Contemporary Biblical Hermeneutics

An Introduction

Manfred Oeming, translated by Joachim Vette

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781351949217
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

Appearing in English for the first time, this classic introduction to the field of hermeneutics covers a wide range of approaches to biblical interpretation. Presenting a brief history of philosophical hermeneutics, Manfred Oeming uses a clear structure to emphasize why there are, and why there must be, different and differing approaches to the interpretation of a text, in this case particularly the biblical text. The often confusing multiplicity of approaches to biblical interpretation are introduced along accessible lines, concluding with an argument for an acceptance of a multiplicity of approaches to account for the many layers of the biblical text. Incorporating discussion of the German hermeneutical tradition, exemplified by the work of Heidegger, Bultmann, and Gadamer, this book helps to bridge Anglo-American and German scholarly traditions. It will be of great assistance to students, teachers and preachers.

Chapter 1

Introduction: The Topic and Procedure of this Book

Biblical hermeneutics is the discipline of understanding biblical writing. It gathers discussions on a wide range of topics. On the one hand, it analyses how, and by what means, academic biblical interpretation proceeds and did proceed and subjects this process to critical examination. In this sense, it is a necessary part of basic methodological reflecton within the discipline of theology. On the other hand, biblical hermeneutics examines how the Bible is and was understood and applied outside of the university. Several so-called ‘alternative methods’ are used by various groups within church and society. Their strengths and limitations must also be considered.

In a strict sense, biblical hermeneutics could originate only after the entire Bible existed as a closed canon, i.e. from the 4th century A.D. In a wider sense, however, we find earlier attempts, more implicitly practical than theoretically reflected, to develop new understandings of older biblical writings conditioned by ever-changing historical circumstances. There are traces in the Old Testament of how the oldest creedal statements (dating back to the 10th century B.C.) were continually rewritten and expanded intertextually, thus providing interpretation through contextualisation.² The approbation of early statements of faith by later generations can be seen quite clearly following the (relative) closure of Israel’s holy writings, e.g. in the Pesher-method of the Qumran community³ or in the allegorical approach of Philo.⁴ In a certain sense, the combined theological voices of the New Testament are also an attempt to understand what was said ‘to our fathers’ in the radical new light of God’s salvific action in Jesus Christ. Certain books of the New Testament can actually be understood as a biblical hermeneutics of the Old Testament. We find tightly knit connections to the Old Testament already in the sermons of the historical Jesus and definitely in the witnesses to the resurrected Christ – especially with Matthew, Luke, Paul (mainly in his letter to the Romans) and Hebrews.⁵ Such inner-biblical hermeneutics will not be part of our present discussion.

With good reason, G. Ebeling has described the history of the church as a history of interpreting the Bible.⁶ A book on biblical hermeneutics could therefore present the history of how the Bible was understood from the early church up to the present. This sort of overview will not be possible here.⁷ It is also not the intention of this book to present case studies of exemplary interpreters of the Bible.⁸

I will instead concentrate on how Scripture is interpreted in the present. This will not merely include a survey of current approaches (some of which may lead to dead ends) for accumulative purposes,⁹ even if this may be a secondary effect. My primary goal is the development of a system based on an analysis of fundamental phenomenological processes of understanding as an aid to discerning and assessing the current plethora of hermeneutical methods.

This task again can be approached in different ways: as I will show, no exegesis operates without certain a priori assumptions; each method of biblical interpretation is necessarily dependent on specific philosophical predilections. Biblical hermeneutics must therefore give an account of the axioms that shape it. Reflecting on the basic philosophical premises of one’s hermeneutics can occur in one of two ways: either we attempt a concise presentation of the main developments in the history of philosophical hermeneutics, or we seek to understand the epistemological ideals of each method in its specific place and time. The latter avoids repetition in the discussion of individual methods yet it tends to tear apart topics that by their nature belong together. In this book, I will proceed according to the first option and go on a stroll through the history of philosophical hermeneutics from Plato to Jean-François Lyotard while paying deliberate attention to those aspects important for understanding the methods of biblical exegesis. These aspects can then be alluded to when attending to the individual methods.

I will not deal with biblical hermeneutics on a purely theoretical level. In order to gain a vibrant impression of ‘exegesis in action’ I will rely on examples from both Testaments. Here, too, there are alternative courses of action: one could discuss the characteristics of each method by applying all of them to one or two texts.¹⁰ It was my original idea to follow precisely this course of action based on the Exodus and the resurrection narratives; however, this procedure has the distinctive disadvantage of unavoidable repetition. It is also true that not every method is equally suited to every text. For these reasons, I will take the other route and demonstrate each method with reference to a particularly appropriate text. This will also provide a better view over the wide scope of the biblical message.

These introductory thoughts and decisions result in the following outline: I. The discussion will first present a survey of philosophical hermeneutics in search of insight into the theoretical foundations of how the Bible can be understood. II. Based on these observations, I will discuss the richness present in current biblical exegesis. This discussion will always follow the same procedure:

A) Philosophical premises

B) Theoretical presentation of the method

C) Significant example(s)

D) Critical assessment of inherent strengths and weaknesses.

A bibliography for each method is added at the end of the book. It is organised according to the same outline as the book itself.

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²See Fishbane, M. (1985), Biblical Interpretation in Ancient Israel, Oxford. Fishbane, M. (1996), ‘Inner-Biblical Exegesis’, in M. Saebø (ed.), Hebrew Bible, Old Testament. The History of its Interpretation, Vol. I/1, Göttingen, pp. 33–48. Graf Reventlow, H. (1990), Epochen der Bibelauslegung, Vol. 1: Vom Alten Testament bis Origines, München.

³See Fabry, H.-J. (1996), ‘Methoden der Schriftauslegung in den Qumranschriften’, in Stimuli. Exeges und ihre Hermeneutik in: Antike und Christentum, JAC.E 23 (FS E. Dassmanh), Münster, pp. 18–33; Stemberger, G. (1996), in Ch. Dolmen and H.-J. Fabry, Hermeneutik der jüdischen Bibel und des Alten Testaments, Studienbücher Theologie 1,2, Stuttgart, pp. 47–50; Maier, J. (1996), ‘Early Jewish Biblical Interpretation in the Qumran Literature’, in M. Saebø, Hebrew Bible, Old Testament, pp. 108–129.

⁴See Stemberger, G. (1996), Hermeneutik, pp. 67–74. Siegert, F. (1996), Early Jewish Interpretation in a Hellenistic Style, in M. Saebø, Hebrew Bible, Old Testament, pp. 162–189.

⁵Koch, D.A. (1986), Die Schrift als Zeuge des Evangeliums, Tübingen; Söding, Th. (1995), Heilige Schriften für Israel und die Kirche. Die Sicht des “Alten Testamentes” bei Paulus’, in MThZ 46, pp. 159–181; Childs, B.S. (1994+1996), Die Theologie der einen Bibel, Vol. 1+2, Freiburg; Hübner, H. (1996), ‘New Testament Interpretation of the Old Testament’, in M. Saebø, Hebrew Bible, Old Testament, pp. 332–372.

⁶Ebeling, G. (1996), ‘Kirchengeschichte als Geschichte der Auslegung der Heiligen Schrift (1946)’, in: G. Ebeling (1996), Wort Gottes und Tradition, 2nd edition, Tübingen, pp. 9–27.

⁷See Diestel, L. (1869), Geschichte des Alten Testamentes in der christlichen Kirche, Jena (NP Leipzig 1981); Gunneweg, A.H.J. (1988), Vom Verstehen des Alten Testaments. Eine Hermeneutik, ATD.E 5, 2nd edition Göttingen; Stuhlmacher, P. (1986), Vom Verstehen des Neuen Testaments. Eine Hermeneutik, NTD.E 6, 2nd edition, Göttingen; Karpp, H. (1992), Schrift, Geist und Wort Gottes. Geltung und Wirkung der Bibel in der Geschichte der Kirche: Von der Alten Kirche bis zur Reformationszeit, Darmstadt; Graf Reventlow, H. (1994), Epochen der Bibelauslegung, Vol 2. Von der Spätantike bis zum Ausgang des Mittelalters, München.

⁸Such a case study can be found in Seebaß, H. (1974), Biblische Hermeneutik, UB 199, Stuttgart.

⁹See Berg, H.K. (1991), Ein Wort wie Feuer. Wege lebendiger Schriftauslegung, Stuttgart; Dohmen, Ch. (1992), ‘Vom vielfachen Schriftsinn – Möglichkeiten und Grenzen neuerer Zugänge zu biblischen Texten’, in Th. Sternberg (ed.), Neue Formen der Schriftauslegung? CD 140, Freiburg.

¹⁰In this manner, Berg, H.K. (1991), Ein Wort wie Feuer, works with Cain and Abel (Gen 4) and the casting out of demons into a herd of swine (Mark 5:1–20). Luz, U. (ed.) (1993), Zankapfel Bibel. Eine Bibel – viele Zugänge. Ein theologisches Gespräch, 2nd edition, Zürich, presents a similar project based on Mark 6:30–44.

PART I:
The Philosophical Foundations of Biblical Hermeneutics

Chapter 2

The Phenomenology of Understanding: The Theory of the Hermeneutical Square

Like all other forms of understanding, the process of understanding the Bible is intimately tied to a process of communication. Four factors are involved: (1) The author, who aims to communicate an insight or experience from his world; (2) the text, which at least partially contains what the author intended to communicate; (3) the reader, who initiates contact with the author and his world by dealing with the text and its world (it remains to be seen whether modern readers of an ancient text are capable of re-actualising the intention of the author at all, or whether they are doomed by the ‘abyss of history’ to mistake the written intention within the context of their own interests); (4) the subject matter which connects author, text and reader. Graphically, we can portray th...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• List of Figures
• Preface
• 1 Introduction: The Topic and Procedure of this Book
• Part I: The Philosophical Foundations of Biblical Hermeneutics
• Part II: The Plurality of Current Approaches to the Bible
• Part III: Summary: Fullness or Food of Meaning?
• Bibliography
• Index A: Authors
• Index B: Biblical Names
• Index C: Scriptures