by Bruce Vawter, C.M.
published by Sheed and Ward in 1956 with an imprimatur
In the Mater Amabilis™ high school beta plans (available in the facebook group), ninth graders read Genesis, Exodus, and Numbers. I wanted a commentary to read alongside. My first thought was to use the Catholic Scripture series (we own the volume on John), but they haven't published any Old Testament commentaries. Kansas Dad, of course, is a theology professor, but his area of expertise is early Church history and ethics, not Old Testament, so I asked one of his fellow professors for a recommendation. He's a Hebrew scholar who earned his PhD in Israel. He gave me a couple of books to skim from his personal library and I decided to buy a copy of A Path through Genesis. It's out of print, but readily available. When I was searching for it, I found a review by Flannery O'Connor in her book, The Presence of Grace and Other Book Reviews (Google books).
Vawter's commentary includes the entire text of Genesis (from The Holy Bible, translated from the original languages...by members of the Catholic Biblical Association of America, St. Anthony Guild Press, 1952). Some of the names were spelled a bit differently than in the NAB First Son received from our parish, but he was able to follow along without difficulty.
A Path through Genesis provides cultural and historical context for Genesis, grounded in solid theology, from a Catholic theologian interested in walking laypeople through the text. Throughout the book, Vawter guides the reader in understanding the meaning of the author of Genesis and therefore discerning the essential truths of the events and stories inspired by God.
The Bible was not written in a vacuum, but by men of highly individualized personalities whose powers of mind and spirit were separate creations of God. Inspiration did not change, it accepted these men. Their writings bear the impress of themselves, of their times, of their capabilities and limitations. If we would know the meaning of the Bible, then, we must take it for what it is, the noblest work of human endeavor.
Throughout the book, Vawter emphasizes when appropriate the relationship between our faith and modern scientific thought. Written in the 1950s, it addresses evolution and creation, repeating the teachings of the popes and the councils that dispel the myths of conflict between faith and reason.
We must today interpret the Bible in the light of knowledge that was denied our ancestors. Any interpretation of Scripture that contradicts a known fact of science we may be very sure is no true interpretation. This principle was established fifteen hundred years ago by St. Augustine, who in his De Genesi ad litteram attacked the problems of Genesis in the light of the knowledge of his age. We can do no better than imitate his spirit.A Path through Genesis emphatically rejects a literal reading of Genesis.
"Fundamentalism" or "literalism" has never had a home in the Catholic Church. It is regrettable, however, that some Catholics have felt that the fundamentalists are "on our side" in their reverence for the letter of God's word amid a world that has so largely gone over to unbelief. Fundamentalism is not born of respect for the Bible. It is born of contempt for man's God-given intellect. It has failed the most elementary task of religion, which is the rational service of God.I read this book alongside First Son. Not only is it clear in its explanations of ancient and Biblical history, but it is often eloquent in its delight of Scripture and in bringing Genesis directly to the present.
To be like God: there is the root of sin. To acknowledge no dependence, to be a law to oneself, this is the vulgar idea of being like God. Man was made in God's image, intended to be like God, but in God's way and with God's means. Satan counted on enticing man to adopt his own means, and he won.
What precisely was the sin that Adam and Eve committed, we shall probably never know. In all likelihood the author of Genesis was quite as ignorant of it as we.Vawter connects the foibles, mistakes, and misunderstandings of the men and women of Genesis with our own today. Abraham laughed when God said he'd have a son.
There is the temptation that has plagued men of faith throughout the centuries. Faith generally meets its test in small things rather than great. The man who can cheerfully face death in the arena where the issues are clear and drawn may thread his way only with difficulty through a world which is not black and white but considerably grey.It is deceptively easy to think we would have been holier than the patriarchs, that we would not have doubted. Vawter, though, places them within their own times, revealing their limitations and therefore the greater leaps they made to a faith that is already prepared for us.
Abraham lived without the Church, without the sacraments, without the consolation of the fulfillment of prophecy, all of which we have. H had to walk virtually alone, gropingly, with only his strong faith in a future he was not to see in this life. We must candidly confess, if we had lived in the time of our father Abraham, we would only with God's help have done as he, and we would have one it far less well.I asked First Son whether he thought A Path through Genesis was a good addition to his studies this year. He whole-heartedly approved. He found it helpful in his understanding of the text and enjoyable to read.
I have received nothing in exchange for this post and all opinions are my own. I purchased a used copy of this book. The link above is an affiliate link on Amazon, but the book can be found at all the usual used book websites.
