Exegesis and Hermeneutics – Conference 2023
Searching for a Nexus Between History, Theology, and Cultures/Contexts
Aula Magna, Pontifical Gregorian University
Piazza della Pilotta, 4 – Rome, Italy
Download PDF: Poster | Schedule
May 4
8:15-9:15 AM – Registration
9:30-9:45 AM – Opening Session
Moderator: Henry Pattarumadathil
- Welcome: Michael Francis Kolarcik
- Exegesis and Hermeneutics. Searching for the Nexus: Paul Béré
Session 1 – Church Mandate & Exegesis
Specific Objective 1: To Actualize the Church’s Mandate to Do Exegesis and to (Re)define the Task of Biblical Exegesis
Moderator: Dean Béchard
General Approach
Conf. 1 – 9:45 AM: Doing Biblical Exegesis: What Are We Looking For? (Ronald Witherup)
Question: What are we looking for – both prescriptively and descriptively – when one is doing biblical exegesis?10:15 AM – Q&A and Conversation
10:40-11:00 AM – Tea Break
Specific Approaches (Panel)
Conf. 2 – 11:00 AM: Narrative Criticism: How Does It Contribute to Meeting the Goal of Biblical Exegesis? (Elena Di Pede)
Question: How does narrative analysis specifically contribute to meeting the goal of biblical exegesis?Conf. 3 – 11:20 AM: Historical Criticism (Dominik Markl)
Question: How does historical criticism operate on the text to meet the goal of biblical exegesis?Conf. 4 – 11:40 AM: Rhetorical Criticism (Juan Manuel Granados)
Question: How does rhetorical analysis specifically contribute to meeting the goal of biblical exegesis?12:00 PM – Q&A and Conversation
12:45-2:00 PM – Break
Session 2 – History in Biblical Exegesis
Specific Objective 2: To delineate the task of a historian and to define the connection between exegesis and history
Moderator: Craig Morrison
General Approach
Conf. 5 – 2:30 PM: (General) – Theoretical Framework of ANE historical studies (Marc Van de Mieroop)
Question: What are the tested methodological principles used by historians today to understand the ANE history and cultures?Conf. 6 – 3.00 PM: (Bible) – Theoretical Framework of Greco-Roman World Historical studies (Steve Mason)
Question: How does the Hellenistic-Roman Historian use the NT?3:30 PM – Q&A and Conversation
Tea Break: 4:00 – 4:30 PM
Specific Approaches (Panel)
Conf. 7 – 4.30 PM: (OT/ANE) “Gods and Heroes” (Anthony SooHoo)
Question: What kind of dialogue can be established between the ANE cultural context and the biblical (OT) text?Conf. 8 – 4:50 PM: (OT/ANE): “From the Bible to the ANE Context” (Peter Dubovský)
Question: How do you design the path from the biblical text to the ANE historical and cultural context?Conf. 9 – 5:10 PM: “Historical Sociology: The Society behind the Book of Sirach” (Núria Calduch-Benages)
Question: How does an investigation on the society reflected in the Book of Sirach contribute to the interpretation of the biblical text?Conf. 10 – 5:30 PM: “Church Mandate on Biblical Studies: History, Actuality, and New Direction” (S. E. Card. José Tolentino Calaça de Mendonça)
Question: Given the mandate of the Church (1893; 1943) and the response of the PBC (1993) to the plurality of methods, what would be our task as Bible scholars today as we remember these key moments of our journey?
6:00 PM – Q&A and Conversation
May 5
Session 3 – Theology in Biblical Exegesis
Specific Objective 3: To offer the necessary steps toward elaborating the theology of the biblical text, both theoretically and practically
Moderator: Benedetta Rossi
General Approach
Conf. 11 – 9:00 AM: “Exegesis as Soul of Theology” (Reimund Bieringer)
Question: What is the origin and significance of this principle (Dei Verbum n.24)?Conf. 12 – 9:30 AM: “Exegesis towards Theology” (Massimo Grilli)
Question: What can “theological exegesis” called for by Verbum Domini (n.34) look like?10:00 AM – Q&A and Conversation
Tea Break: 10:30 – 11:00 AM
Specific Approaches (Panel)
Conf. 13 – 11:00 AM: Biblical Exegesis in Systematic Theology (Nicolas Steeves)
Question: How does biblical exegesis come to bear on systematic theology?Conf. 14 – 11:20 AM: Biblical Exegesis in Moral Theology (Vimal Tirimanna)
Question: How does biblical exegesis come in moral theology?Conf. 15 – 11:40: “Bible and spiritual theology” (André Brouillette)
Question: How does biblical exegesis come into the development of spiritual theology?Conf. 16 – 12:00 PM: Bible & Western Context (Philippe Lefebvre)
Question: How do biblical studies relate to European socio-cultural history?12:30 AM – Q&A and Conversation
Afternoon Free
May 6
Session 4 – Cultures/Contexts in Biblical Exegesis
Specific Objective 4: To define hermeneutics and its workings in the field of biblical exegesis
Moderator: Agustinus Gianto
General Approach
Conf. 17 – 9:00 AM: Hermeneutics in Philosophy (Paul Gilbert)
Question: Where are we today? What can we learn for biblical hermeneutics?Conf. 18 – 9:30 AM: Biblical Hermeneutics (Marc Girard)
Question: What are the general operating principles?10:00 AM – Q&A and Conversation
Tea Break: 10:30 – 11:00 AM
Specific Approaches (Panel)
Conf. 19 – 11:00 AM: “Bible and human life issues (Anthropology)” (Myriam Wijlens)
Question: Where/how does protecting the weak and the vulnerable meet the work of exegesis?Conf. 20 – 11:20 AM: (Africa): “African” Hermeneutics of the Bible (Jean-Claude Loba-Mkole)
Question: How do biblical studies integrate the “African” context (cultural, historical, etc.)?Conf. 21 – 11:40 AM: (Asia): “Asian” Hermeneutics (Rasiah S. Sugirtharajah)
Question: How do biblical studies integrate the “Asian” context (cultural, historical, etc.)?Conf. 22 – 12:00 PM: (Latin America): “Latin American” Hermeneutics of the Bible (Uriel Salas)
Question: How do biblical studies integrate the “Latin American” context (cultural, historical, etc.)?