Abstract
This article endeavours to evaluate an integrated understanding and interpretation of the Bible, which simultaneously takes cognisance of the “self-understanding” of the Bible, complies with academic standards, and is helpful to the church in its service to bring the Word of God to the (post)modern world. Therefore a “3-circles-model” has been developed, tested in the classroom and is here presented for discussion and further refinement. In this model the task of biblical exegesis is, in accordance with the three dimensions found in the Bible itself, explained as interpretation of the literary, historical and theological dimensions of the text(s). The three dimensions are hermeneutically and methodologically investigated. Some final considerations are given to the integration of the three dimensions into the whole process of interpreting the Bible.
Highlights
This article endeavours to evaluate an integrated understanding and interpretation of the Bible, which simultaneously takes cognisance of the “self-understanding” of the Bible, complies with academic standards, and is helpful to the church in its service to bring the Word of God to themodern world
The Word of God (Verbum) finds its way to the Church (Ecclesia) – not always and only, but often – through theologically trained people, the pastors. They usually get their education in a faculty or seminary of theology (Theologia)
The tension has different facets, but one of them is the traditional divergent viewpoints between theology as academic enterprise and the church and its practical services. Both of them have to do with the Bible every day, but they approach it differently: The academic community, which deals with theology, is often mainly concerned with evaluating the historical background of the Bible
Summary
The similarity of the main title of this article to the name of the journal Verbum et Ecclesia (formerly Skrif en Kerk) is not coincidental, neither is the addition of a third concept. The Word of God (Verbum) finds its way to the Church (Ecclesia) – not always and only, but often – through theologically trained people, the pastors. They usually get their education in a faculty or seminary of theology (Theologia). A revised version of this model, which combines hermeneutical and methodological considerations, will be presented here, in the hope that it might help to clarify the basic tasks of understanding and interpreting the Bible (for an overview, see the diagram, below) The time for such an integrated and integrating model seems to be good in view of newer developments in academic theology and especially in Biblical Studies.
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