The poetic and symbolic nature of John's gospel betrays the weakness of historical-critical and other scientific" methods of scriptural exegesis: Although valuable for the insights they do provide, scientific methods are not sensitive to the spiritual dimensions of biblical revelation.

Father Dumm therefore offers something more than the traditional chapter-and-verse commentary. Understanding that all of the gospels were written after the resurrection and, consequently, that the passion narrative greatly influenced how the earlier chapters were composed, Father Dumm gives more...

Praying the Scriptures sets a number of biblical prayers in the context of biblical revelation so that they are seen as celebrations of God's great saving deeds of the Exodus and the Resurrection. Thus they bring us into the very heart of the experience of salvation in that ultimate prayer-event that is the Eucharist. In this context prayers of petition become acts of trust in the goodness of the God who entered our world definitively in the person of Jesus Christ, while prayers of gratitude convert the lives of believers from fear and guilt to courage and joy.

Demetrius...