JPI 956
Covenant, Nuptiality, and The Biblical Vision of Reality
At the heart of Biblical revelation is a vision of reality that is relational and constitutively nuptial. This theme, latent in the earlier strata of Scriptures, nonetheless grounds creation and takes on the specific form of divine covenants. The prophets explicitly announce the nuptial nature of the covenant which is finally fulfilled in Christ, the Bridegroom. This 'ontological' turn is reinforced by the nuptial dimensions in the eucharistic and Marian dimensions of the covenant. While a major theme in the magisterium, some consider nuptiality controversial, seeing it as merely metaphorical. The task of this course will be to explore the Scriptural use of nuptiality and its (constitutive) role in the Biblical vision of reality. Beyond metaphor, it becomes the form of being for all creation in a unique way. Authors will include Westermann, Wenham, Cassuto, Dumbrell, Eichrodt, Heschel, Hugenberger, Barth, von Balthasar, John Paul II, Ratzinger, Blenkinsopp, L. T. Johnson.
