“ What does it Mean? ” Hermeneutics: The Science of Interpretation

1. “What does it Mean?”Hermeneutics:The Science of Interpretation David Moseley, Ph.D.

2. Also Sprach ZarathustraRichard Strauss

3. What does the Bible Say…? • “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…” (II Timothy 3:16) • “Texts of Terror” • Holiness Code of Torah • Cultural Institutions Condoned by Scripture • Is the Bible “Scientific”? • What does Jesus say on Crucial issues?

6. How do we Interpret a Text? All Dimensions of our Experience are Subject to Interpretation

7. Which Animal is This?

11. V-Sign?

18. Music & Meaning

20. Born in the U.S.A.Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Born down in a dead man's townThe first kick I took was when I hit the groundYou end up like a dog that's been beat too muchTill you spend half your life just covering upBorn in the U.S.A.I was born in the U.S.A.I was born in the U.S.A.Born in the U.S.A.Got in a little hometown jam So they put a rifle in my handSent me off to a foreign land To go and kill the yellow manBorn in the U.S.A.I was born in the U.S.A.I was born in the U.S.A.Born in the U.S.A. • Come back home to the refineryHiring man says "Son if it was up to me"Went down to see my V.A. manHe said "Son don't you understand now" • I had a brother at Khe Sahn • fighting off the Viet CongThey're still there, he's all goneHe had a woman he loved in SaigonI got a picture of him in her arms nowDown in the shadow of the penitentiaryOut by the gas fires of the refineryI'm ten years burning down the roadNowhere to run ain't got nowhere to goBorn in the U.S.A.I was born in the U.S.A.Born in the U.S.A.I'm a long gone Daddy in the U.S.A.

21. Follow her down to a bridge by a fountain,Where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies.Everyone smiles as you drift past the flowers,That grow so incredibly high.Newspaper taxis appear on the shore,Waiting to take you away.Climb in the back with your head in the clouds,And you're gone.Lucy in the sky with diamonds… Picture yourself on a train in a station,With plasticine porters with looking glass ties.Suddenly someone is there at the turnstile,The girl with kaleidoscope eyes. Lucy in the Sky with DiamondsThe Beatles Picture yourself in a boat on a river,With tangerine trees and marmalade skies.Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly,A girl with kaleidoscope eyes.Cellophane flowers of yellow and green,Towering over your head.Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes,And she's gone.Lucy in the sky with diamonds,Lucy in the sky with diamonds,Lucy in the sky with diamonds,Ah... Ah...

22. “Lucy - in the Sky with Diamonds”Drawing by Julian Lennon (1966)

23. Interpreting the Bible Genesis 22

24. Interpreting the Bible John 1

25. George Washington???

26. George Washington

27. The Life of Washington (1809) by Parson Weems

28. Apotheosis of Washington

29. Paul Revere???

30. Paul Revere

31. The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere (1860)by Henry Longfellow

32. Israel Bissell’sFour-Day 345 Mile Ride

33. Medieval Epistemology Pre-Modern Paradigm of Imago Dei God Revelation Humanity

34. René Descartes (1596-1650) “Cogito, Ergo Sum”

35. Modern Epistemology Modern Paradigm of Cartesian Epistemology God Reason Humanity

36. The Enlightenment Reason Nature Autonomy Harmony Immanuel Kant, What is Enlightenment? (1784) “Sapere Aude!”

37. Biblical Studies in the Early Nineteenth Century • The Challenge of Reason to Biblical Interpretation • Thomas Jefferson’s New Testament • Two Schools of Biblical Studies in the Early Nineteenth Century: I. Supernaturalism – Bible is Literal / Historical Truth = Fundamentalism II. Naturalism – Bible Stories have “Natural” Explanations = Rationalism • Limitations of these Two Schools of Thought

38. Hermeneutics Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768-1834) “Hermeneutics” is the Science of Interpretation Grammatical Historical / Psychological

39. “Worldviews” Wilhelm Dilthey (1833-1911) “Weltanschauung” - The framework of Ideas and Beliefs through which an Individual Interprets the World and Interacts in it

40. Principles of Hermeneutics Text – Genre of Object of Study Isegesis – Reading Into the Text Pre-Text – Our Perspective Context – Contemporary Setting of Text Exegesis – Reading out of the Text “Hermeneutical Circle”

41. I. Genre

42. How was the Bible Written? Pre-Literate Culture Oral Transmission Reliability of Oral Tradition?

43. GENRE:What type of Book is the Bible? Bible = Biblia (Books) Different Genres of Writing Different Genres in Scripture: (Pre-)History Law Poetry Wisdom Prophecy Biography Letters Apocalypse

44. David Friedrich Strauss (1808-1874)

45. The Life of JesusCritically Examined (1835-37) • Strauss sought a “Third Way” in Biblical Interpretation (beyond Supernaturalism vs. Naturalism) • Myth = When the Historical or Literal Truth is less important than the Symbolic or Moral Truth

46. King Christian X of Denmark

47. Strauss’ Understanding of Myth • Human Beings are “Mythopoeic” – People like to Hear or Create Myths to Express Truth • “Unconscious Mythicizing Principle” at work in the Production of the Gospels • “DeMythologize” - All that matters is the Symbolic or Moral Truth

48. Have we Outgrown Myths?

49. Narnia Movies$2 Billion…so far…

50. Matrix Movies$2.5 Billion