What Are They Saying About Biblical Inspiration?

This book surveys the study of biblical inspiration by focusing on the contributions and insights of six major scholars: Abraham Heschel, James Burtchaell, Bruce Vawter, William Abraham, Kern Trembath, and Paul Achtemeier. These scholars were chosen for their contributions to the theme of biblical inspiration, and as a whole, provide a veritable cross-section of the diversity of insights in this topic as found in Anglo-American scholarship. This presentation offers a constructive criticism of these insights from a Roman Catholic perspective, synthesizes the positive contributions of these scholars, and shows the significant contribution to the continuing dialogue among North American scholars in the field of biblical inspiration. A unique contribution of this work is that it affirms the traditional understanding of biblical inspiration as set forth by the Catholic Church, most notably in Dei Verbum of Vatican II, while at the same time also affirming the continuity between past biblical inspiration and present spiritual illumination. †