The Hermeneutics Of Doctrine

Throughout the book Thiselton shows how perspectives that arise from hermeneutics shed fresh light on theological method, reshape horizons of understanding, and reveal the relevance of doctrine for formation and for life. --

In Hermeneutics of Doctrine in a Learning Church, Gregory Ryan offers an account of the dynamic, multi-dimensional task of interpreting Christian tradition, with reference to doctrinal hermeneutics, Receptive Ecumenism, and the ‘pastorality of doctrine’ seen in Pope Francis.

When Holy Scripture is read aloud in the liturgy, the church confesses with joy and thanksgiving that it has heard the word of the Lord. What does it mean to make that confession? And why does it occasion praise? The doctrine of Scripture is a theological investigation into those and related questions, and this book is an exploration of that doctrine. It argues backward from the church's liturgical practice, presupposing the truth of the Christian confession: namely, that the canon does in fact mediate the living word of the risen Christ to and for his people. What must be true of the sacred texts of Old and New Testament alike for such confession, and the practices of worship in which they are embedded, to be warranted? By way of an answer, the book examines six aspects of the doctrine of Scripture: its source, nature, attributes, ends, interpretation, and authority. The result is a catholic and ecumenical presentation of the historic understanding of the Bible common to the people of God across the centuries, an understanding rooted in the church's sacred tradition, in service to the gospel, and redounding to the glory of the triune God.

Cornelius Van Til's Doctrine of God and Its Relevance for Contemporary Hermeneutics seeks to answer the question, "What does Van Til have to do with hermeneutics?" It is argued that some of the most relevant concerns in the field of contemporary hermeneutics are similar to those addressed by Van Til in the area of apologetics. Van Til's approach involved a self-conscious consistency between method and theology proper in order to reason according to the Christian worldview found in Scripture. Just as one's apologetic method should be consistent with the theology revealed in the Bible, so also should one's hermeneutic. This work not only argues that Van Til has an important place in the hermeneutical discussion, but also demonstrates his place in terms of the main contours in his doctrine of God. In doing so, certain influences on evangelical hermeneutics are considered according to consistency with theology proper. Lastly, a Van Tillian hermeneutic is applied to the often-debated issue concerning the New Testament use of the Old Testament.

In Defense of Doctrine is an apologetic for the ongoing, constructive theological task in Protestant and Evangelical traditions. It suggests that doctrinal development can be explained as a hermeneutical phenomenon and that insights from hermeneutical philosophy and the philosophy of language can aid theologians in constructing explanatory theses for particular theological problems associated with the facts of doctrinal development. Joining the recent call to theological interpretation of Scripture, Putman provides a constructive model that forwards a descriptive and normative pattern for reading Scripture and theological tradition together.

An A-Z of key concepts, thinkers and movements.

In this Spectrum Multiview volume five experts in biblical hermeneutics gather to state and defend their approach to the discipline. Contributors include: Craig Blomberg with the historical-critical/grammatical approach Richard Gaffin with the redemptive-historical approach Scott Spencer with the literary/postmodern approach Robert Wall with the canonical approach Merold Westphal with the philosophical/theological approach Spectrum Multiview Books offer a range of viewpoints on contested topics within Christianity, giving contributors the opportunity to present their position and also respond to others in this dynamic publishing format.

In this wide-ranging study Rosalind Selby explores the hermeneutical implications of a Barthian epistemology in which 'giveness' (of knowledge, talk of God and Scripture, and the Church) is paramount. From this she seeks to develop a 'hermeneutics of service' that challenges both liberal and fundamentalist approaches to theological language and biblical interpretation. Selby tackles the issues of knowledge, and especially knowledge of God, the language used to communicate that knowledge and that language as Scriptural textuality. Barth wrote of 'the comical doctrine that the true exegete has no presuppositions'. In fact, he said, 'no one reads the bible directly--we all read it through spectacles'. In the train of his insight, Selby examines the role of community as a prerequisite for knowledge and truth claims before examining the different ways that various 'communities' interpret Scripture (focusing on St. Mark's Gospel). The presuppositions of the different starting places are revealed and the appropriateness of various methodologies discussed. The Quest for the Historical Jesus and its struggles to handle the resurrection are used as a 'test case' to show the impact of different hermeneutical strategies. The insights in this thought-provoking study have implications for issues as wide ranging as the genre 'Gospel', the authority of Scripture, the Church as a 'reading community', the plurality of interpretations and the possibility of controlling them, the relationship between general and special theological hermeneutics, as well as epistemological foundationalism and its alternatives.