Dei Verbum and the Pontifical Biblical Commission

Dialogue Between Doctrine and Hermeneutics

Abstract

This article explores the ongoing influence of the Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum, promulgated by the Second Vatican Council, on contemporary biblical hermeneutics through the work of the Pontifical Biblical Commission. Drawing from Dei Verbum’s theological foundations—particularly the concepts of Revelation, inspiration, salvific truth, and the triple mediation of Scripture, Tradition, and Magisterium—the study analyzes how the Commission’s documents embody a creative and pastoral reception of the conciliar vision. Key texts such as The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church (1993), The Bible and Morality (2008), The Inspiration and Truth of Sacred Scripture (2014), and What Is Man? (2019) are examined, showing how the Commission integrates faith and method, tradition and contemporaneity, in service to the Church’s mission of hearing, living, and proclaiming the living Word of God. The article concludes that the Pontifical Biblical Commission functions as an operative expression of Dei Verbum, renewing its principles with fidelity and creativity amid current exegetical, ethical, and anthropological challenges.