In Unlocking the Gospels Jeremy Corley offers a clear guide for beginners, drawn from the 1993 Pontifical Biblical Commission document, The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church.

There are many possible approaches to biblical interpretation, and if rightly used, each method can help to illuminate the biblical text. In Unlocking the Gospels Corley illustrates these methods by applying them to the gospel story of the widow's mites (Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4). He encourages students of the Bible to explore a diversity of approaches to gain insights into the riches in the scriptural text. He concludes that none of the methods of interpretation is an end in itself, but rather that all the methods are intended to serve the principal aim, which is the deepening of faith.

Jeremy Corley, PhD, is a Scripture lecturer at Ushaw College, Durham, England.