The first three readings (and I’d say all the readings for today) invite us to reflect more deeply and differently about issues and biblical texts. Our readings demand us to be critical of the interpretative frameworks, presuppositions, and historical-socio-cultural location not only of biblical authors but also examine overall “interpretative tendencies” that lie behind ancient and modern interpreters. Before us are various ways of thinking, looking, experiencing and interpreting the text. How do we differ from ancient readers? And in what ways could we possibly have in common? Given the abundance and variety of voices, it is important for us to be self-aware of our “interpretative tendencies”, interpretative frameworks, presuppositions, and of our own social-cultural-scientific-psychological present location. We bring to our interpretations our own subjectivity. Thus, when we do biblical theology it is important to help readers understand where we locate ourselves since our contributions to scholarship are “product of historically bound assumptions” (Lambert, 4). It is important to be critically self-aware since we are all product of our own time and context. …show more content…
However, his target audience is broader, not limited to scholars, but more focused to lay people or ordinary students of scripture for Smith speaks in a simple language that is understandable by non-scholars. Smith points out that the ancients’ view of God were influenced by their worldview. Smith invites us his readers to reflect: to “think” and “feel” –to “think from the heart” in a more profound and different way of conceiving God. Smith describes our own sense of God as an “open-ended
If as believers we fail to completely trust the Word of God and form our life under its direction then our witness will become misleading and even confusing. Believer’s effort in diligently understanding, applying and holding full trust to the word of God in all aspects of our life will be instrumental in building our faith. Such a faith will elevate us to enable us rise above the unrelenting wave of our culture’s non-biblical ideologies. Biblical worldview is very important in order to develop a life, which can be emulated by others in diligence, integrity and honesty in the modern society (Tackett, 2014).
According to David M. Carr, the history of Scriptural interpretation indicates that religious texts are popular candidates for reinterpretation and, as such, are spaces wherein the personal identity of the reader frequently inscribes itself at length:
N.T Wright (2008) stated that “When we read the scriptures as Christians, we read it precisely as people of the new covenant and of the new creation” (p.281). In this statement, the author reveals a paradigm of scriptural interpretation that exists for him as a Christian, theologian, and profession and Bishop. When one surveys the entirety of modern Christendom, one finds a variety of methods and perspectives on biblical interpretation, and indeed on the how one defines the meaning in the parables of Jesus. Capon (2002) and Snodgrass (2008) offer differing perspectives on how one should approach the scriptures and how the true sense of meaning should be extracted. This paper will serve as a brief examination of the methodologies presented by these two authors. Let us begin, with an
"EXPLORING THEOLOGY 1 & 2." EXPLORING THEOLOGY 1 2. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2014.
Harris, Stephen. Understanding The Bible. 6 ed. New York City: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages, 2002. Print.
The Interpreter's One Volume Commentary on the Bible. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1971). Lenski, R. C. H. Interpretation of St. Luke's Gospel (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing). House, 1961.
The Wesleyan quadrilateral is still relevant today as it provides a method for discovering the things of God, ourselves, and lets us know who God really is. For the purposes of this reflection paper, I would like to summarize the four components of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral and then reflect personally upon each term as how it relates to the Christian theologian. The first component of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral is scripture. The term scripture used in the Wesleyan Quadrilateral refers to God’s word. God’s word is found in the Bible.
...pse." In Current Issues in New Testament Interpretation, edited by W. Klaasen and G.F. Snyder, 23-37. New York, NY: Harper and Row, 1962.
Is the language in the New Testament problematic for the modern world view? Rudolf Bultmann’s argument in the article, “The Task of Demythologizing,” in Philosophy and Faith: A Philosophy and Religion Reader, believes it is. He challenges the theologian to strip away the elements in the language of the mythical world image and the event of redemption, and then, suggests theology needs to examine the truths in the New Testament. Theology must discover whether the New Testament offers people a better understanding of themselves leading them to a genuine existential decision. Keeping in mind, the New Testament was written for humankind’s comprehension of the world view during the pre-scientific age, Bultmann stipulates theologians may want to
The New Interpreter's Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha. Nashville: Abingdon Press, ©2003.
The film, ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy’ gives an interesting look at the juxtaposition of two cultures. The first is one of serene simplicity, that of the Bushmen (referred to hereafter in the more correct form, San); and the second is that of the western civilization, characterized by extreme busyness and stress. The two worlds of course collide in this 1980s South African comedy. The film took much flak however, from those who thought its depictions of the San were incorrect and even racist. Nevertheless, the film was an international hit, especially in America were it grossed $51,200,000 in 1980 (IMDB). In this paper, I will attempt to gauge the veracity of the claims of racism in this film against the intent of the film maker to decide if they
Exegesis and hermeneutics are the two main processes of studying the Bible as well as all of its content not only academically but philosophically as well. Exegesis is the study of the bible with the emphasis on the actual text. On the other hand, Hermeneutics is philosophical and reasoning study of the Bible focusing on the process of interpretation. However, this chapter stated that multiple approaches are used simultaneously. We need to be very cautious when we use other people’s hermeneutical assumptions and not a...
Edited by Buttrick, George A.. The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible. New York: Abingdon Press, 1962. p.782-786
Answering these questions is the purpose of this essay. I begin by arguing that the Bible cannot be adequately understood independent of its historical context. I concede later that historical context alone however is insufficient, for the Bible is a living-breathing document as relevant to us today as it was the day it was scribed. I conclude we need both testimonies of God at work to fully appreciate how the Bible speaks to us.
One of the major points stressed by Hodge in this essay is that the scriptures are infallible because they were written by the inspiration of God and the Holy Ghost. Hodge begins to describe the attri...