Interpretation is problematic, not only because of the restrictions in understanding ancient written languages and the nuances of their cultural contexts, but also with regards to understanding the textual and contextual factors involved in exegesis and hermeneutics. For the bulk of early Christian history, the responsibility for interpreting scripture was assigned to official authorities in the church. Low literacy rates among the general public enabled the perpetuation of elitist hermeneutics. However, the Reformation and the Enlightenment changed everything. To be a competent and responsible interpreter of scripture does not require membership in the clergy but instead belief and belonging to the Christian community, according to Boring (2012). Furthermore, Boring (2012) claims that interpretation of the Bible is a dynamic and ongoing act. Hermeneutics and exegesis are not static, but dynamic and discursive engagements with the primary sources to allow scripture to remain relevant regardless of shifts in geography, historical epoch, and culture. The Enlightenment dramatically shifted cultural norms and values, creating a space for secularism in society. Reason and scientific inquiry were used to denounce religion, especially as the realms of Church and State grew increasingly apart. Likewise, the Old and New Testament were subject to intense scrutiny by academics, leading to...
Whereas scripture had long been taken for granted as authoritative, universal, and eternally relevant, the Enlightenment encouraged a more critical view that took into account factors like historicity and authenticity. The historical-critical method, or historical criticism, treats the Bible as a work of literature or historiography rather than as a sacred text. The good that came out of the Enlightenment attacks on the Christian scriptures is that it actually led to a broader understanding of how to apply Biblical truths to changing social and historical circumstances. Historical criticism created a lively and ongoing debate, continuing to affect how scripture is read and understood. The historical-critical method prevents the crystallization of scripture and other problems associated with fundamentalism.References
Boring, M. Eugene. An Introduction to the New Testament: History, Literature and Theology. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2012
Hermeneutics The way in which we interpret things can depend on many factors. Our cultural background, our environment, and our upbringing among many other things shape the way we view the world and its surroundings. One of what many consider the greatest book ever written, the Bible, has many different stories with just as many interpretations. Some individuals believe that in order to understand the Bible, one must pray to God
Hermeneutics Mary Hinkle Shore and Sandra Hack Polaski both offer unique hermeneutical methods for New Testament interpretation. For Shore, the hermeneutical method is "imaginative engagement," (77). Imaginative engagement is the application of creative license to the original text for the purposes of gaining richer personal understanding. It seeks to place the reader squarely within the text, interacting intimately with its characters, stories, and themes. Imaginative engagement also offers readers a way
Bible esoteric and dated. Fee and Stuart in How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, however, show the applicability of the Bible and provide readers with the tools of applying the Bible to their contemporary lives. For them there is no "then and there" to the text, rather than "then and there" of the text can equitably be applied to the "here and now" of contemporaneous living.
" This point-of-view makes sense. Stuart and Fee have already suggested that the point of Biblical interpretation is not to look for a novel or unique interpretation, but to really try to understand the point of the passages being studied. Therefore, their idea that people should feel free to consult commentaries, so that they can understand how other people have interpreted the texts, is a good one. Moreover, they suggest that
Communicative Theory of Biblical Interpretation Any theory is a composite of residual aspects of earlier theories and fresh compositions illuminated by the present context. The several theories that have been applied to the study of Scriptures are no exception, and this discussion will explore how several theories have come to coalesce in the communicative theory of Biblical interpretation. The relation of literary criticism, structural criticism, and reader-response criticism to the Biblical
Trible provides evidence that God is female -- if not literally, then certainly metaphorically. She primarily does so by referencing passages in which the reproductive power of women is akin to God's power of creation. As enlightening as this point is, it is perhaps even more so to realize that there was a considerable amount of effort undertaken to hide this fact. The author discusses how a certain passage
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