Sacred Scripture: Old and New Testament Texts, Literary Forms and Interpretation
This domain tests how you handle the Bible as both literature and revelation: identifying genres, explaining inspiration, and applying interpretive methods without collapsing into literalism or pure subjectivism. MATSEC expects familiarity with Dei Verbum (1965), the canon, and the classic distinction between the senses of Scripture.
Core rules and concepts
- Literary forms govern meaning: myth (Genesis 1), saga, law code (Deuteronomy), prophecy, gospel, parable, apocalyptic (Revelation). Genre identification is not optional decoration; it determines what a text can legitimately claim.
- Dei Verbum 11–13 teaches divine inspiration and inerrancy "for the sake of our salvation", and requires attention to literary forms, historical context and the unity of the canon.
- The four senses - literal, allegorical, moral, anagogical - are medieval; modern Catholic exegesis prioritises the literal sense, with the spiritual sense grounded in it.
- Historical-critical tools (source, form and redaction criticism) are legitimate; they answer historical questions, not the question of faith.
Worked example
Question: "Genesis 1 proves creation in six 24-hour days." Reason: Genesis 1:1–2:4a is a Priestly creation account using a liturgical seven-day frame, ancient Near Eastern cosmology (firmament, waters above) and repeated formulas. Its genre is theological narrative, not a chronometer. The doctrine taught is that God alone creates, that creation is good, and that humans bear God's image. The text does not specify the age of the universe. A strong answer names the genre, cites Dei Verbum 12, and separates the theological claim from the scientific question.
Traps that cost marks
- Proof-texting verses without their context.
- Calling Genesis 1 "myth" as if that meant "false".
- Confusing parable with allegory, or apocalyptic with straightforward prediction.
- Ignoring the difference between the literal sense and literalism.