Christian Hermeneutics Research Articles

Ideological and phonetic analysis of the Old Testament Christian and Jewish name of God יהוה

The article is devoted to the analysis of the historical, cultural, linguacultural and theological aspects of the tetragrammaton יהוה, used in the texts of the Jewish Tanakh and the Christian Bible as the name of God. The author examines the phonetic reconstruction, Masoretic vocalization and cultural and ideological semantics of the tetragrammaton in the context of Jewish and Christian hermeneutics. The research examines its phonetic reading, vocalizations and cultural and ideological significance in the context of Judaism and Christianity. The study focuses on the comparison of lexical and phonetic pronunciation variants of the tetragrammaton, such as "Jehovah" and "Yahweh", as well as on the analysis of their etymological origin. The study compares the pronunciation options of the name - "Jehovah" and "Yahweh", considers the reasons for their occurrence, and also, based on linguocultural factors, a conclusion is made about the more correct from theological point of view, pronunciation and spelling of the tetragrammaton in languages other than Hebrew. Particular attention is paid to the influence of biblical onomastics and translation strategies on the loss and transformation of the phonetic appearance of the name of God יהוה. The author analyzes the prohibitions on the pronunciation of the name in Judaism, their historical and theological roots, as well as the ways of replacing the tetragrammaton with titles ("Lord") in Christian texts and in later editions of the Tanakh. The article uses the methods of comparative-historical and contrastive linguistics, as well as the principles of biblical exegesis and linguistic hermeneutics. The originality of the work lies in the integration of linguacultural analysis with a historical-religious approach, which allows for a deeper understanding of the cultural and symbolic meaning of the tetragrammaton in the Jewish and Christian traditions.

Pastorale macht en zelf-technieken: Foucault en de ascese van de woestijnvaders

Pastoral power and techniques of the self: Foucault and the asceticism of the Desert Fathers This article argues that Foucault would probably have wanted to discuss a number of subjects and texts which are now almost completely lacking: the novelistic texts known as the Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles and some hagiographical sources. The Christian views on sexuality were sometimes less ‘orthodox’ and more extreme than what Foucault presented, probably under the influence of Paul Veyne. The Life of Anthony by Athanasius contains a passage which is not analyzed thoroughly in the volume as it was published but which is a key text for the development of Christian hermeneutics and pastoral power.

Sustainable eco-theology for African churches

The article reflects on how African Christianity can attempt home-grown solutions for sustainable life in Africa. John Mbiti alleged that missionaries established a Christianity that befits European worldviews and despised African traditional values. Missions, though they brought the Gospel together with literacy and medicine, made westernization the way of human “advancement.” Locals came to believe that “progress” consists not in being themselves, but in imitating foreign ways. It impaired the hermeneutical abilities of Africans to understand the world through their own cultural systems. Today this impairment prevents the concept of connectedness of life to unfold in African life, churches, and politics. Just as their evangelisers, the converted African Christians relate with the earth in the mood of subject (humans) versus objects (nature). This article construes African moral dimension of nature, the sense of community (Ubuntu) and the cosmological role of kingship as vehicle for Christian hermeneutics of sustainability in Africa and African churches.

The Hidden Disciple: Towards a Christian Ethics of Spying

The article explores the understudied subject of the distinctly Christian ethics of human intelligence (HUMINT) and considers how a Christian intelligence officer (IO) can draw on the robust and diverse tradition of Christian ethics to make their secular vocation compatible with the ethical principles of their faith. The current intelligence ethics literature is dominated by the Just Intelligence Theory (JIT), an adaptation of the just war tradition, which offers many valuable contributions. However, I propose the enrichment of JIT by discursive ethics from within the respective Catholic and Reformed theologies. I also consider the originally non-Christian concepts of the ethics of care and the I-Thou ideal through Christian hermeneutics. I conclude that the IO's ceaseless questioning of their conduct and its sources, and the continuous striving for primarily personal relations, as opposed to institutional relations, is the essence of the ever-imperfect process of becoming a Christian IO. Such an IO is a hearing and critical disciple who does not pretend to know the mind of God, but one whose conduct is directed by their critical reflection on their Christian faith and on the institutional setting wherein they operate. Paradoxically, this presents an enormous ethical possibility for a Christian IO.

Семиотика двойничества в современной эсхатологии

Traditionally, a double (or doppelgänger) is considered to be a personified part of one’s consciousness or subconsciousness, social experience, behavioural patterns, etc. represented as an independent actor of social relations (in a literary text, an independent character or a character claiming independence). Doubles are characters that have something in common. The study of the doubles phenomenon is often limited to artistic discourse, its religious interpretation, including in eschatological narratives, being poorly investigated. In the Christian tradition, the eschatological interpretation of doubles goes back to early Christian hermeneutics of the New Testament texts about false apostles and the Antichrist. This article analyses the mythology of doubles formed under the influence of modern eschatology. In terms of hermeneutics, modern versions of the theological mythologeme of doubles are attempts at an apocalyptic interpretation of information technology, while information models are assigned the role of demonic doppelgängers. Thus, a binary opposition is formed: the real world created by God vs the digital world of the Antichrist, functioning in a similar way to binary oppositions of mythological discourse. The content analysis of modern eschatological discourse identified the following key mythologemes of doubles in it: digital double-image, digital kingdom of the Antichrist, doubles of rulers and prominent personalities. The abovementioned mythologemes are analysed using the methods of semiotic and hermeneutic analysis. The sources of the study are original texts of the prophetic and pseudo-prophetic genres, popular among Orthodox subcultures, but found in the canon of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) as well.

Analisis Kritis terhadap Spirit Dekonstruksi dalam Kajian Hermeneutika Kristen Kontemporer

<p><em>This paper aims to analyze the impact of Derrida's theory of deconstruction in relation to the application of contemporary Christian hermeneutics as well as an attempt at hermeneutical repositioning. The methodological approach used in this paper is descriptive qualitative with instruments of literature study, comparison and textual analysis. Concretely, critical analysis is carried out in stages of deconstruction theory, various phenomena of contemporary Christian hermeneutics, then presents the idea of Christian hermeneutics as a comparative model and discourse criticism. Meanwhile, the body of the writing is divided into three parts according to the analysis pattern. First, it specifically examines Derrida's theory of deconstruction. Second, it is an analysis of several forms of hermeneutic phenomena and discourse of Christian theology which are currently developing. Third, reviewing the Christian hermeneutic discourse from the evangelical perspective in an effort to reposition, criticize, and test discourse on the contemporary worldview. Through this research, distortions were found in hermeneutic studies and contemporary Christian discourse with several forms of deconstruction approaches. The three explicit patterns used are the hermeneutic application of binary negation to conservative theological discourse, the explicit emphasis on the textual eisegesis model and the post-structuralism approach to interpretation..</em><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Key words: </strong>Dekonstruksi, hermeneutika, oposisi biner, semantic, interpretasi biblis</p>

The Territories of Human Reason: Science and Theology in an Age of Multiple Rationalities

The Territories of Human Reason: Science and Theology in an Age of Multiple Rationalities

Dialogical and Mediatory Potential of an Integral Ecology

The encyclical Laudato si’ is a Catholic document synthesizing the reflection on the main issues related to ecology as well as to nature and climate protection. It provides a new perspective for ecological activity in the light of integral ecology principles. In many countries, this encyclical has become a point of reference for Catholics in the context of the ecological crisis, especially by the fact of its highlighting the religious and spiritual perspective and giving concrete examples of both ecological and Christian lifestyles. Chapter 5 of the encyclical outlines, moreover, the concept of dialogue that brings hope for abandoning the spiral of self-destruction in which humanity is now sinking. The concept of communicative humanism and its mechanisms i.e. actions restoring values and creating a community have been proposed to establish the platform for this dialogue. The program is based on personalism and Christian hermeneutics, and its goal is a Church interested in the world and its problems, a one which on a par with others wants to say STOP to the destruction of the earth and its irresponsible exploitation.

Contours of a Constructive Pentecostal Philosophical-Theological Hermeneutic

Development of Pentecostal hermeneutics continues to benefit from further consideration of the roles general philosophical and theological hermeneutics play in the formation of Pentecostal hermeneutics of Scripture and life. This article pictures a Pentecostal philosophical-theological hermeneutical paradigm by sketching the contours of a broad hermeneutical realist program for Pentecostal interpretive structures. It commends a dialectical structure which recognizes the thoroughgoing contextuality of human understanding with attendant linguistic-symbolic encultured categories of knowing in interpretive relation with the ontic, which, for Pentecostal Christian hermeneutics especially, includes divine revelation. The article further commends a theological narrative of epochal moments in salvation history – Creation-Incarnation-Pentecost-Eschaton – to provide an overarching theological structure which is complementary with already prominent Pentecostal governing theological narrations.

Patristic Exegesis: The Myth of the Alexandrian-Antiochene Schools of Interpretation

The notion that there existed a distinction between so-called “Alexandrian” and “Antiochene” exegesis in the ancient church has become a common assumption among theologians. The typical belief is that Alexandria promoted an allegorical reading of Scripture, whereas Antioch endorsed a literal approach. However, church historians have long since recognized that this distinction is neither wholly accurate nor helpful to understanding ancient Christian hermeneutics. Indeed, neither school of interpretation sanctioned the practice of just one exegetical method. Rather, both Alexandrian and Antiochene theologians were expedient hermeneuts, meaning they utilized whichever exegetical practice (allegory, typology, literal, historical) that would supply them with their desired theology or interpretive conclusion. The difference between Alexandria and Antioch was not exegetical; it was theological. In other words, it was their respective theological paradigms that dictated their exegetical practices, allowing them to utilize whichever hermeneutical method was most expedient for their theological purposes. Ultimately, neither Alexandrian nor Antiochene exegetes possessed a greater respect for the biblical text over the other, nor did they adhere to modern-day historical-grammatical hermeneutics as theologians would like to believe.

‘Is the Lord One of the Two Angels?’: Justin Martyr’s Dialogue with Trypho, Early Christian Hermeneutics, and Justin's Pneumatological Christian Readings

In second-century Trinitarian thought, some early figures may often overlook the role of the Holy Spirit in contrast to providing a more secure identity for the Son. This contrast seemingly appears in Justin Martyr’s Dialogue with Trypho. In 2008, Michel Barnes wrote an essay on the early formation of Christian Pneumatology. As Barnes’s argument proceeds, Justin and Trypho focus upon the clarity of language that concerns the Son: (1) a triumphant and (2) suffering Messiah. Yet, with regard to the Holy Spirit, both Trypho and Justin do not appear to question the terminology that one another employ. So, Barnes suggests that both Trypho and Justin maintain a similar pneumatological presupposition that overlaps with Jewish Pneumatology. This article revisits how Justin addresses the pneumatological language in the Dialogue with Trypho and inquires what pneumatological discontinuities exist between Justin and Trypho. Even if Justin coheres with many facets of Jewish pneumatological ideas, he still distinctly represents, though incipiently, a Christian pneumatology.

George Herbert and the Mystery of the Word: Poetry and Scripture in Seventeenth-Century England. Gary Kuchar. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017. Pp. xv+288.

<i>George Herbert and the Mystery of the Word: Poetry and Scripture in Seventeenth-Century England</i>. Gary Kuchar. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017. Pp. xv+288.

Spirit Hermeneutics or Biblical Interpretation by Any Other Name

Within the guild of Pentecostal Studies, few topics have received more attention than biblical hermeneutics. Craig Keener, F.M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary, makes a significant contribution to this discussion with the publication of his book, Spirit Hermeneutics: Reading Scripture in the Light of Pentecost. Giving a priority to contextually sensitive, socio-historical methodologies, Keener attempts to define hermeneutics broadly in order to include most confessional perspectives. Indeed, he writes that Spirit Hermeneutics is Christian Hermeneutics. While such an inclusive move is admirable, it begs the question about the existence and viability of a distinctive hermeneutic for Pentecostals and Charismatics. This article reviews Keener’s argument and makes a case for a more distinctive hermeneutical theory.

Reshaping Identities in Late Antique Syria-Mesopotamia: Christian and Jewish Hermeneutics and Narrative Strategies. By Aryeh Kofsky, Serge Ruzer, with Reuven Kiperwasser. Judaism in Context 19. Piscataway, N.J.: Gorgias, 2016. vii + 266 pp. $99.00 hardcover.

Reshaping Identities in Late Antique Syria-Mesopotamia: Christian and Jewish Hermeneutics and Narrative Strategies. By Aryeh Kofsky, Serge Ruzer, with Reuven Kiperwasser. Judaism in Context 19. Piscataway, N.J.: Gorgias, 2016. vii + 266 pp. $99.00 hardcover.

Biblical Theology

Biblical Theology John Thomas Willis, Christopher T. Begg, Thomas Hieke, and William J. Urbrock 1353. John Barton, "Old Testament Ethics: Story or Style?" Sibyls, Scriptures, and Scrolls, 113-29 [see #1505]. Conservatives deal with the Bible on the lines of legalism, opposing same-sex marriage, while endorsing keeping the Sabbath, tithing, and capital punishment. Liberals oppose the idea of normative OT regulations such as the laws in Leviticus, and highlight rather the overall character, drift, and emphasis of OT texts based on loving God with all the heart and one's neighbor as oneself. B. proposes that the best course in thinking about OT ethics is to read the OT as a guide to a style of living, a source of mottos and epigrams for the good life, and a text that can shape the reader in significant ways. It may be time for the domination of narrative in Christian readings of the OT to yield to a more wisdom-centered approach, and for the Bible to be seen as contributing to the construction of a lifestyle, rather than as telling a story meant to serve as a paradigm for the story of our own lives.—J.W. 1354. Luigi Castangia, "Abissi del cosmo e dell'uomo. Gli inferi nel pensiero biblico," HT 26 (2017) 47-60. C.'s essay deals with the underworld in the Bible, with a focus on poetic texts. In so doing, he presents an etymological analysis of the Bible's main "underworld terms" (šĕʾôl, šaḥat, tĕhôm, and mĕṣûlâ) that serves to highlight the close connections between biblical and ANE texts regarding the underworld. The meaning of each term is sketched by C. in light of the contexts in which it occurs. The second part of C.'s essay focuses on Jonah 2 and Proverbs, noting that in these texts the Bible's cosmological language for the underworld undergoes an anthropological and ethical transposition, in which cosmological depths become an abyss of distress or a chasm of evil and sin. This metaphorical dynamic does not, however, occur in all cases. Rather, certain underworld terms remain anchored in their cosmological sense, while others [End Page 461] more readily lend themselves to the above-mentioned shift. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.] 1355. Cyprien Comte, "L'espoir de Dieu: Conversion (Shoûv) humaine et repentir (Niḥām) de YHWH dans la Bible hébraïque," BLE 119 (2018) 73-89. Five texts of the Hebrew Bible present human conversion (šûb) as the cause of Yhwh's own "repentance" (niḥām). In 1 Samuel 15, Saul "turns away" (šûb) from God's will, with the result that God "repents" of having made him king of Israel and announces his rejection. The other four texts, i.e., Jer 18:1-12 (Jeremiah's visit to the potter's workshop); Jeremiah 26 (Jeremiah's trial); Joel (the prophet's call to repentance); and Jonah 3–4 (Jonah in Nineveh) report a prophetic summons to repentance and—in most instances—the hearers' response to these. Divine "repentance," grounded as this is in Yhwh's mercy, i.e., his readiness to "adapt" his own behavior in response to humans' behavior in the face of his words to them, surfaces particularly in contexts of prophetic discourse, the aim of which is to evoke conversion from the hearers. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.] 1356. Alexander Deeg, "'Auch für dich' und das messianische 'Heute.' Überlegungen zur Hermeneutik des Alten Testaments aus homiletischer Perspektive," Hermeneutik des Alten Testaments, 166-87 [see #1531]. D. is a professor of practical theology in the Evangelical Faculty of the University of Leipzig who is heavily involved in the Christian-Jewish dialogue. His essay features reflections concerning the use of the OT in Christian preaching. The essay's five overarching headings are as follows: (1) The Co-existence of Christianity and Judaism and Israel's Bible, or: The Setting in Life of Christian Hermeneutics of the OT; (2) Contemporary Challenges for a Sermon on the OT; (3) The OT as a Context for Truth and Tonality in the Church's Proclamation: Hermeneutical Considerations; (4) "For You...

New directions in early Christian hermeneutics and distanciation

Distanciation is arguably the most important hermeneutical issue concerning the interpretation of the Bible in the Church today. After describing some recent contributions to the problem of distanciation, this article seeks to explore distanciation theologically with the help of hermeneutical insights from research into the earliest Christian interpretation of the Bible: the use of Scripture in the New Testament.

The Christian Hermeneutics of Cranmer’s Homilies

AbstractThis article explores some of the hermeneutical resources of the two official books of homilies, authorized to be preached in the BCP communion service. The historical contexts and successive editions of the books are explained, and a focused reading is offered of the key texts relevant to the interpretation of Scripture. Some consideration is given to other related texts that highlight Cranmer’s hermeneutical approach. It is suggested that Cranmer’s use of Scripture is not in practice the approach he commends in the first homily, but is driven by concerns with attaining the ‘right’ doctrine of justification. A key issue is the interplay between readerly character, deferral to wise readers, and the pressure of the text against particular traditions. It is argued that the Books of Homilies here offer rich material for reflection upon the nature of Christian hermeneutics in one particular ecclesial tradition, and indicate an Anglican approach to Scripture that has much to offer.

Into a philosophical and spiritual meditating place through cross-cultural hermeneutics: James Legge’s translation of xin 心

James Legge’s (1815–1897) translation of xin 心 in his annotated Chinese Classics (1861 and 1893) exemplifies how translating a crucial Chinese philosophical concept into English for an international audience is able to create a place for metaphysical meditation on the transcendent purpose of humanity. Legge translates xin variously as “mind,” “heart,” “soul,” “spirit,” “higher nature,” and “the right way” based on his dynamic understandings of both Ruist (Confucian) and Christian hermeneutics. This article demonstrates how his translation of xin illuminates his role as a philosopher who attempts to build thoughtful connections between the Chinese and Western intellectual traditions. The first section of the article charts a lineage of philosophical translation through Legge, highlighting his position in inheriting and transforming this lineage. This section looks at his translation of xin as a transformative state from “mind” to “heart” in Kongzi’s (Confucius’s) autobiographical remark, analyzing it in line with the translations by the early Jesuits (xin as religious devotion via philosophical study) and contemporary thinkers Roger T. Ames and Henry Rosemont, Jr. (xin as “heart-and-mind”). The second section then explores Legge’s differentiated yet interrelated interpretations of xin in the Analects, Mencius, Great Learning, and Book of Historical Documents, arguing that his translation altogether reveals a coherent metaphysical view of xin, a view which draws inspiration from the intertextuality and correlation of Chinese commentarial explication and Western reasoning on the dialectic. The final section focuses on xin as the place of the right way (dao xin) in Legge’s ideal vision, a place providing spiritual guidance for humankind towards eternal life with the recognition of an elevated heart and mind.

Unveiling Interpretation after Pentecost: Revelation, Pentecostal Reading, and Christian Hermeneutics of Scripture

Unveiling Interpretation after Pentecost: Revelation, Pentecostal Reading, and Christian Hermeneutics of Scripture

THE SCIENTIFIC ALLEGORY OF JOHN AUGUSTINE ZAHM: ZAHM'S THEOLOGICAL METHOD WITH INSIGHT FROM MARIE‐JOSEPH LAGRANGE

AbstractCatholic modernist John Augustine Zahm is best known for his attempt to reconcile the theory of evolution with the Christian scriptures. However, Zahm's theological method—the underlying principles and procedures in his effort to reconcile faith and science—remains largely unexamined. In this article, I analyze Zahm's theological method and submit that it is an attempt to harmonize scientific knowledge and Christian scripture through a “scientific allegory” of the bible, which takes into account the human and divine meanings of scripture, the exegesis of the church fathers, and the dogmatic constitutions of the Catholic church. I compare Zahm's method with that of pioneering Catholic bible critic Marie‐Joseph Lagrange, and his conception of biblical inspiration and the supra‐literal sense of scripture. Through this historical investigation, I hope to contribute to the question of the relationship between modern science and Christian hermeneutics.