Dei Verbum

Vatican II was one of the most significant events in the life of the modern Church. Between October 1962 and December 1965 the largest ever gathering of Catholic bishops answered the call of Pope John XXIII to let some fresh air into the Church. Completing the work of an earlier Vatican Council that had been cut short, and in a tradition of ecumenical councils dating back to the time of the Apostles, Vatican II laid the foundations for a renewal process that still continues.

For this reason CTS decided to republish the four major documents of the Council (known as Constitutions and named after their opening words in Latin), with brilliant new Introductions by leading churchmen, to encourage continued study of the Council in parishes and elsewhere.

Dei Verbum is the Constitution on the Word of God. It deals with the importance and interpretation of Holy Scripture in the context of divine revelation, and the spirit in which it should be read. Successive chapters examine the nature of revelation, the inspiration, transmission and interpretation of the biblical texts, the relationship of Old and New Testaments, and the continuing, vivifying role of Scripture in the life of the Church. Though brief, this beautiful Constitution is full of rich insight, and emphasizes the important place of Scripture in every Christian life.