophy and theology, as well as his poetic sensibility. He is as likely to quote Claudel as Aquinas or Origen. His intimate acquaintance with Patristic writings combines with a sympathetic understanding of such Protestant sources as Luther, Calvin, and Barth to yield an admirably ecumenical perspective.
The book's title refers to James 1:23-24, which portrays the Word of God as a mirror into which one gazes. The concomitant notion of not only examining the text but also being examined by the Word is a fruitful one for learning how to be more fully nourished by one's study of the Bible.
About the Author
Jean-Louis Chrétien was Professor of Philosophy at the University of Paris-IV, Sorbonne. His books in English translation include
The Unforgettable and the Unhoped For, The Call and the Response, and Hand to Hand: Listening to the Work of Art; he is also co-editor of
Phenomenology and the "Theological Turn": The French Debate (all Fordham).
John Marson Dunaway is Professor of French and Interdisciplinary Studies at Mercer University, Macon, Georgia. He has authored, edited, or translated 8 books, primarily on modern French religious writers. His translation of Vladimir Volkoff's 2004 novel L'Hôte du Pape/The Pope's Guest was published by Mercer UP in 2013 and his rendering of Volkoff's 2006 novel Le Tortionnaire/The Torturer will appear in 2014 with Mercer UP. His national recognitions include the Jacques Maritain Scholarship Award from the American Maritain Association and the Eric B. Nilson Achievement Award from Faculty Commons, the faculty ministry of CRU (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ), both in 2007.
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
1 Reading the Bible Today
2 Allowing Oneself to Be Read Authoritatively by the Holy Scripture
3 Kierkegaard and the Mirror of Scripture
4 Th e Wisdom Learned at the Foot of the Cross
5 Th e Docility of the Bishop as Doctor of the Faith According to Saint Augustine
6 Biblical Figures of Joy
7 On Christian Hope
8 Nine Propositions on the Christian Concept of Witness
Notes
Index