The Bible guides us, but it needs our questions

The Pontifical Biblical Institute, with its 322 students and a faculty of 58 professors, is a small institute of highly specialised studies. The majority of its students are men and women religious or diocesan priests appointed by their superiors and bishops who need experts in biblical studies, lay Catholics who will become tomorrow’s professors, coordinators of biblical pastoral ministry or engaged in dedicated apostolates. “They are all extremely motivated,” notes the President of the Biblical Institute, Fr. Peter Dubovský S.J. whose first love, however, was not the Bible. After completing his studies in biochemistry, Fr. Dubovský started working at the National Research Centre for Immunology and Oncology in Bratislava. He then became a priest of the Society of Jesus, completed his theological studies at the Gregorian University, obtained a Licentiate degree from the Biblical Institute and a PhD from Harvard University.

Born in Slovakia, Fr. Dubovský believes that each student’s cultural context can inform their studies. He explains this based on his own experience: “My doctoral thesis focused on a set of Neo-Assyrian tablets that I successfully identified as the world’s first ‘secret service’, dating back to the eighth century BC, the time of the Prophets and of the production of certain biblical texts: how did the presence of a sort of ‘Big Brother’ surveillance affect a small province like Judea? Knowing the experience of the communist regime, I asked myself many questions.” In addition to his academic activity, Fr. Dubovský enjoys mountain walks and pastoral work with Scout groups.

 

Today, Bible study is available in many academic institutions around the world. What is unique about your academic offering?

“We have recently introduced three educational pathways that highlight our core areas of study, with the possibility of choosing among the following specialisations: Exegesis and the Biblical Text - Languages and History - Hermeneutics and the History of Interpretation. Knowledge of the source languages is a primary requirement. A prerequisite for admission is the successful completion of an examination in Greek and Hebrew, or the completion of a one-year introductory course in these languages.

A second distinguishing feature is the recognition that the Bible cannot be interpreted without studying the historical and archaeological context in which it was written. Therefore, in addition to Hebrew and Greek, students are required to know a third ancient language, i.e. one of the “lingua francas” that were contemporary with the Biblical texts and were used in the drafting of documents, transactions and international treaties. These include Syriac, Targumic Aramaic or Coptic for the New Testament; Ugaritic, Egyptian, Sumerian or Akkadian for the Old Testament. Our Faculty of Ancient Near Eastern Studies focuses on these disciplines.

The third distinctive feature of our studies is the teaching of different exegetical methodologies. As I said, knowledge of the language and the historical background is a prerequisite. Students must also be able to decipher the text in order to understand its genesis, the figures involved in its authorship, how to distinguish different editorial strata... and finally, its inherent dynamics, its narrative, its rhetoric and the significance of its various characters. Finally, our students are taught to analyse the various preserved manuscripts of Scripture and to draw theological and spiritual insights therefrom.”

The study of the materiality of the Bible - its languages, history, archaeology, manuscripts - is thus necessary but not sufficient.

“That’s the starting point, but it’s important not to stop at the materiality of the text and reach the stage of interpretation. To do this correctly and respectfully, this process is indispensable. Otherwise, there is a risk of interpreting the text in an instrumental way, trying to read into it what we are looking for. Conversely, it is the biblical text that should guide us, showing us the paths of theology, spirituality or pastoral care. But first we must let it speak, acknowledging our own difficulties in understanding it.”

 

The Biblical Institute also has a branch in Jerusalem. How does this contribute to the mission of the Institute?

“Since its foundation, the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Jerusalem has played a very important role. It promoted archaeological excavations of the highest level, thereby providing the opportunity for in-depth study of the archaeological, cultural and social aspects of the Bible. In that context, Jesuit priests organised study trips with students to Egypt, Jordan and Turkey, sometimes on camelback. During his rectorship, Carlo Maria Martini established a partnership with the Hebrew University and requested that our students spend a semester in Jerusalem to study Hebrew and possibly modern Hebrew. In recent years, other disciplines have been developed and students have enrolled in a variety of courses there, most notably archaeology. In addition to the Hebrew University, we also work with other institutions.

The Pontifical Biblical Institute offers the possibility of discovering the Holy Land. It is all very well to have a knowledge of its geographical features, but it is not the same thing as feeling its summer heat, perhaps experiencing a period of drought and what it is like to be thirsty. Our students have continued their activities even after 7 October 2023, and when I visited them, many thanked us for our decision to stay. It is not easy to experience the strain of living in a country at war. But it is a testimony. This is very important for the students, for the university and for the institutions. Education has many dimensions. These dimensions can be material, spiritual, or markedly academic.”

What are the challenges ahead?

“There are a number of challenges. First of all, the very different educational backgrounds of the students. Thirty years ago, a large number of students had a background in classical studies - Greek and Latin literature. This is not the case today. This is not to say that the students are any less competent, but it is an indication that the starting point is different. Cultural and ethnic backgrounds also play a role in education, but this too is an irreplaceable asset. Survivors of the Rwandan genocide, for example, ask questions of the Bible that an Italian student would probably never ask. The students approach the text in different ways, and this opens up new possibilities of interpretation and new avenues of research.

There are also challenges of an academic nature. To be present on the international academic scene today - as the Holy See requires of us - means publishing. It means taking part in international conferences. The first conference organized by the Biblical Institute took place in 2013. Conferences and workshops have been held on a regular basis since then. The new forms of academic activity require a significant change of mindset.”

What does the Biblical Institute have to offer and what does it gain from the new configuration of the Gregoriana?

“I consider it to be a win-win arrangement. Firstly, our institute offers a unique educational experience, as outlined above. Secondly, it is evident that biblical studies must be complemented by other fields of knowledge for further advancement; interdisciplinarity is a prerequisite for conducting research in this area. While we have longstanding collaborations with the Department of Biblical Theology and the Bea Centre for Judaic Studies, there remains significant potential for expansion into areas such as Patristics, Moral Theology, and Systematic Theology. To be a moral theologian or a biblical theologian is not enough; there needs to be collaboration and dialogue with all disciplines. We have the opportunity to take biblical studies to the next level, together with the research of the professors of the Collegium Maximum and the Oriental Institute.”