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Three major categories of biblical interpretation

Explore the evolution of biblical interpretation from early cryptic and divine assumptions, to modern historical-critical methods, and postmodern readerly approaches. Discover how different interpretations shape understanding of biblical texts.

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Three major categories of biblical interpretation

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  1. Three major categories of biblical interpretation • Early (premodern) • Modern • Postmodern

  2. Four assumptions that distinguish early from modern • Cryptic – scripture means much more than what it appears to mean, has hidden meanings, might “imply” much more than what it says • Relevant – scripture is about us and our time, not the times in which it was written • Perfect – scripture is a unified whole so any part can enlighten any other part, has no contradictions within itself, does not contradict “later” beliefs • Divine – from God… but wide variety of ideas about what that means See Kugel pp. 17-23

  3. Modern biblical interpretation • Questions, rejects, or brackets the four assumptions • True meaning is the meaning intended by the original author • Historical context and textual history can be discovered through historical-critical methods: • archaeology, social science, form criticism, source criticism, redaction criticism, canonical criticism (see Collins pp. 12-13) • The role of the interpreter is to be a neutral observer

  4. Postmodern biblical interpretation • Meaning arises from the interaction between the reader and the text. The original author’s intent is irrecoverable or irrelevant • “Readerly” interpretation • There is no such thing as a neutral observer. We are all conditioned by our environment, whether or not we are aware of it. • Contextual biblical interpretation (consciously speaking from one’s context, e.g., feminist, womanist, post-colonial, Latin American, Native American) • How to avoid relativism? (any reader’s interpretation is as valid as any other’s)

  5. Biblical law and American law • Direct causal continuities • Cultural continuities • Anthropological commonalities • Discontinuities and contrasts

  6. Counting to ten • Is recognizing God independent of not having other gods? • Are other gods and sculpted images the same thing? • Are women property? • How many on each tablet?

  7. What other gods? • Henotheism – having one god for oneself, but acknowledging the existence of other gods (cf. being devoted to the Spurs but acknowledging the existence of other teams) • Monotheism – only one god exists (the Lakers do not exist) • The position that the idea of monotheism developed over time and is not always assumed in the Bible is a good example of modern (not early) biblical interpretation.

  8. Transgenerational punishment • Does God visit the guilt of parents upon the children, upon the third and fourth generations of those who reject God?

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