Theology, History, and Biblical Interpretation

Modern Readings

Darren Sarisky

• Publisher: T&T Clark
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN:
  9780567459800
• eBook ISBN:
  9780567034496
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

The Christian Bible serves as the sacred scripture of the Christian community. It is read regularly by many people around the world today, as it has been for centuries. But how should one interpret this text? This reader presents a variety of perspective on how to relate historical and theological considerations when approaching the Bible. It encourages students and scholars to ponder how historical and theological categories shape one's view of three crucial realities: the text of the Bible, the human subject who reads the text, and the nature of the exchange between the two in the practice of reading. As historical and theological categories are applied to these realities, are they mutually exclusive, or can they be combined in some way? This reader encourages students and scholars to explore these important questions by bringing together a selection of some of modernity's most influential discussions of the issues as well as some of the present day's most distinguished attempts to weigh in on the debate.

Table of contents

• FC
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Copyright Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1. Benedict de Spinoza: Theological-Political Treatise. Chapter 7, “On the Interpretation of Scripture”
• 2. David Strauss: The Life of Jesus Critically Examined. Selections from the Introduction, “Development of the Mythical Point of View in Relation to the Gospel Histories”
• 3. Søren Kierkegaard: Concluding Unscientific Postscript to Philosophical Fragments. Vol. 1. Chapter 1, “The Historical Pointof View”
• 4. Ernst Troeltsch: “On the Historical and Dogmatic Methods in Theology”
• 5. Karl Barth: The Epistle to the Romans Prefaces 1–6
• 6: Rudolf Bultmann: “New Testament and Mythology”
• 7. Pope Pius XII: Divino Afflante Spiritu
• 8. Gerhard Ebeling: Selections from “The Significance of the Critical Historical Method for Church and Theology in Protestantism”
• 9. Henri De Lubac: History and Spirit: The Understanding of Scripture According to Origen. Selections from the Conclusion
• 10. Krister Stendahl: Selections from “Biblical Theology, Contemporary”
• 11. Brevard Childs: Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture. Chapter 3, “Canonand Criticism”
• 12. David Steinmetz: “The Superiority of Pre-Critical Exegesis”
• 13. Ulrich Luz: “Reflections on the Appropriate Interpretation of New Testament Texts”
• 14. Jean-Luc Marion: God without Being: Hors-Texte. Chapter 5, “Of the Eucharistic Site of Theology”
• 15. Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza: “The Ethics of Biblical Interpretation: Decentering Biblical Scholarship”
• 16. Jon Levenson: “The Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, and Historical Criticism”
• 17. Alvin Plantinga: “Two (or More) Kinds of Scripture Scholarship”
• 18. Paul Ricoeur: “The Nuptial Metaphor”
• 19. James Barr: The Concept of Biblical Theology: An Old Testament Perspective. Chapter 12, “Evaluation, Commitment, Objectivity”
• 20. John Webster: Holy Scripture: A Dogmatic Sketch. Chapter 1, “Revelation, Sanctification, and Inspiration”
• Index