This book develops an integrated hermeneutic that connects the Bible to spiritual formation and the development of Christian virtues. The author shows how the whole Bible can be understood as a wisdom text that directs its readers morally, shapes them in their deepest affections and convictions, and impacts how they look at the world and live in it. Offering an innovative hermeneutical approach, it will serve as an ideal supplement to standard hermeneutics textbooks.
Since its publication in 1994, An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics has become a standard text for a generation of students, pastors, and serious lay readers. This second edition has been substantially updated and expanded, allowing the authors to fine-tune and enrich their discussions on fundamental interpretive topics. In addition, four new chapters have been included that address more recent controversial issues: • The role of biblical theology in interpretation • How to deal with contemporary questions not directly addressed in the Bible • The New Testament’s use of the Old Testament • The role of history in interpretation The book retains the unique aspect of being written by two scholars who hold differing viewpoints on many issues, making for vibrant, thought-provoking dialogue. What they do agree on, however, is the authority of Scripture, the relevance of personal Bible study to life, and why these things matter.
This textbook provides students and general readers with clear, accessible guidance for interpreting the Bible. With nearly 120,000 copies sold, it has become a trusted resource for serious students of the Bible. The authors' successful approach shows how proper theory leads to sound practice. This book gives readers not only an understanding of the principles of proper biblical interpretation but also the ability to apply those principles in sermon preparation, personal Bible study, or writing. The authors outline a seven-step hermeneutical process that includes (1) historical-cultural analysis, (2) written contextual analysis, (3) lexical-syntactical analysis, (4) literary analysis, (5) theological analysis, (6) comparison with other interpreters, and (7) application. The third edition has been updated throughout to account for new developments in the field and to incorporate feedback from professors and students. Exercises have also been updated and streamlined. Resources for instructors are available through Textbook eSources.
In this revised and expanded edition, Grant Osborne provides seminary students and working pastors with the full set of tools they need to travel the hermeneutical spiral—moving from sound exegesis to the development of biblical and systematic theologies and to the preparation of sound, biblical sermons.
An authoritative guide to accurately interpreting and applying God's Word In this second edition of Invitation to Biblical Interpretation, Andreas Kostenberger leads the reader step-by-step through the process of interpreting and applying God's Word. The primary principle is the hermeneutical triad, which consists of history, literature, and theology. Readers are equipped to explore the historical background of a biblical passage, analyze its literary genre and features, and derive its theological meaning in light of the biblical canon. Numerous examples are provided throughout to illustrate the concepts. A concluding chapter provides direction on practical application, preaching, and helpful tools for Bible study. Additional features include key words and definitions at the end of each chapter, study questions, and practical exercises for applying the material. An appendix lists numerous resources for Bible study, including recommended commentaries for every book of the Bible. The second edition updates these resources, as well as the sources cited throughout, and includes a revised chapter on the Old Testament canon. Instructors, students, pastors, and anyone who desires to interpret Scripture accurately will find this volume to be an indispensable addition to their library.
In this new paperback version, Graeme Goldsworthy examines the foundations and presuppositions of evangelical belief as it applies to the interpretation of the Bible. He then proposes an evangelical hermeneutic rightly centered in the gospel.
Hermeneutics is the branch of knowledge that deals with interpretation, a behaviour that is intrinsic to our daily lives. As humans, we decipher the meaning of newspaper articles, books, legal matters, religious texts, political speeches, emails, and even dinner conversations every day . But how is knowledge mediated through these forms? What constitutes the process of interpretation? And how do we draw meaning from the world around us so that we might understand our position in it? In this Very Short Introduction Jens Zimmermann traces the history of hermeneutic theory, setting out its key elements, and demonstrating how they can be applied to a broad range of disciplines: theology; literature; law; and natural and social sciences. Demonstrating the longstanding and wide-ranging necessity of interpretation, Zimmermann reveals its significance in our current social and political landscape. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Contemporary philosopher—analytic as well as continental tend to feel uneasy about Ernst Tugendhat, who, though he positions himself in the analytic field, poses questions in the Heideggerian style. Tugendhat was one of Martin Heidegger's last pupils and his least obedient, pursuing a new and controversial critical technique. Tugendhat took Heidegger's destruction of Being as presence and developed it in analytic philosophy, more specifically in semantics. Only formal semantics, according to Tugendhat, could answer the questions left open by Heidegger. Yet in doing this, Tugendhat discovered the latent "hermeneutic nature of analytic philosophy" its post-metaphysical dimension—in which "there are no facts, but only true propositions." What Tugendhat seeks to answer is this: What is the meaning of thought following the linguistic turn? Because of the rift between analytic and continental philosophers, very few studies have been written on Tugendhat, and he has been omitted altogether from several histories of philosophy. Now that these two schools have begun to reconcile, Tugendhat has become an example of a philosopher who, in the words of Richard Rorty, "built bridges between continents and between centuries." Tugendhat is known more for his philosophical turn than for his phenomenological studies or for his position within analytic philosophy, and this creates some confusion regarding his philosophical propensities. Is Tugendhat analytic or continental? Is he a follower of Wittgenstein or Heidegger? Does he belong in the culture of analysis or in that of tradition? Santiago Zabala presents Tugendhat as an example of merged horizons, promoting a philosophical historiography that is concerned more with dialogue and less with classification. In doing so, he places us squarely within a dialogic culture of the future and proves that any such labels impoverish philosophical research.
Biblical Hermeneutics is a textbook for introductory courses in hermeneutics. It takes an interdisciplinary approach that is both balanced and practical with six major areas of focus: the history of biblical interpretation, philosophical presuppositions, biblical genre, the uniqueness of Scripture, the practice of exegesis, and use of exegetical insights that will be lived and communicated in preaching and teaching. Biblical Hermeneutics is designed for students who have little or no knowledge of biblical interpretation. It provides, in one volume, resources for gaining a working knowledge of the multi-faceted nature of biblical interpretation and for supporting the practice of exegesis on the part of the student. The first chapter "A Student's Primer for Exegesis" by Bruce Corley gives the student a bird's eye view of the entire process. It becomes for the student a kind of template to which they will return again and again as they engage in the process of exegesis. This revised edition of Biblical Hermeneutics contains seven new chapter that deal with the major literary genre of Scripture: law, narrative, poetry, wisdom, prophecy, Gospels and Acts, epistles, and apocalyptic. The unique nature of Scripture is presented in part three that addresses the authority, inspiration, and language of Scripture. The book contains two extensive appendices, "A Student's Glossary for Biblical Studies" and an updated and expanded version of "A Student's Guide to Reference Books and Biblical Commentaries.
A method of interpretation--a hermeneutic--is indispensable for understanding Scripture, constructing theology, and living the Christian life, but most contemporary hermeneutical systems fail to acknowledge the principles and practices of the biblical writers themselves. Christians today cannot employ a truly biblical view of the Bible unless they understand why the prophets and apostles interpreted Scripture the way they did. To this end, Abner Chou proposes a "hermeneutic of obedience," in which believers learn to interpret Scripture the way the biblical authors did--including understanding the New Testament's use of the Old Testament. Chou first unfolds the "prophetic hermeneutic" of the Old Testament authors, and demonstrates the continuity of this approach with the "apostolic hermeneutic" of the New Testament authors.
