Deep Exegesis: The Mystery of Reading Scripture

by Peter Leithart

Publisher:

Baylor University Press

, 2009

Overview

Seeking to train readers to “hear all that is being said” within a written text, Peter Leithart advocates a hermeneutical approach that is not rigidly literalistic and looks to Jesus and Paul to learn how to read—not just the Bible, but everything. Thus, Deep Exegesis explores the nature of reading itself, taking clues from Jesus and Paul on the meaning of meaning, the functions of language, and proper modes of interpretation. By looking and listening closely, and by including passages from the Bible and other literary sources, Leithart aims to do for the text what Jesus did for the blind man in John 9: to make new by opening eyes. The book is a powerful invitation to enter the depths of a text.

In the Logos edition of Deep Exegesis, you get easy access to Scripture texts and to a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Hovering over Scripture references links you instantly to the verse you’re looking for, and with a wealth of other tools from Logos, you can delve into your study like never before!

Key Features

• Follows the disciples’ methods of reading
• Considers analogies between textual and musical structure
• Describes the ways biblical writers read the Bible

Contents

• The Text Is a Husk: Modern Hermeneutics
• Texts Are Events: Typology
• Words Are Players: Semantics
• The Text Is a Joke: Intertextuality
• Texts Are Music: Structure
• Texts Are about Christ: Application

Top Highlights

“Typology is deliberate foreshadowing, and the change in meaning from expectation to conclusion is the change from promise to fulfillment. The original text changes meaning when brought into relation to other texts.” (Page 64)

“Dwight Macdonald’s complaint that modern Bible translators turn down Scripture’s ‘voltage, so it won’t blow any fuses.’” (Page 5)

“Paul may teach us how to read certain texts, but Paul is not supposed to teach us how to read.” (Page 34)

“More subtly, he uses the Calvinist notion of accommodation to explain the idioms and wording of Scripture. Calvin said that the Scripture’s rough and simple form was a result of the gracious condescension of a God who ‘lisps’ to human beings as a parent babbles to a baby.” (Page 12)

“Matthew gives new meaning to Hosea, but the meaning he gives does not violate Hosea’s original meaning. The meaning changes as Hosea’s prediction comes to fulfillment, but the change is consistent with the original sense.” (Page 65)

Praise for the Print Edition

As a biblical reader of profound insight, Peter Leithart has long cultivated the practice of exegesis. His depth of experience as a reader gives these hermeneutical reflections an authority and nuance one rarely finds in our theory-saturated age.

—R. R. Reno, professor of theological ethics, Creighton University

A wonderful book. Drawing on his wide reading, Peter Leithart builds up a way of exploring the depths of meaning to be found in the scriptural text. Christians of all stripes will find this an inspiring and utterly accessible work.

—Andrew Louth, professor of Patristic and Byzantine studies, Durham University

Magnificent. Leithart displays his extraordinary ability to make interpretation exciting.

—Matthew Levering, associate professor of theology, Ave Maria University

Deep Exegesis is a clear, optimistic, and well-written book, with wide-spanning and interdisciplinary implications.

—The Christian Scholar’s Review (Spring 2010)

To understand the Scripture for yourself is a marvelous thing. Deep Exegesis: The Mystery of Reading Scripture is a biblical study that focuses on the nature of reading Scripture for oneself. Peter Leithart hopes to inspire readers to take up the study themselves, open their eyes, and realize Jesus’ words for themselves, instead of through a filter like many simply accept. Deep Exegesis comes with a powerful encouragement for personal theology, very much recommended.

—Midwest Book Review

Everyone interested in understanding the Bible (and what Christian isn’t!) should read this book . . .

—Greg Peters, assistant professor of medieval and spiritual theology, Biola University (review from The Scriptorium, 4/6/10)

Deep Exegesis is a scandalously fun read and a welcome invitation to take a second look at the way we read Scripture.

—The Expository Times (2011, 123:4)

Product Details

• Title: Deep Exegesis: The Mystery of Reading Scripture
• Author: Peter J. Leithart
• Publisher: Baylor University Press
• Publication Date: 2009
• Pages: 253

About Peter Leithart

Peter Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute and serves as Teacher at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Birmingham. He is the author of many books, including a two-volume commentary on Revelation (T&T Clark, 2018), God of Hope (Athanasius, 2022), On Earth As In Heaven (Lexham, 2022), and a forthcoming book on God the Creator (IVP). He writes a fortnightly column at FirstThings.com, and has published articles in many periodicals, both popular and academic.

Leithart has served in two pastorates: He was pastor of Reformed Heritage Presbyterian Church (now Trinity Presbyterian Church), Birmingham, Alabama from 1989 to 1995, and was pastor of Trinity Reformed Church, Moscow, Idaho, from 2003-2013. From 1998 and 2013 he taught theology and literature fulltime at New St. Andrews College, Moscow, Idaho. He received an A.B. in English and History from Hillsdale College in 1981, and a Master of Arts in Religion and a Master of Theology from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia in 1986 and 1987. In 1998 he received his Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge in England.

He and his wife, Noel, have ten children and fifteen grandchildren.