E-Theologos, Vol. 1, No. 1 DOI 10.2478/v10154-010-0010-x Pontifical Encyclical Divino Afflante Spiritu (1943) and Principle of Interpretation Bible PhDr. ThDr. Daniel Slivka, PhD. University of Prešov in Prešov, Greek Catholic Theological Faculty Ul. biskupa Gojdiča 2, Prešov, Slovakia
[email protected] Contribution of Biblical encyclical In the last century, popes published several encyclicals1 which focus on the Holy Scripture. Their themes are various fields of biblical sciences dealing with, for example, scientific study of the Bible that presuppose knowledge and usage of biblical sources, study, and exegesis of biblical texts in original languages, old translations and interpretation of the Scrip- tures, biblical theology and other. There also belong auxiliary biblical sci- ences as biblical archaeology, biblical history, inter-testament literature, apocryphal, rabbinic literature, Gnostic literature, study of Greek-Roman culture and extra biblical sources.2 In the sphere of interpretation of the Scriptures, Magisterium in deal- ing with various problems every time responded by publishing important documents. Thus, it endeavoured to direct Catholic interpretation in the following demands and various offered possibilities of the era. Gradually, new possibilities for better understanding of the biblical text appeared, as for example in its original version. But, the extent of the Word of God and 3 its actualization was not always correctly explained. 1 Termín biblické encykliky (gréc.-lat. encyclica = okružný list), Podľa chronologického datovania sú to: Lev XIII. Provindentissimus Deus (1893); Pius X. Pascendi dominici gregis (1907); Benedikt XV. Spiritus Paraclitus (1920); Pius XII. Divino afflante Spiritu (1943) a Humani generis (1950). Cp. HERIBAN, J.: Príručný lexikón biblických vied.