Book of Joel is a book of the Twelve Minor Prophets centered on communal repentance, the day of the Lord, restoration, and the outpouring of the Spirit on all flesh.[1]
Place in the Catholic canon
Book of Joel is received by the Catholic Church as inspired and canonical Sacred Scripture.
Within the canon, the book belongs to the Twelve Minor Prophets. Its proper meaning is read within the unity of the whole Bible, the Church's living Tradition, and the coherence of revealed truth.
Content and theology
The book principally treats communal repentance, the day of the Lord, restoration, and the outpouring of the Spirit on all flesh. Its historical setting, literary forms, and compositional history are proper subjects of disciplined scholarship; no disputed modern authorship theory is itself an article of Catholic faith.
Catholic reading
The Church receives the book as the word of God in human words. Its literal sense grounds authentic spiritual and typological readings, and its fullest Christian interpretation is governed by the revelation of the Father in Jesus Christ without erasing Israel, the human author's meaning, or salvation history.[2]
References
- 1.USCCB Bible: Book of Joel — Approved biblical text, introduction, and study notes
- 2.Dei Verbum — Dogmatic constitution on revelation, inspiration, and interpretation