A Dei Verbum and the semiotic reading of scripture in media culture

Abstract

This article proposes an integrative reading that connects the hermeneutical principles of the Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum (1965) with contemporary approaches in semiotics and symbolic communication, particularly considering visual culture and digital languages. Based on the interaction of Scripture–Tradition–Magisterium highlighted in Dei Verbum, it investigates how Christian Revelation can be understood as a multifaceted communicational process, capable of engaging new contexts and requiring innovative interpretative languages. Drawing on contributions from semiotic theorists such as Peirce, Barthes, and Eco, as well as from religious communication scholars like Ferrara and Martino, the study analyzes the Word of God as a theological sign, emphasizing the mediating role of images and proposing an exegesis that is simultaneously symbolic, spiritual, and pastoral. At the same time, it reflects on the challenges and opportunities of evangelization in the digital culture, suggesting a cyberteology attentive to the new signs of the times. The convergence of Word and image, tradition and innovation, is presented as a fertile and strategic path for the Church’s mission in the twenty-first century.