Many Roads Lead Eastward: Overtures to Catholic Biblical Theology by Robert D. Miller II (review)

In this slim volume Miller distills decades of reflection and conversation on the relationship between exegesis and theology into a thoughtful and highly readable survey of different hermeneutical models, leading to his own proposal of a model that seeks to "actualize" the biblical text.

After an opening chapter that diagnoses the divide separating biblical scholarship from systematic theology, and a second chapter that provides a concise and instructive discussion of inspiration, M. arrives at the heart of the book. Adopting with some modification Avery Dulles's Models of Revelation (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1992) as a framework, he surveys five different hermeneutical models and some of their representative practitioners: Revelation as Expression, which locates meaning in the biblical text itself rather than in its authors and tends to focus on one or more unifying themes (H. D. Preuss, Walther Eichrodt, Gerhard von Rad); Revelation in Canon, which interprets individual texts within their larger scriptural context (Brevard S. Childs, Rolf Rendtorff, James A. Sanders); Revelation as Event, which focuses on God's saving actions (magnalia Dei) as the locus of revelation rather than the biblical narrative that recounts them (G. Ernest Wright, Bruce Vawter, Jean Daniélou); Revelation as Expectation, which finds meaning in the ways communities are transformed by engaging biblical texts in all their diversity (Walter Brueggemann, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Edward Schillebeeckx); and Revelation in Ecclesia, which sees meaning in the communities who put into practice the plain sense of Scripture (Hans Frei, George Lindbeck, Stephen E. Fowl). Assessing the strengths and weaknesses of each model, this survey provides an evenhanded synthesis of the ways exegetes engage Scripture as revelation.

This survey culminates in M.'s own proposed model, which he terms "actualization." It begins with establishing the plain sense of a biblical text through literary and historical-critical methodologies and then involves situating this reading within the faith expressed elsewhere in the Bible. This intrabiblical hermeneutics is a kind of Traditionsgeschichte, which recognizes the contribution of individual texts to the development of this biblical faith. For M., this "tradition" is no different from Tradition, such that the historical background of a biblical text is linked to its "foreground" in the NT and history of interpretation. Both background and foreground are vital for theological exegesis, and, for Christians, both converge on Christ. But this convergence is seen only in hindsight, and M. insists that an OT text first be read "according to principles and categories intrinsic to that text" (p. 85). The last step of M.'s model returns us to his primary goal, namely, the intersection of biblical exegesis and systematic theology; he calls on biblical scholars "to examine ways in which modern theologians (Catholic and Protestant) appropriate the text's 'symbols'" (p. 88).

The strengths of this book are numerous. First, it provides a timely argument for the indispensability of historical criticism for theological exegesis. M.'s training in the former and commitment to the latter enable him to bridge the divide he has diagnosed. An especially welcome feature of his analysis is his engagement with various church documents related to Scripture and with systematic theologians. Having called for theological exegesis that is more than "merely Wissenschaft plus pious reflection or parenesis" (p. 9), he models the hermeneutical engagement he has recommended. Lastly, I would highlight the book's readability, by which I mean its brevity and tone. M. has covered much ground in a short space, and his writing style is amiable and learned without being overly academic. For all of these qualities the book deserves a wide readership.

As for weaknesses, M.'s proposal could benefit from an exegetical test case. Over a third of Dulles's book, which provided the framework for this book, is devoted to applying his and other models of revelation to various theological topics. If M. had followed suit and applied his hermeneutical approach to a particular biblical text, he would have thickened...