The Conference
Few areas within the theological disciplines are as broad, diverse, and at times contentious as the study of Sacred Scripture. The Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Dei Verbum, proclaims that Sacred Scripture is the soul of sacred theology. Yet the integration of Scripture and theology was an achievement that lay largely outside the reach of twentieth-century scholarship: neo-scholastic and post-conciliar forms of twentieth-century theology largely appreciated Scripture, but were not always as well formed by it as they might have been; while critical and post-critical forms of biblical studies largely eschewed theological integration as antithetical to an “authentic” approach to the biblical text. In many ways, twenty-first century theology is enjoying a new springtime, as it takes up the unfinished business of re-envisioning and re-establishing the relationship between theology and biblical studies: theological exegesis is more widely accepted as a normative hermeneutic in light of the continuity of the Holy Spirit’s action in the events of Sacred Scripture and the life of the Church, an deeper historical studies of the Fathers and Doctors have opened a storehouse of wisdom, illuminating the many fruitful paths that such exegesis can take. In the wake of this “Renaissance of Biblical Theology,” an examination of the Church’s rich and diverse tradition of theological exegesis will benefit the theological community, the academy writ large, and the Church herself. The inaugural International Theological Symposium at Franciscan University of Steubenville will thus be devoted to Biblical Theology. Plenary papers will engage the direct exegesis of the Old and New Testaments, as well as theological exegesis in the Greek and Latin Fathers, the Medievals, and the pioneering exegetical work of Joseph Ratzinger.
We welcome proposals for additional papers that engage any topic related to the central theme of the conference. Possible topics include the hermeneutics of theological exegesis in itself, theological exegesis of one or more passages or books of Sacred Scripture, patristic exegesis, medieval exegesis, and the revival of theological exegesis in modern theologians such as Ratzinger, de Lubac, and others. Presentations will be 20 minutes long with 10 minutes for questions afterwards. Please submit a 250-300 word abstract to Paul Boyles, Project Manager of the School of Philosophy and Theology at Franciscan University, via email at [email protected]. Deadline for submissions is April 1, 2026. Notification of acceptance will be made by May 1, 2026.
