When de Lubac delved into what the Fathers and medieval thinkers found in the Scriptures, these broader developments were also in view. Here as elsewhere, De Lubac's research on the exegesis of the past was prodigious, and this volume represents only the tip of that very sturdy iceberg. This collection provides a unique glimpse of a relatively small portion of the exegetical material assembled by de Lubac, but it is also complete in that one can find in each chapter not just shards of information but also the recapitulation of wisdom. A final word of caution is necessary. Faced with such a wealth of new information, the reader needs to proceed slowly if only to avoid the inevitable sourness that accompanies taking in more than one can digest at one sitting.
Spiritual exegesis consists in unfolding the meaning of that word.
As with Mary's fiat, we must ponder in our hearts and with great care the implications of the words presented to us. Only after a thorough meditation on what has been read can we expect to see the fruits of this new diet in our daily lives. Barrera provides the best interdisciplinary synopsis of a European historical approach to both testaments. His views are temperate and well-considered. Though ostensively written for a general audience, the text actually assumes a general familarility with biblical scholarship.