Scripture Studies

There are passages of Sacred Scripture that have sustained centuries of commentary and remain unexhausted. The studies published here represent the work of sustained exegetical attention to specific biblical texts, books, and theological themes within the canon. They differ from homilies in their scope and from reflections in their method: a scripture study stays close to the text, attending to its language, its literary structure, its place within the larger biblical narrative, and the history of its interpretation in the theological tradition of the Church. Where appropriate, these studies engage the original Hebrew and Greek, draw on patristic and medieval commentary, and bring the tools of historical and literary analysis into conversation with the theological substance of the passage. They are written for readers who wish to go deeper into the biblical text than a single sermon or meditation permits—readers who are willing to follow an argument through the details of a passage and to discover, in that patience, what the text has been saying all along.