[1] Vatican II's Dei verbum (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation), promulgated in 1965, opened the door to acceptance within the Church of much of the scholarly study of the Hebrew and Christian Bible that had taken place since the 19th century.
[2] Until Vatican II, the decrees of this commission reflected the Counter-Reformation effort to preserve the tradition unchanged, lest errors arising during the Protestant Reformation enter into Catholic belief.
After Vatican II, the Counter-Reformation mentality in the Catholic Church diminished and the ecumenical spirit of openness to what is good in modern studies was embraced.
It is the task of exegetes to work according to these rules toward a better understanding and explanation of the meaning of Sacred Scripture, so that through preparatory study the judgment of the Church may mature.
[11]Since biblical criticism began in the 17th century it has divided into areas of research all of which have proved fruitful for Catholic scripture scholars.
Catholic scholars have also entered seriously into the quest for the historical Jesus, but with a respect for oral and written traditions that distinguishes them from some who have pursued this topic.