Catholicism quiz 2

Catholic Revelation: Scripture, Tradition, and Literary Styles Study Guide

Overview

This study guide is designed to help you review and solidify your understanding of how Catholics understand God's revelation, the role of literary styles in biblical interpretation, and the significance of tradition in shaping community and identity.

Key Focus Areas

  • Why Catholics utilize Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the Magisterium together.

  • Examples of tradition from "Fiddler on the Roof" and their connection to Church practice.

  • The three main literary styles of the Bible, their purpose, and their approximate prevalence.

  • The importance of genre sensitivity for accurate biblical interpretation.

Key Concepts to Review

1. Scripture & Tradition

  • Three Connected Sources of Revelation:Sacred Scripture: God’s Word written in the Bible.

  • Sacred Tradition: Living practices and teachings passed down from the Apostles.

  • Magisterium: The teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church.

  • Why They Matter:Tradition preserves teachings that existed before the Bible was fully written.

  • Scripture and Tradition together provide the complete understanding of God’s truth.

  • Scripture + Tradition + Magisterium function as a "three-legged stool" or "GPS system," guiding Catholics and correcting their course.

  • The Magisterium's role is to interpret both Scripture and Tradition.

  • Historical Context: The Catholic Church, through the Magisterium and Sacred Tradition, determined which books belong in the Bible (73 books), a process that predates Protestant canons (66 books). The concept of Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone) is not found within the Bible itself and is seen as self-refuting by Catholic theology. The Church, not the Bible, is called the "pillar and foundation of truth" in 1 Timothy 3:15.

2. "Fiddler on the Roof" — Cultural Tradition

  • Tevye's Perspective on Tradition:Traditions are essential for stability and identity within the community.

  • They define family roles, guide marriage customs, and structure daily life (e.g., how to sleep, eat, work, dress).

  • Without tradition, Tevye believes life would be chaotic, uncertain, and lose meaning.

  • Examples: keeping heads covered, wearing a prayer shawl, children learning a trade, parents arranging marriages.

3. Literary Styles of the Bible

  • Importance: Understanding literary style prevents misinterpretation and allows for a deeper appreciation of the Bible's "brilliance." Different styles communicate in different ways, leading to different expectations for the reader.

  • Three Main Styles:Narrative:Definition: Storytelling with plot, characters, and sequence of events.

  • Purpose: Shows God at work in history, helps make sense of life's events, explores big questions through flawed characters, and prompts self-reflection.

  • Prevalence: ~43% of the Bible (the most common).

  • Examples: Exodus, Gospels, Acts (includes historical narrative, parables, biographical narratives).

  • Poetry:Definition: Uses imagery, repetition, rhythm, and metaphor; dense, creative language.

  • Purpose: Expresses emotion and deeper meaning, evokes imagination, forces readers into new ways of thinking.

  • Prevalence: ~33% of the Bible.

  • Examples: Psalms, Song of Songs, Lamentations (includes songs, reflective wisdom poetry, prophetic poetry).

  • Prose Discourse:Definition: Logical, structured writing (speeches, letters, essays) that builds a sequence of ideas or arguments.

  • Purpose: Instructs, persuades, argues, requires a logical response, forces logical and consistent thought.

  • Prevalence: ~24% of the Bible.

  • Examples: Paul’s Letters, Deuteronomy, James (includes law collections, wisdom literature, apostolic letters).

  • Genre Sensitivity:Definition: Adjusting interpretation based on the recognized literary style or genre.

  • Importance: Misreading genres leads to misinterpretation and can cause a loss of meaning, especially with emotional or deeper theological truths. It helps readers know what to pay attention to and what questions to ask.

  • Intermixing of Styles: Most biblical books have a primary literary style but often embed other styles (e.g., poems or parables within a narrative).

Quiz: Short-Answer Questions

  1. Explain why Catholics believe God’s revelation comes through three interconnected sources. Name all three sources.

  2. According to Tevye in "Fiddler on the Roof," what is the primary role of tradition in community life? Provide one specific example from the film.

  3. Define "genre sensitivity" in the context of biblical interpretation and explain why it is important.

  4. Describe the main purpose of Narrative literary style in the Bible and list one example of a biblical book that predominantly uses this style.

  5. What is the approximate percentage of the Bible that consists of Poetry, and what is its primary function?

  6. How does Prose Discourse differ from Narrative in its approach to communication, and what kind of response does it typically seek from the reader?

  7. The Magisterium plays a crucial role in Catholic understanding of truth. Briefly explain this role and how it relates to Scripture and Tradition.

  8. According to the provided sources, what argument is made against the Protestant doctrine of "Sola Scriptura"?

  9. Give two reasons why early Christian communities needed Sacred Tradition, even before the New Testament was fully compiled.

  10. The Bible is described as containing many books, yet telling "one unified story." How do the different literary styles contribute to, rather than detract from, this unified story?

Answer Key

  1. Catholics believe God's revelation comes through Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the Magisterium. These three sources are seen as interconnected and necessary because Tradition preserved teachings before the Bible was written, Scripture and Tradition together provide the fullness of God's truth, and the Magisterium authoritatively interprets both to guide faith and morals.

  2. According to Tevye, tradition provides stability and identity, defining family roles, guiding customs, and preventing chaos. An example is the tradition of covering heads and wearing a prayer shawl, showing constant devotion to God, or parents arranging marriages.

  3. Genre sensitivity is the practice of adjusting one's interpretation of Scripture based on the recognized literary style or genre of the text. It is important because misreading a genre can lead to misinterpretation, a loss of meaning, and a failure to understand the author's intended message or the emotional/deeper truths being conveyed.

  4. The main purpose of Narrative is storytelling, showing God at work in history, helping readers make sense of life's events, and exploring big questions through the experiences of characters. Examples include Exodus, the Gospels, or Acts.

  5. Poetry makes up approximately 33% of the Bible. Its primary function is to express emotion and deeper meaning, using imagery, repetition, rhythm, and metaphor to evoke the reader's imagination and force them to think in new ways, breaking mental ruts.

  6. Prose Discourse is logical, structured writing (speeches, letters) that builds linear arguments and a sequence of ideas, aiming to instruct, persuade, or argue. Unlike Narrative which often allows for indirect learning through story, Discourse typically seeks a direct, logical response or action from the reader.

  7. The Magisterium is the teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church. Its role is to interpret both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition to guide faith and morals, acting as a "GPS system" that ensures the Church stays on the correct course in understanding and applying God's truth.

  8. The argument against "Sola Scriptura" is that the doctrine itself (that Christians should only believe what is found in the Bible) is not found anywhere within the Bible. This makes it a "self-refuting" teaching, as to uphold it requires believing something not explicitly stated in Scripture.

  9. Early Christian communities needed Sacred Tradition for several reasons: it preserved teachings passed down directly from the Apostles before the New Testament was compiled, and it provided a living context and interpretative framework for understanding God's revelation, including determining which books belonged in the Bible.

  10. The different literary styles do not detract from the Bible's unified story; rather, they contribute to it by communicating God's truth in a multi-faceted and comprehensive way. Narrative shows God's actions in history, poetry expresses emotional and spiritual depths, and discourse provides logical instruction, all working together to reveal a complete picture of God and His relationship with humanity.

Essay Format Questions (No Answers Provided)

  1. Discuss the Catholic understanding of Divine Revelation, elaborating on the "three-legged stool" metaphor (Scripture, Tradition, Magisterium). How does each element contribute uniquely, and why are all three considered necessary for a complete understanding of God's truth?

  2. Analyze the role of "tradition" as presented in the "Fiddler on the Roof" clip. How do Tevye's views on cultural tradition resonate with or differ from the Catholic understanding of Sacred Tradition? Use specific examples from both sources in your comparison.

  3. Explain the concept of "genre sensitivity" in biblical interpretation. Choose two of the three main literary styles (Narrative, Poetry, Prose Discourse) and describe how a lack of genre sensitivity for each style could lead to significant misinterpretation of biblical texts.

  4. The sources suggest that different literary styles serve distinct purposes in communicating God's message. Select one literary style (Narrative, Poetry, or Prose Discourse) and argue for its particular effectiveness in reaching and transforming the reader, citing its characteristics and purpose.

  5. Father Mike Smith argues that no Christian truly believes in "Scripture alone" (Sola Scriptura) because they rely on the authority of the Church. Explain his argument, including his points about the canon of the Bible and the Bible's own description of the Church. How does this argument reinforce the Catholic position on the necessity of Tradition and the Magisterium?

Glossary of Key Terms

  • Dei Verbum: Latin for "Word of God," referring to the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, a key document from the Second Vatican Council (1960s) outlining the Catholic understanding of revelation through Scripture and Tradition.

  • Divine Revelation: God's self-disclosure to humanity, revealing His nature, will, and plan for salvation. In Catholicism, this occurs through both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.

  • Genre Sensitivity: The practice of interpreting a biblical text by understanding and considering its specific literary style (genre), such as narrative, poetry, or prose discourse. This helps to accurately grasp the author's intended meaning and purpose.

  • Magisterium: The official teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church, comprised of the Pope and the bishops in communion with him. Its role is to authentically interpret Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.

  • Narrative: A literary style characterized by storytelling with a plot, characters, and a sequence of events. In the Bible, it often shows God at work in history and explores human experience.

  • Poetry: A literary style in the Bible that uses imagery, metaphor, repetition, and rhythm to express emotion, evoke imagination, and convey deeper spiritual meaning.

  • Prose Discourse: A logical and structured literary style in the Bible, encompassing speeches, letters, essays, or arguments. Its purpose is to instruct, persuade, or clarify doctrines, requiring a rational response from the reader.

  • Revelation: (See Divine Revelation) God’s self-disclosure through Scripture and Tradition.

  • Sacred Scripture: The written Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit and contained in the Bible. Catholics recognize 73 books in their canon.

  • Sacred Tradition: The living transmission of the Gospel message, passed down from the Apostles through the Church, encompassing beliefs, practices, and teachings that are not necessarily written explicitly in the Bible but are integral to the faith.

  • Sola Scriptura: A theological doctrine, particularly prominent in Protestantism, asserting that the Bible is the sole infallible source of Christian faith and practice. Catholics argue this concept is not found within the Bible itself.

  • Tradition (Cultural/Personal): Customs, beliefs, and practices passed down through generations within a community or family that help define identity and maintain stability, as illustrated in "Fiddler on the Roof." This is distinct from Sacred Tradition.