Abstract
In reply to the question, the writer claims that historical criticism can arrive at a responsible theological and "spiritual" sense of the biblical text, in harmony with the living tradition within which the exegete works. Allowing for tensions between the Testaments, the exegete must respect the integrity of both. On the personal and pastoral level, the open-ended character of the text, recognized by historical criticism, lends itself to an actualization that is vital for the ongoing life of the Bible among the people of God. This article has preserved the informality of the address given originally at the sixty-first annual meeting of the Catholic Biblical Association at the University of Scranton, August 9, 1998. The author is grateful to Michael P. O'Connor for a critical reading and suggestions on the first draft of the paper.
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