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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.
List 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
About the author
Jean-Louis Chretien teaches philosophy at the University of Paris IV. His books, as translated into English, include
The Unforgettable and the Unhoped For (Fordham University Press, 2002),
Hand to Hand (Fordham University Press, 2003), and
The Call and the Response (Fordham University Press, 2004). He is one of the coeditors of
Phenomenology and the "Theological Turn": The French Debate (Fordham University Press, 2000), as well as the author of the follow-up volume
Phenomenology "Wide Open": After the French Debate (Fordham University Press, 2005).
Summary
How does one most profitably read the Bible? The answer, according to Chrétien, must include allowing the Bible to read us. With the help of the great patristic writings as well as Protestant theologians and using his own poet’s sensibility, he creatively explores such scriptural doctrines as joy, hope, and witness/testimony.
