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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 for understanding when interpreting it. Others take the Bible literally at face value. The purpose of hermeneutics is to aid us in the interpretation of such things as the Bible. There are different methods of hermeneutics: in front of the text, in the text, and behind the text. In reading the two stories by Samuel Cheon and Daniel Patte, we get a clear understanding of which hermeneutical method is used.
In Reconsidering Jephthah's Story in Asian Perspective, Samuel Cheon gives westerners a new perspective on the story of Jephthah from an Asian point-of-view. He also tells the story of Simcheongjeon. In both stories, the daughters sacrificed their lives for the safety and preservation of their fathers. Jephthah actually killed his daughter to fulfill a vow he made to God and Simcheong willingly sacrificed her life so that her father could regain his sight. Both stories can be viewed as harsh and barbaric from a western standpoint. But, from a hermeneutical...
It is unfair to judge and interpret each story based only on western culture. We must view each story keeping in mind the period in which they were written as well as the cultural setting of the time period. Western culture can be vastly different from Asian or eastern culture. In Western culture, it is unthinkable for a father to 'sacrifice' his daughter, or for a daughter to allow herself to be sacrificed for the well-being of her father. Westerners would consider these things criminal or attach some sort of psychological dysfunction to each. Many westerners view the New Testament of the Bible as being written for them because they cannot or will not try to understand or relate the Old Testament. To them, the Old Testament was written from an eastern cultural standpoint, whereas the New Testament is written with more of a western mindset. Because of this common belief, westerners must make the effort to fully understand the hermeneutical method of reading behind the text in order to gain a full understanding to be able to interpret the Bible from a socio-cultural and historical standpoint.
Patte, in his writing titled, Contextual Reading of Mark and North Atlantic Scholarship is very upfront on…
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
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law…" (1 Cor 9:19-20). St. Paul himself reveals how both historical and literary context should shape our understanding: the history behind St. Paul's letters illustrates the grandeur of the Church's
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
Summary Sacred Hermeneutics consists of eight lessons, which move the reader from a basic introduction to what hermeneutics is (the practice of interpreting the Bible) to a sense of how to use Scripture for devotional and doctrinal purposes. The main points that the text makes include: 1) Scripture contains the Word of God and should be studied carefully for that reason—for what God has said contains information of great significance for
Christian and Jewish traditions have always been set apart by a keen interest in the correct ways to interpret the Bible. From the heated debates between the Antiochenes and the Alexandrians during the time of the ancient church to the debates pertaining the use of the Bible during the reformation period, the proper way of interpreting the scriptures has been a major source of concern. To biblical scholars in the
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.