Hermeneutic Framework Research Articles

“This Generation” from Mark to Judas: On the Hermeneutics of Intra-gospel Reception

Although the reception of Mark has a very long tradition within New Testament studies in discussions of the Synoptic problem or the relation of the Synoptics to John, nevertheless works on reception of the Gospel beyond the New Testament are few. Further, especially for the early period, these works focus primarily on the fact of Markan reception—who knew it and accepted it—rather than its hermeneutical potential. The present essay focuses on this hermeneutical question, tracing the Markan language of “this generation” through its reception, rejection, and adaptation in Gospel literature up to the Gospel of Judas. I argue that this intra-Gospel reception reflects back on Mark itself and illuminate aspects of its interpretive possibilities. Indeed, I aim to show here that Mark’s reception is intrinsic to its possibility for meaning at all and by attending to the ways in which early texts from Matthew to Judas interpret Mark enables one to appreciate the very different ways Mark’s potential meaning is actualized. This argument demonstrates the value of uniting exegetical and diachronic description with a dialogical hermeneutical framework, facilitating mutual interpretation without simple harmonization.

The meaning and feasibility of engaging in physical activity while being employed in people with mild to moderate disability due to multiple sclerosis: a qualitative study

Purpose To understand the perceptions of the meaning and feasibility of physical activity (PA) while employed for people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Materials and methods A qualitative design, using individual in-depth interviews of 26 employed pwMS with mild to moderate disability. The interviews were analysed using systematic text condensation in a phenomenological hermeneutic framework informed by a pattern theory of self. A systematic and dynamic process was used to develop categories of the most salient content and meaning. Results Three categories were developed: (1) Meaningfulness of PA for work, (2) Balancing daily life, PA, and work when energy is low, and (3) Leisure PA during work hours is beneficial but challenging to implement. The findings highlight that PA can be perceived meaningful for health, function, life balance, identity, their perceived abilities, possibilities, and challenges in relation to work, all influencing self-perception. The participants perceived the feasibility of PA to be influenced by work, private life, and work-life balance, particularly highlighting physical function, organisational structures and arrangements, and social and normative practices to be important. An arrangement of implementing leisure PA during working hours was recognised as a beneficial work accommodation when it was perceived feasible and accepted. Conclusion Employed pwMS may perceive PA as meaningful for their health, function, and work, influencing self-perception and perceived work capabilities. Its feasibility may be influenced by individual, environmental, and/or social aspects. Thus, individualised work adjustments to facilitate PA, like accommodating for leisure PA during work hours, can ultimately facilitate both PA and employment.

Democracy Revised: Democratic Imaginary and Emerging Autocracy in Post-Soviet Russia

Contemporary autocracies often maintain a connection with democracy. They do not entirely dismantle the democratic structures established within unfinished modernization projects. Instead, they emerge as “electoral autocracies” and manipulate the concept of democracy offering alternative interpretations and meanings to further their illiberal agenda. The paper delves into the revision of democracy and how the democratic imaginary is utilized in the context of emerging autocracy in post-Soviet Russia. While the post-Soviet Russian autocracy adjusted democratic institutions for its own objectives, it also intended to appropriate the concept of democracy at the semantic and symbolic levels. The rise of Putin’s autocracy is characterized by the radicalization of cultural-civilizational particularism endorsing anti-democratic illiberal arguments. Through this adaptable hermeneutic framework, the Russian authorities tend to relativize the concept of democracy, criticizing, and dismissing the relevance of liberal democracy. Simultaneously, they articulate a distinct “sovereign” version of democracy and claim that non-liberal regimes are legitimate forms of political modernity. The autocratic political discourse on democracy is intrinsically non-democratic, as the lack of intellectual autonomy, control, and closure of discourse constrain the scope of meaning. The resulting heteronomous conception of democracy presents a static and ahistorical society predestined to (re)produce a single pro-authoritarian cultural-political pattern.

Where Are My Roots? Reading Jeremiah 17:5–10 with Karl Rahner

Abstract A theological approach to reading Scripture advocates that biblical interpretation should not only shape our theological commitments but also be shaped by them. From within this hermeneutical framework, I wish to address Jer 17:5–10, a section where one can find two contrasting images. On the one hand, vv. 5–8 speak about blessed and cursed persons; their differing fates arise from the way these individuals orient their hearts. On the other hand, vv. 9–10 stress that the human heart is devious, and only God knows it. However, how can the human heart be both decisive for one’s destiny and at the same time deceitful and unknowable? While diachronic and synchronic approaches present their own solutions to this interpretative crux, I hope to contribute to the ongoing discussion by evoking the work of Karl Rahner, whose understanding of grace and truth deeply resonates with both polarities of Jeremiah’s passage. The resulting theological reading then not only amplifies the subject matter of Jeremiah’s perplexing oracles but also offers a construal of faith that honestly engages the complexities inherent in our pluralistic culture.

Peace Education: Philosophical Analysis and Review of Nonviolent Character Education Practices

This paper examines education with a modern philosophical analysis approach. From a phenomenological point of view, philosophy firmly shows that philosophy does not solely start from metaphysical conceptions but also always starts from contextual ones, which originate from actual or true events. The method of this writing is phenomenological based on developing thoughts about educational philosophy. From this literature review, the conclusion emerges that to overcome conflict with a non-violent mentality, education is believed to help humans develop a new mentality and character that allows humans to adapt to their social environment. Thus, in order for humans to comprehend one another and cultivate peace, they must be receptive to all possibilities within the framework of hermeneutics, including the historical background, which serves as the foundation. This paper contributes to a mindset that prioritizes openness to new ideas, remaining flexible and easy to adapt, change, and investigate routes that are rebuilt over time in accordance with the basic philosophy of humans as existentialist creatures.

Application of Ethical Values Deriving from Hadiths in Creating a Conducive Learning Environment

This study aims to explore applying ethical values derived from the hadiths of Prophet Muhammad SAW in creating a conducive learning environment at Madrasah Aliyah Negeri (MAN) 1 Payakumbuh, West Sumatera. The research employs a qualitative approach using Hassan Hanafi's hermeneutical framework, which involves historical, eidetic, and practical criticism of hadiths related to teacher-student ethics. Data was collected through document analysis of hadiths and semi-structured interviews with teachers and students. The results indicate that applying ethical principles from the hadiths, such as respect, justice, patience, and compassion, is crucial in fostering positive interactions between teachers and students. Teachers at MAN 1 Payakumbuh have adapted their teaching methods to ensure effective understanding, including using simple language, providing feedback, and accommodating different student needs. The conclusion of this research emphasizes that implementing ethical values from the hadiths of Prophet Muhammad SAW can create a learning environment that supports students' academic and moral development. This study fills a gap in the existing literature by offering practical insights into integrating hadith-based ethics into everyday educational practices in Islamic schools, particularly in Indonesia.

Critical Evaluation of Gadamer’s Interpretation of Plato’s Timaeus

In Idea and Reality in Plato's Timaeus (Idee und Wirklichkeit in Platos Timaios) Gadamer criticised the neoplatonist interpretation of Plato's cosmogony, which posited the universe's emanation from “The One'' in a hierarchical manner. Contrary to this, by interpreting Timaeus according to overall text analysis of Plato's dialectics, Gadamer argued that the universe came from the logos' efforts in organising various unordered materials to become more mathematically ordered. The purpose of this research was to critically evaluate his hermeneutical stance. A conceptual analysis has been conducted through an extensive and rigorous literature review to fulfill the research objectives. The result indicated that there was an inconsistency between Gadamer’s interpretation of Timaeus and his hermeneutical thesis in his masterpiece Truth and Method (Wahrheit und Methode). He interpreted Timaeus textually as if he had undermined his own philosophical hermeneutics framework, focusing on the pre-structure of understanding that contained prejudice and authority. This research will give a new perspective in reconsidering the complexities of interpretation itself and enrich ongoing dialogues both within the discourse on Plato's dialogues and Gadamer's own hermeneutical framework.

To Speak with the Other—To Let the Other Speak: Paul Celan’s Poetry and the Hermeneutical Challenge of Mitsprechen

This essay explores the notion of Mitsprechen or “with-speaking” in Paul Celan’s poetry. “With-speaking” supposes that voices in the poems actively participate and engage in a dialogue that goes beyond traditional hermeneutic frameworks. Celan’s notion of col-loquy, distinct from the conventional sense of dialogue, challenges the separation between author and interpreter, rendering the traditional concept of intertextuality inadequate. The poems, according to Celan, give voice to human destinies, making texts audible as the voices of others. This vocal dimension of Celan’s poetry has prompted extensive discussion among philosophers, particularly in France. Levinas, Blanchot, and Derrida, influenced by German phenomenology and hermeneutics, critically examine the ethical implications of speaking “about” the other. They challenge traditional hermeneutical practices, emphasizing the responsibility of interpreters to respect the unique and untranslatable character of individual voices. This critique extends to Protestant categories of interpretation, drawing on alternative Jewish perspectives on being-in-the-world and alterity. The text explores the tensions inherent in speaking “for” or “in the name of” others, especially in the context of interpreting Celan’s work, raising questions about maintaining the fundamental difference and distance that otherness implies. The discussion concludes by highlighting Werner Hamacher’s formulation of a new philology that disrupts hermeneutical violence, influenced by the critiques of Blanchot, Levinas, and Derrida, and offering an alternative way of addressing the particular challenges posed by Celan’s poetry.

Ang Magturo ay Di Biro: A HERMENEUTIC PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY ON THE LIVED-EXPERIENCES OF MATH EDUCATORS IN OUT-OF-FIELD TEACHING

Out-of-field teaching is a significant threat to the provision of quality education. In this context, teachers are tasked to teach subjects outside their specialization. Although several studies have been conducted about out-of-field teaching, nothing is known about the lived experiences in the context of math educators that have utilized Gadamers hermeneutic framework in gathering and analyzing data. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative study is to determine the meaning of the lived experiences of math educators in out-of-field teaching experiences. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological design, a sample of 10 math educators was purposively selected following selection criteria from 2 distinct divisions in the Philippines. This approach allowed for a comprehensive exploration and interpretation of the participants experiences and meaning-making processes. After a series of rigorous steps, four major themes emerged from the narrative accounts including (a) out-of-field teaching presents content, pedagogical, and technological issues, (b) out-of-field teaching causes mental and emotional disturbances among teachers, (c) out-of-field teaching requires enough learning resources and proper training/mentoring, and (d) out-of-field teaching entails adaptive behaviors among teachers. These identified themes were important in illustrating the phenomenon and offered new perspectives as a basis for educational reforms and policy-making. KEYWORDS: Gadamers hermeneutic phenomenological framework, out-of-field teaching

Massification at Higher Education Institutions; Challenges Associated with Teaching Large Classes and How it Impacts the Quality of Teaching and Learning in South Africa

The paper engages with the phenomenon of large classes in higher education institutions in South Africa and its challenges to the quality of teaching learning. Most public higher education institutions in South Africa, in response to historical conditions, have enrolled students more than their capacity, resulting in massification and negative consequences on educational quality. There has been a plethora of literature on the teaching of large classes, however, few studies offer a comprehensive engagement on the challenges presented by teaching larges and its impact on quality of education as well as innovative strategies that can be used to teach and different learning pedagogies that can be used. This essay identified the challenges of teaching large class in higher education institutions due to massification and large enrolments and their implications on sustaining and enhancing quality of teaching and learning. In addition, I suggested several strategies that can be used to overcome the challenges of teaching large classes as well as how to monitor and evaluate these strategies with the aim of improving quality of higher education in the era of massification. Accordingly, the human capital theory was adopted. Furthermore, a qualitative research approach was applied in this study and a systematic literature review was used to collect and review information according to the guiding principles of the hermeneutic framework. The essay contributes to literature with the strategies to enhance quality of teaching and learning, student engagements and teaching approaches aimed at reaching all students in large classes.

Neither Black nor Queer: evangelicalism and groundless theology in Brazil

This article illuminates the ramifications of what I call ‘groundless theology’ for Afro-Brazilian LGBTQ evangelicals. Based on ethnographic research at an igreja evangélica inclusiva (inclusive evangelical church) in São Paulo, I articulate the role of groundless theology in a church that openly accepts LGBTQ Christians as members and church leaders. Although this geographically nowhere-but-everywhere, rootless theology can be found in mainstream Brazilian evangelicalism, it is particularly noteworthy to identify its influence in the theological interpretations of Afro-Brazilian LGBTQ evangelicals. I will illustrate the workings of this theology through analyses of a Black gay man’s sermon about Hagar, a figure in the Hebrew Bible, and the theological stances of Afro-Brazilian LGBTQ congregants. These examples elucidate how the geographical selves of Afro-Brazilian LGBTQ evangelicals are shaped, orienting them not towards Brazil, Africa, or even the ‘Holy Land,’ but towards a spiritually- but not materially- grounded religious geography that can produce ahistorical and acontextual hermeneutical frameworks.

MASSIFICATION AT HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS; CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH TEACHING LARGE CLASSES AND HOW IT IMPACTS THE QUALITY OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

The paper engages with the phenomenon of large classes in higher education institutions in South Africa and its challenges to the quality of teaching learning. Most public higher education institutions in South Africa, in response to historical conditions, have enrolled students more than their capacity, resulting in massification and negative consequences on educational quality. There has been a plethora of literature on the teaching of large classes, however, few studies offer a comprehensive engagement on the challenges presented by teaching larges and its impact on quality of education as well as innovative strategies that can be used to teach and different learning pedagogies that can be used. This essay identified the challenges of teaching large class in higher education institutions due to massification and large enrolments and their implications on sustaining and enhancing quality of teaching and learning. In addition, I suggested several strategies that can be used to overcome the challenges of teaching large classes as well as how to monitor and evaluate these strategies with the aim of improving quality of higher education in the era of massification. Accordingly, the human capital theory was adopted. Furthermore, a qualitative research approach was applied in this study and a systematic literature review was used to collect and review information according to the guiding principles of the hermeneutic framework. The essay contributes to literature with the strategies to enhance quality of teaching and learning, student engagements and teaching approaches aimed at reaching all students in large classes.

CONFLICT OF MEANINGS IN CIAMSI PREDICTION TEXTS (HERMENEUTICS OF CIAMSI PREDICTION TEXTS AT VIHARA DHARMA BHAKTI AND DHARMA JAYA TOASEBIO)

Ciamsi, a long-standing historical legacy, continues to be popular to this day, serving as concrete evidence of its enduring appeal. Spanning the tumultuous shifts of historical epochs, Ciamsi has persevered and been preserved within various temples, both large and small, playing a pivotal role as a divination tool. The enduring presence of Ciamsi not only underscores its unquestionable intrinsic value but also reflects the unwavering spirit of Chinese tradition and its cultural heritage. Consequently, this research is deeply rooted in the environment of centuries-old temples in Jakarta, where Ciamsi has become an inseparable part of the local cultural fabric. The primary objective of this research is to delve profoundly into the intricate meanings and interpretations embedded within Ciamsi. Additionally, the research aims to unveil the profound role of symbolism within the realm of Ciamsi, as employed by Vihara Dharma Bhakti and Vihara Dharma Jaya Toasebio. To achieve these objectives, this study employs the comprehensive hermeneutical framework introduced by the eminent philosopher, Paul Ricouer. This research fundamentally aligns with the qualitative research paradigm, enabling a profound and nuanced understanding of the subject matter.

Language and the Diversification of Human Experience: An Exploration of Gadamer’s Linguisticality

This paper explores the concept of language in the framework of philosophical hermeneutics, with a focus on Gadamer’s notion of language as linguisticality. According to Gadamer, Language is intrinsically linked with understanding, which is the fundamental mode of human existence in the world. He critiques the role of language as simply a tool in Western metaphysics since Plato, and asserts instead that it is language that defines the entire horizon of understanding. By taking literature as an exemplary paradigm of hermeneutic experience, the study investigates the concept of linguisticality — the ontological nature of language. Through the understanding of literary works, readers can gain a better opportunity to affirm, refine and diversify their original experience and approach a level of authenticity that is rarely acknowledged in everyday life.

Interiorization in Scriptural Reading: An Exploration in Biblical Spiritual Hermeneutics

The paper explores interiorization as a method in Scriptural reading. The reader looks into the movement in the scriptural text as one pays attention to the interiorization of God’s reality in the human person. However, it is not an unidirectional inward movement but a receptivity that leads to responsiveness and responsibility. The movements, moments, and layers of interiorization unfold through the examination of Hebrew terms - Shema, Hesed, Hakkadosh, Hineni, Emunah, Teshuvah, Yirah, and Tamim.
 The paper provides the visual representation and translates the dynamics of interiorization in the reciprocal spiritual relation into Scriptural Reading through frames of questions. Through the phenomenological method and dialogic reading, the paper intends to broaden the understanding of interiorization and its application within the framework of Biblical Spiritual Hermeneutics.

What Does it Mean to Mimic Nature? A Typology for Biomimetic Design

In an effort to produce new and more sustainable technologies, designers have turned to nature in search of inspiration and innovation. Biomimetic design (from the Greek bios, life, mimesis, imitation) is the conscious imitation of biological models to solve today's technical and ecological challenges. Nowadays numerous different approaches exist that take inspiration from nature as a model for design, such as biomimicry, biomimetics, bionics, permaculture, ecological engineering, etc. This variety of practices comes in turn with a wide range of different promises, including sustainability, increased resilience, multi-functionality, and a lower degree of risk. How are we to make sense of this heterogeneous amalgam of existing practices and technologies, and of the numerous promises attached to them? We suggest that a typology of biomimetic approaches would provide a useful hermeneutic framework to understand the different tensions that pull this variegated landscape in different directions. This is achieved through a critical analysis of the literature in different fields of biomimetic design and the philosophy of biomimicry, in order to derive conceptual and normative assumptions concerning the meaning and value of the imitation of nature. These two dimensions are then intersected to derive an analytical grid composed of six different biomimetic types, which enable the classification of existing and possible biomimetic approaches, practices, and technologies according to their specific conceptual assumptions and guiding norms.

A hermeneutic review of records management practices in Malawi: a developing country context

PurposeThis study aims to review and understand the state of records management practices in Malawi, focusing on both public and private sector organisations.Design/methodology/approachThe hermeneutic framework underpinned a qualitative review of the study phenomenon. The inclusion and exclusion criterion for the literature was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis methodology. Fifteen documents met the eligibility criteria and informed the study findings. The literature comprised of journal articles, dissertations at both master and doctoral levels, and conference papers.FindingsThe study found that records are created, captured and maintained both in print and electronic formats. It also confirmed that different types of organisations (public, private, academia and civil society) recognise the need for proper records management practices. However, effective and efficient records management is besieged by numerous obstacles, including lack of funding, absence of records management policy, standards and procedures at both institutional and national levels, poor records classification systems and a lack of top management support. Most importantly, the review shows that the majority of studies in Malawi have focused on academia, with little attention to other equally fundamental areas such as agriculture, trade, tourism, transport and energy. Thus, this situation calls for more empirical studies of records management practices in those sectors.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first kind of review to be done at a national level, so the findings provide significant insights for policymakers and research practitioners on records management research trends to date in Malawi.

Pentecostalism, Pilgrimage to Prayer Mountains and Pilgrims’ Adherence to Holiness Ethics in Ghanaian Christianity

The influence of Pentecostalism as a global religious culture is obvious in almost every sphere of human endeavour. As a Christian religious category, Pentecostalism permeates virtually all dimensions of Christian faith and practice. In spite of the visibility and vociferous presence of Pentecostalism as a worldwide Christian religious culture, its influence on Christians’ visitation to Prayer Mountains (PMs) and the pilgrims’ devotion to holiness ethics appear not to have been traversed in scholarship. This paper attempts to fill this gap by employing a multidisciplinary approach to gather the relevant field data. The discussion is theoretically anchored on Miroslav Volf’s ‘The Christian Faith as a Prophetic Religion.’ Using this theory as a hermeneutical framework of the influence of pilgrimage to PMs on society, the paper discloses, among others, that Ghanaian Christians’ pilgrimage to PMs and the pilgrims’ adherence to holiness ethics are replications of Pentecostal practices. Keywords: Pentecostalism, pilgrimage, Abasua Prayer Mountain, holiness ethics

The problems of, and remedy for, hope in the Anthropocene Age: a psychoanalytic–political perspective

The Anthropocene Age exposes a fundamental problem and contradiction of Western political philosophies, which is the production of an ontological rift between human beings and other species that undermines care and hope. This rift becomes especially evident when we become aware of the devastating effects of climate change. To further understand this rift, I rely on what I call a psychoanalytic–political hermeneutical framework that identifies the conscious and unconscious aspects of agency, motivation, and illusion as they emerge from and exist within public–political spaces of speaking and acting together that maintain the ontological rift and its distortions of care and hope. I turn to a psychoanalytic developmental perspective of the relation between care and hope, which points to a remedy vis-à-vis the ontological rift.

Eschatology in African Traditional Religion and African Christianity: Implications for Biblical and Theological Scholarship in Africa

African traditional religion has many concepts that present alternative and a variety of contexts for Christianity, theology and biblical scholarship in Africa which can also provide appropriate answers to the many questions of African Christians. One of such concepts is eschatology. Eschatology in African traditional religions present deep insight into the philosophies of Africa’s indigenous cosmology and perspectives about life, death, and the hereafter. This article attempts to examine the concept of eschatology in Christian theology and explain the same within the African traditional and religious hermeneutical framework to decipher what implications can be derived for Christianity, theology and biblical scholarship in Africa and beyond. To achieve this the article reviewed various literature on the concept of eschatology within Christianity and African Traditional Religion (ATR). In this way, the article was able to compare the theology of escatology in Christianity and African Traditional Religion. The article looked at concepts such as time, death, end time, judgement, etc in both Christianity and ATR to discover their similarities and differences. The study revealed that the quintessential essence of African spirituality and cosmology is summed up in the concept of life as a cycle (unending); a person is born, grows to become a full member of the family, dies and gets admitted into the world of the ancestors. Even in death, life does not end, it continues actively and vibrantly in the world of the ancestors. This ideology evokes a kind of consciousness of life as a spiritual journey. Keywords: Eschatology, Christology, Ancestor, Christianity, Theology, Religion