Abstract
A group of 20 Muslim educators participating in an M-level module on Islamic Education were invited to explore their preferences for sensing and intuition (the two functions of the Jungian perceiving process). They were then invited to work in three groups (eight clear intuitive types, four clear sensing types and eight individuals who expressed less strong preferences) to discuss Psalm 73:1–10, specifically addressing two distinctive perceiving questions: What do you see in this description (sensing) and what ideas does this passage set running in your mind (intuition)? Clear differences emerged between the ways in which sensing types and intuitive types handled these two questions. The intuitive types relished the opportunity to chase after ideas and to make connections. The sensing types stuck more closely to a literal analysis of the text and felt much less confident in chasing after ideas and making connections. These findings support the thesis that scriptural interpretation is shaped, at least to some extent, by the psychological type preferences of the reader. Contribution: Situated within the reader-perspective approach to biblical hermeneutics, the SIFT method is concerned with identifying the influence of the psychological type of the reader in shaping the interpretation of text. The present study demonstrates that this theory holds true for the way in which Muslim educators read Psalm 73.
Highlights
The SIFT method of biblical hermeneutics has its roots in the synthesis of two theoretical frameworks: the reader perspective approach to biblical hermeneutics and Jungian-based psychological type theory
The reader perspective approach to biblical hermeneutics recognises that readers bring their own background into dialogue with the text and that this background helps to shape their interpretation
A full half-day in the programme was dedicated to exploring the connections between the theology of individual differences, biblical hermeneutics and empirical theology
Summary
The SIFT (sensing, intuition, feeling and thinking) method of biblical hermeneutics has its roots in the synthesis of two theoretical frameworks: the reader perspective approach to biblical hermeneutics and Jungian-based psychological type theory (see Francis & Village 2008). The reader perspective approach was concerned to take the readers’ sociological location into account, discussing factors like sex, race and power that led to distinctive readings of sacred text reflected respectively in feminist perspectives Botta & Andiňach 2009) Within this reader perspective approach to biblical hermeneutics, the SIFT method draws on consideration of the reader’s psychological location as shaped by Jungian psychological type theory. Jungian psychological type theory identifies four distinctive psychological functions that are engaged in the hermeneutical process: sensing (S), intuition (I), feeling (F) and thinking (T)
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