The next general assembly of the Synod of Bishops, scheduled for Rome in October, will take on the issue of Catholics reading the Bible through a fundamentalist lens. I thought that most Catholics have avoided this by avoiding reading the Bible altogether, but apparently this is a growing problem.
In preparation for the synod discussion, an 86-page document was prepared and has just been released.
[PewForum] The 86-page document released Thursday emphasizes the need to increase Catholics’ knowledge and understanding of Scripture. While encouraging the faithful to read the Bible either alone or in study groups, it stresses that all interpretation must be in light of church teaching.
“Fundamentalism takes refuge in literalism and refuses to take into consideration the historical dimension of biblical revelation,” the document states.
“This kind of interpretation is winning more and more adherents … even among Catholics,” the agenda’s authors add, quoting an earlier Vatican document. “It demands an unshakable adherence to rigid doctrinal points of view and imposes, as the only source of teaching for Christian life and salvation, a reading of the Bible which rejects all questioning and any kind of critical research.”
Fundamentalism in its “extreme form” exists in “the sects,” the document states.
“Sects” is Vatican speak for the marginal protestant groups. Once you have unhinged yourself from the authority of the Church to interpret the church, anything goes. This type of literalist fundamentalism is just one of the potential outcomes of the rejection of church authority. Eventually, people will replace that legitimate authority with something else. For fundamentalists, that is the Bible. For other “sects”, it is liturgy committees, progressive politics, or environmental fundamentalism. Different symptoms, same disease.
June 16, 2008 at 8:24 am
“a reading of the Bible which rejects all questioning …”
but some questioning is rightly rejected
it seems likely that the bishops, seeking to avoid protestant fundamentalism, will sell the pass to modernism instead
June 16, 2008 at 7:03 pm
What worries me as well is the conversion of many protestants to our faith who’s protestant fundamentalism has influenced the Church – by ‘protestantizing’ Her along with the progressive liberals.
We have seen this process of ‘protestanization’ infect Holy Mother Church for well over the past 40 years.
[Don’t get me wrong, converts have been great for the Church – we want all to convert. However, we need these protestant converts to leave their baggage at the door. The Church has a responsibility to catechize these people well in Her teachings. Of course, it seems to me that there should be a ‘re-certification’ catechetical program for cradle Catholics as well… 🙂 ]
My observations over the past couple of years, since my re-version, is that Protestantization has occurred not only scripturally, but liturgically as well. I would go so far as to suggest that even the new code of cannon law (1983) was influenced to some extent as well.
June 16, 2008 at 7:20 pm
This is going to be a wonderful meeting. We are going to be very surprised at the outcome. They have identified a very serious malady firstly, and secondly, they will bring forth some wonderful truthful aspects about reading, and the study of the Bible for the people. I think their guidelines will be an asset to schools and universities and seminaries. This will perk up the interest in search for Truth, and not use the Bible to one’s own gain or to make one’s own point-but to be a better person. It will teach those who think the Bible is just a law book, how really rich the Church is in all its aspects in relation to it.
Since reading the Bible has become a topic of endangerment, what better way than to bring the subject front and center. What brave Church leaders we have. It is like saying: fundamentally speaking, let us talk about it fundamentally to the fundamentalists.
Wait and See fundamentally speaking.
June 16, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Fundamentalism and modernism are not the only options in the study and reading of Scripture, and correcting the one extreme of fundamentalism does not imply a pass to modernism. The bishops warn against a reading of the Bible that rejects ALL questioning.
“Some questioning is rightly rejected…” I respectfully disagree. Questions should be answered, not rejected. “One thousand questions does not constitute one real doubt” — Cardinal Newman.
Bob Hunt