The Catechism's Three Criteria for interpretation

[CastingCrown]

I’ve been reading through the sections about Sacred Scripture in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and I’d like to check I’m correctly understanding the three criteria for Biblical interpretation:

1. Be especially attentive “to the content and unity of the whole Scripture”.
   My translation: So this basically means make sure you interpret a passage in the light of all the books of the Bible, yeah?
2. Read the Scripture within “the living Tradition of the whole Church”
   My translation: Read what the Early Church Fathers and other Saints have to say about it. This appears to be in particular reference to the spiritual understanding of the passage (e.g. St. Augustine seeing Christ in the parable of the Good Samaritan)
3. Be attentive to the analogy of faith.
   My translation: This is the one I’m a bit fuzzy over. Does this mean interpret this is in the light of dogma? For example, in the light of the Doctrine of the Trinity, we would consider the statement in Genesis “Let us make man in our own image” than we would otherwise…

If anyone can enlighten me a little more with (3), particularly with examples, that’d be great, thanks.

 

[promethius]

1. Be especially attentive “to the content and unity of the whole Scripture”.
   My translation: So this basically means make sure you interpret a passage in the light of all the books of the Bible, yeah?

And the context of the particular passage it appears in, but yes. For example, interpreting Eph 2:8-9 is incomplete without considering all of Eph 2, especially verse 10.

1. Read the Scripture within “the living Tradition of the whole Church”
   My translation: Read what the Early Church Fathers and other Saints have to say about it. This appears to be in particular reference to the spiritual understanding of the passage (e.g. St. Augustine seeing Christ in the parable of the Good Samaritan)

Living tradition includes more than just the ECFs and the Saints. It includes ALL current dogma. In other words, good start, but add the catechism and possibly some of the papal bulls to your understanding.

1. Be attentive to the analogy of faith.
   My translation: This is the one I’m a bit fuzzy over. Does this mean interpret this is in the light of dogma? For example, in the light of the Doctrine of the Trinity, we would consider the statement in Genesis “Let us make man in our own image” than we would otherwise…

Analyze what about your interpretation meets logical constructs. For example, the idea of sola scriptura has led to tens of thousands of denominations… something the church was never designed to be. Thus sola scriptura is illogical when analyzed against the deposit of faith that says there is to be ONE universal church.

 

[CastingCrown]

Thanks for the clarification - I’m now clear on 1 & 2, but I’m still unclear on 3. How is it different from 2?

 

[promethius]

Thanks for the clarification - I’m now clear on 1 & 2, but I’m still unclear on 3. How is it different from 2?

rephrase:

For an interpretation of scripture to be done properly:

1. It must fit with the context of scripture, both as a whole and within the passage
2. It must fit with ALL tradition of the church, both from the early church and in the living magisterial teaching.
3. It must be logical.

 

[CastingCrown]

hmm… I don’t see how 3 refers to logic, at least in the classical sense anyway…

How about saying that 3 means that “your interpretation must be in accord with the faith of the Church derived from both Scripture (1) and Tradition (2)”?

In this case, 3 really is 1 + 2! It is testing your interpretation against the truths (doctrines) handed on by the Church.

Yes? No?

 

[CastingCrown]

Anyone?

 

[ActuallyAquinas]

I am not sure, but if you give the Apologetics line a call, I am sure they can help you more. This is kind of an obscure topic one I haven’t encountered much. However I will give it a look.

 

[ActuallyAquinas]

112 1. Be especially attentive “to the content and unity of the whole Scripture”. Different as the books which compose it may be, Scripture is a unity by reason of the unity of God’s plan, of which Christ Jesus is the center and heart, open since his Passover.79
The phrase “heart of Christ” can refer to Sacred Scripture, which makes known his heart, closed before the Passion, as the Scripture was obscure. But the Scripture has been opened since the Passion; since those who from then on have understood it, consider and discern in what way the prophecies must be interpreted.80
Cf. Lk 24:25-27,44-46.
St. Thomas Aquinas, Expos. in Ps. 21,11; cf. Ps 22:14.

Cross References:

1. The Church, as early as apostolic times,104 and then constantly in her Tradition, has illuminated the unity of the divine plan in the two Testaments through typology, which discerns in God’s works of the Old Covenant prefigurations of what he accomplished in the fullness of time in the person of his incarnate Son.
   Cf. 1 Cor 10:6,11; Heb 10:l; l Pet 3:21.

The spiritual tradition of the Church also emphasizes the heart, in the biblical sense of the depths of one’s being, where the person decides for or against God.239
Cf. Jer 31:33; Deut 6:5; 29:3; Isa 29:13; Ezek 36:26; Mt 6:21; Lk 8:15; Rom 5:5.

113 2. Read the Scripture within “the living Tradition of the whole Church”. According to a saying of the Fathers, Sacred Scripture is written principally in the Church’s heart rather than in documents and records, for the Church carries in her Tradition the living memorial of God’s Word, and it is the Holy Spirit who gives her the spiritual interpretation of the Scripture (". . . according to the spiritual meaning which the Spirit grants to the Church"81).

Cross References:

1. "Sacred Scripture is the speech of God as it is put down in writing under the breath of the Holy Spirit."42

"And [Holy] Tradition transmits in its entirety the Word of God which has been entrusted to the apostles by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit. It transmits it to the successors of the apostles so that, enlightened by the Spirit of truth, they may faithfully preserve, expound and spread it abroad by their preaching."43

114 3. Be attentive to the analogy of faith.82 By “analogy of faith” we mean the coherence of the truths of faith among themselves and within the whole plan of Revelation.

Cross References:

90 The mutual connections between dogmas, and their coherence, can be found in the whole of the Revelation of the mystery of Christ.51 "In Catholic doctrine there exists an order or hierarchy of truths, since they vary in their relation to the foundation of the Christian faith."52

51 Cf. Vatican Council IS 3016:nexus mysteriorum; LG 25.
52 UR II.

Well, that is what you get from the CCC. My mind is too tired, to do an analysis. Maybe, tomorrow.

 

[CastingCrown]

I am not sure, but if you give the Apologetics line a call, I am sure they can help you more. This is kind of an obscure topic one I haven’t encountered much. However I will give it a look.

Is this really “obscure” though? It’s one of the three key criteria for biblical interpretation given by the Church! The reason I’d like an answer is because I think it’s something “fundamental”. Shouldn’t these three criteria be being applied to every single discussion on this forum?

 

[CastingCrown]

…114 3. Be attentive to the analogy of faith.82 By “analogy of faith” we mean the coherence of the truths of faith among themselves and within the whole plan of Revelation.

Well, that is what you get from the CCC. My mind is too tired, to do an analysis. Maybe, tomorrow.

I think my definition makes sense:

“Does my interpretation coherently fit into the rule of faith, which is the complete revelation of Jesus Christ as revealed in Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and taught by the Magisterium of the Church?”