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In order to promote the Church's ongoing efforts "to share the boundless riches of the divine Word with the faithful entrusted to its care" (Dei Verbum 25), The Scripture Documents reproduces in one volume key documents that record Catholic teaching on the interpretation of the Bible.

Intended as a reference work, this collection of conciliar, papal, and curial documents on sacred Scripture includes for each official document a brief historical introduction that facilitates a contextual understanding of each document, a running annotation, and a select bibliography of available commentaries and related works.

Like the Canon of Scriptures itself, this collection includes various kinds of documents authored by different Roman ecclesiastical authorities within the Church's Teaching Office and expressed in several different literary forms. Each document addresses issues and problems peculiar to the historical situation in which it was written.

The Scripture Documents provides easy access to those official documents that record some of the Church's efforts to promote and guide the study of the Bible among the faithful. The teaching these instructions convey is helpful for all who seek to read and interpret the Scriptures in the light of faith.

Dean P. Bechard, SJ, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Theology at Fordham University.