Review: G. O’Collins, Inspiration. Towards a Christian Interpretation of Biblical Inspiration, Oxford 2018, pp. 222

Wrocławski Przegląd Teologiczny 28 (2020) 1, 371–380 Wrocław Theological Review Sławomir Zatwardnicki Pontifical Faculty of Theology in Wrocław, Poland ORCID: 0000-0001-7597-6604 Review: G. O’Collins, Inspiration. Towards a Christian Interpretation of Biblical Inspiration, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2018, pp. 222 T wo years after the Revelation. Towards a Christian Interpretation of God’s Self-revelation in Jesus Christ book was published, Gerald O’Collins offers the reader yet another interesting position. This time, the former professor of systematic and fundamental theology at the Gregorian University is dealing with inspiration, an issue that remains in the obvious – through in need to be clarified – relationship with the previous area of research. The Australian theologian reminds us in his opening preface that the authoritative role of the Bible for the faith and life of Christians is linked to the fact that God has engaged in a unique way in the creation of the inspired books. Interestingly enough, scholars marginalize or even ignore the question of biblical inspiration (indeed, the list of literature given by the author in which the reader expects in vain to have this issue addressed is impressive). Therefore, the work of the Jesuit aims at making up for the lack of an adequate scholarly study. Already in the foreword the author stresses that a better insight into inspiration can be expected not from abstract considerations, but from a study of the history of the inspiring influence of Scripture. The Bible itself provides a limited knowledge of the Divine causality involved in its creation, while more information would be provided by the inspirational effect; more visible is the mysterious inspiration of the Holy Spirit resulting in the creation of the inspired books and their inspiring properties. In the epilogue O’Collins emphasizes that his work sought primarily to distinguish (but not to separate) the biblical inspiration as an impulse of the Holy Spirit to write holy texts, divine self-revelation as a source material for inspired testimonies, and the biblical truth as a consequence of inspiration. The value of this publication would be DOI: 10.34839/wpt.2020.28.1.371-380 © Papieski Wydział Teologiczny we Wrocławiu 372 Lectures, reports and reviews determined by distinguishing between the inspiration as the cause, i.e. the activity of the Holy Spirit, and the inspiration as the effects or results of that activity. Instead of focusing on the limited knowledge of how inspiration as a cause works, the focus is on the fragmented history of the influence of biblical texts. It is not so much about reception history which emphasizes the subjective element of reception as about Wirkungsgeschichte, effective history or a history of effects which indicates the objective inspiring power of the Spirit acting through biblical texts. Between this framework, which is marked by the preface and the epilogue, the reader is offered ten chapters. The first one is preceded by a table of contents and a list of abbreviations. Due to the lack of contemporary studies on inspiration, the Australian theologian refers to older literature in the first chapter entitled The Inspiration of the Bible: Two Accounts. The dialogue with Protestant and Catholic theologians – Karl Barth (1886–1968) and Raymond F. Collins (b. 1935) – enables the identification of more important topics for further study of biblical inspiration. Especially the latter indicates the direction in which this publication under review is organized. O’Collins points out five principles that should shape scholarly elaborations on inspiration. “First, revelation precedes and extends beyond biblical inspiration. Hence revelation and inspiration should not be identified” (p. 17). This means that the examination of inspiration must be subordinated to the concept of revelation. Secondly, inspired Scripture bears witness to the words and events of revelation, but it can also bear witness to other matters rather loosely related to revelation. Thirdly, the formation of inspired Scripture ends with the end of the apostolic era: in other words, the gift of biblical inspiration was only appropriate for foundational revelation. Fourthly, it is emphasized that although the Spirit is the primary author, still the Bible, which is the Word of God, is also the fruit of true human creation. And finally, “the activity of the Spirit also ensures that the inspired Scriptures have remained inspiring – in the proclamation and public worship of the Church and in the individual lives of men and women” (p. 18). In the second chapter – Four Old Testament Books as Inspired and Inspiring – the Jesuit, convinced that an authentic study of inspiration must be firmly anchored in the Scriptures themselves, deals with several books of the Old Testament. In them, he seeks above all what we know about the human side of the composition of the Bible books, without considering why the vision of inspiration should remain detached from reality. The process of creating Old Testament books shows that the Holy Spirit influenced everyone involved. An interesting case for researching the nature of inspiration is the Book of Syrach. Its author, besides being inspired by the Holy Spirit (which he did not seem Lectures, reports and reviews 373 to be aware of), was also, as he himself admits, influenced by many factors (studying, travelling, human experiences). In turn, we learn from the books of the prophets that the Advocates of the Divine Word were mostly inspired not to write, but to speak and to act. In the next chapter O’Collins analyses the inspiring influence of Old Testament books on the authors of the New Testament and on Jesus Himself: hence the title of this part of the book: The New Testament as Inspired by the Old Testament. The theologian documents the use of the Old in the New Testament on the example of St Matthew and St Paul along with the author of the Book of Revelation. For all of them, the Old Testament has an inalienable role in expressing and interpreting the central mysteries of the Christian faith. It is significant that only the author of the Apocalypse „is conscious of being inspired and of his God-given, prophetic authority (Rev 10:11; 22:9). Revelation ends with a solemn warning against altering the text (Rev. 22:18-19). Divine authority stands squarely behind the whole message” (pp. 59–60). The information contained in 2Pt 1:20-21 indicates that the Holy Spirit moved people, not taking away their freedom, but including the human will as a secondary cause of ‘prophecy’ (broadly understood as all scriptural texts of the Old Testament). In turn, the statements in 2Tm 3:16-17 emphasize the usefulness of all Scripture. For the Apostle Paul they are more than that: they help to form his thought and equip him with an apostolic ministry when he interprets it in the light of Christ’s event. Also the vision of Jesus’ identity and m (...truncated)