Digital Logos Edition
Five experts in biblical hermeneutics gather here to state and defend their approach to the discipline. Contributors include: Craig Blomberg with the historical-critical/grammatical approach, Richard Gaffin with the redemptive-historical approach, Scott Spencer with the literary/postmodern approach, Robert Wall with the canonical approach and Merold Westphal with the philosophical/theological approach.
“Scripture is itself revelation, not somehow less than revelation” (Page 93)
“Various taxonomies of hermeneutical methods today divide higher criticism into three broad categories: historical, theological and literary approaches.” (Page 28)
“Finally, philosophical hermeneutics is not a method or strategy for interpreting” (Page 71)
“The historical-critical/grammatical method is critical as well as historical because it seeks to analyze the formation of documents, including earlier written sources, oral forms of communication and whatever distinctive emphases the author of the document may have added to the tradition he or she inherited. Such analysis can also lead to judgments about the reliability of the document being assessed. Finally, the historical-critical/grammatical method is grammatical because it insists on a careful study of words, grammatical forms, sentence parts, sentences and multisentence structures as they relate to each other.” (Page 39)
“The historical-critical/grammatical method, as opposed to the other four methods presented in this volume, analyzes the historical setting in which a given communicative act occurs. This involves general information about who is speaking to whom, where, when and under what circumstances, as well as specific information concerning what is sometimes called a shared ‘presuppositional pool’—whatever knowledge the author and audience share about past or present events, customs and practices, culture and society, and so on, that might be important for interpreting particular details of the communication at hand.” (Pages 38–39)
Stan Porter and Beth Stovell's contribution to this genre admirably justifies its existence, helpfully framing and fostering hermeneutical discussions in ways that will promote constructive reflection within both the church and the academy.
Guy Waters, Themelios: vol. 38, no. 1
The dialogue between these five views presents a basic hermeneutical conversation in a very accessible way. . . . Academics, students of biblical studies, and pastors will find this a helpful addition to their libraries.
Matthew James Hamilton, Bible Study Magazine, September/October 2012
Biblical Hermeneutics is a welcome addition to the often labyrinthine discussion of biblical interpretation. Each essay is clearly and astutely written, and the congenial tone of the contributors is refreshing.
Andrea L. Robinson, Journal for Baptist Theology and Ministry, Fall 2013