Participatory Biblical Exegesis: A Theology of Biblical Interpretation

Acknowledgements

A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S This study had its beginnings in four invitations: from Thomas Weinandy, O.F.M. Cap., Daniel Keating, and John Yocum to contribute an essay on Aquinas’s Commentary on John for their book Aquinas on Scripture; from Robert Jenson (and Reinhard Hütter) to contribute an essay to Pro Ecclesia for a symposium on the Pontifical Biblical Commission’s “The Jewish People and Their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible”; from Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt and Jim Fodor to contribute a response to an essay by Catherine Pickstock for a symposium in Modern Theology; and from Stephen Fowl to speak to his session at the Society for Biblical Literature . I am deeply grateful to all these scholars for their generosity . Thanks also to Joseph Torchia, O.P. of The Thomist, who kindly accepted for publication an earlier version of chapter 5. Various conversations laid the groundwork for this study. The insights of Michael Dauphinais, Fr. Matthew Lamb, and Fr. Francis Martin are visible, I think, on almost every page. As dean of faculty, Michael Dauphinais helped me find time to write the first draft of the manuscript in the spring of 2005. During that semester, Larry Goeckner, an undergraduate theology major at Ave Maria University , provided valuable assistance in obtaining secondary sources. During the early stages of the manuscript, Bernhard Blankenhorn , O.P. offered criticisms that enabled me to realize what it was that I wanted to say. Jörgen Vijgen read the manuscript with his usual care and eye for bibliographical resources. Another cherished friend, Andrew Hofer, O.P. also offered keen criticisms, as did — ix — Levering-000.FM 2/11/08 11:26 AM Page ix Stephen Ryan, O.P. Jeremy Holmes both offered excellent criticisms and helped me obtain crucial late-medieval and early-modern texts. As the manuscript began to take somewhat readable shape, Guy Mansini, O.S.B. applied his brilliant insight to it, as did William Kurz, S.J. and Matthew Gerlach. David Yeago kindly read a draft of the introduction and encouraged further labor. Encouragement of various kinds from John Webster, Kavin Rowe, Darren Sarisky, Jared Staudt, Daniel Treier, Robert Ashworth, Rusty Reno, and Christopher Seitz, also deserve grateful acknowledgment. A crucial labor was performed by Philip McCosker, who both offered his own insightful criticisms and suggested that I send the manuscript to his friend Michael Tait, who deserves much credit for any clarity the book possesses. Louise Mitchell graciously prepared the bibliography and corrected the endnotes. Chuck van Hof of the University of Notre Dame Press strongly supported and guided the manuscript to publication; many thanks to him and to the anonymous readers. David Solomon’s Center for Ethics and Culture at the University of Notre Dame awarded me the Myser Fellowship for the 2006–7 academic year, which provided the time to complete the final revisions of the manuscript. The many good works of David Solomon and his colleagues Elizabeth Kirk and Daniel McInerny have been inspiring. Gary Anderson, David Burrell, C.S.C., Tremayne and Regina Cates, John Cavadini, Karen Chan, Patrick and Jennifer Clark, David Fagerberg, Fred Freddoso, Raymond Hain, Fr. Michael Heintz, Mary Hirschfeld, Andrew Hofer, Jim Lee, Daria Lucas, Ralph McInerny, Austin Murphy, O.S.B., John O’Callaghan, Cyril O’Regan, Drew Rosato, Thomas and Susan Scheck, and others welcomed me and my family to South Bend for the year. Brian Daley, S.J. kindly allowed me to audit his superb course on the Cappadocians. In addition to those named above, many other friends have sustained me through the writing of this manuscript. I wish particularly to thank Romanus Cessario, O.P., David Dalin, Gilles Emery, O.P., Diane Eriksen , Reinhard Hütter, Fergus Kerr, O.P., Steven Long, Bruce Marshall, Graham McAleer, Charles Morerod, O.P., Roger Nutt, Joseph Pearce, Richard Schenk, O.P., Michael Sherwin, O.P., and Thomas Weinandy, O.F.M. Cap. I thank my parents, in-laws, brother, and extended family for their support and love. To my children, David, Andrew, Irene, John, — x — Acknowledgments Levering-000.FM 2/11/08 11:26 AM Page x and Daniel, and to my amazing wife Joy, words cannot express the gift that God has given me in you. This book is dedicated to a dear friend whose labor, intelligence, and love of Christ have made so many...