Washed, Sanctified and Justified
in the Sacraments of the Catholic Church.
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Monday, May 13, 2013
Is the Saint engaging in eisegesis?
Lutero said: One can ask if there is any legitimacy to his method, or if the saint is simply engaging in eisegesis—that is, reading his theology into the text.
I am of the opinion that it is impossible for a Catholic to commit eisegesis. And it is impossible for a non-Catholic not to.
You don't believe me? Read this:
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").
Unless we read the Scriptures according to the Traditions of the Catholic Church, we won't understand the Scriptures and will be in danger of preaching false doctrine.
Everyone seems to forget that Jesus Christ established Tradition. And the Apostles wrote the New Testament based upon those Traditions.
I know one thing. When I came back to the Church, I began by following many of the wonderful Converts to our faith from Protestantism. And they sometimes mentioned this idea of "reading into Scripture" as though it were a bad thing. So, I tried to become a blank slate and look to discover Catholicism in the Scriptures.
But I began to notice that the Saints did not use this methodology. St. Scott Hahn ;) led me to that conclusion when reading the Scripture, he said, "look at the assumptions". And the assumptions were all Catholic.
At that point, the door to understanding Scripture was opened wide.
And it is impossible for non-Catholics not to read their own beliefs into Scripture. Take, for instance, Sola Scriptura. Where is it in Scripture? It isn't there. But Protestants put it there.
One can ask if there is any legitimacy to his method, or if the saint is simply engaging in eisegesis—that is, reading his theology into the text.
I am of the opinion that it is impossible for a Catholic to commit eisegesis. And it is impossible for a non-Catholic not to.
You don't believe me? Read this:
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").
Unless we read the Scriptures according to the Traditions of the Catholic Church, we won't understand the Scriptures and will be in danger of preaching false doctrine.
Everyone seems to forget that Jesus Christ established Tradition. And the Apostles wrote the New Testament based upon those Traditions.
I know one thing. When I came back to the Church, I began by following many of the wonderful Converts to our faith from Protestantism. And they sometimes mentioned this idea of "reading into Scripture" as though it were a bad thing. So, I tried to become a blank slate and look to discover Catholicism in the Scriptures.
But I began to notice that the Saints did not use this methodology. St. Scott Hahn ;) led me to that conclusion when reading the Scripture, he said, "look at the assumptions". And the assumptions were all Catholic.
At that point, the door to understanding Scripture was opened wide.
And it is impossible for non-Catholics not to read their own beliefs into Scripture. Take, for instance, Sola Scriptura. Where is it in Scripture? It isn't there. But Protestants put it there.
That's just one example.
Sincerely,
De Maria