What Does This Mean?: Principles of Biblical Interpretation in the Post-Modern World

by James W. Voelz

In its second revised edition, this book is a basic hermeneutics textbook for traditional Christians, especially those of the Lutheran tradition. It discusses textual criticism, semantics, pragmatics, and application of biblical texts to postmodern contexts. It considers areas related to language, thought and reality, and more.

Includes glossary.



Also available as an eBook (ePub)

Genres: Nonfiction, Religion

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Craig W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

“What Does This Mean” is a textbook for the author’s course in Biblical hermeneutics at Concordia Seminary. It covers a range of topics including textual criticism, basic theory of semantics and communications, different genres, the origin of scripture and the controls on interpretation provided by a confessional community. Abundant examples using controversial Bible passages accompany the theory demonstrating the care that sound interpretation requires. Using difficult passages however sells short the broad agreement that the historic church has had on essential doctrines.

The book is written from the standpoint of a high view of scripture consistent with the stance of the historical Lutheran church but with heavy borrowings from 20th century linguistic theory and a splash of postmodernist distrust of claims to objectivity. This mix provides useful insights that can alert the interpreter to potential pitfalls and aids in detecting faulty interpretations of others. But theories and principles are presented without discussion of alternative theories and without an obvious unifying theology or theory of knowledge. The overall effect is disjoint with loose ends and indeterminate outcomes, as if the book is a compilation of lecture notes rather than a completed work.

A puzzling aspect of the book is the author’s insistence that it uses a postmodern perspective. The issue of authorship of scripture is handled from the traditional standpoint that the words are fully divine and human at the same time. Postmodern views of the subjectivity of the author or his disappearance into the community that creates and transmit texts are downplayed. With regard to the reader there is postmodern-like solution to subjectivity in the merger of the reader’s world with the world of the intended audience. Community and in particular the historic ecumenical and Lutheran confessions are brought into play as controls on interpretation but with an emphasis on apostolic foundations of both scripture and confessions. At best this appears to be a rather lopsided sort of postmodernism. On the other hand, the apparently ad hoc selection of models and methods, lack of confident outcomes in interpretation and emphasis on community might be a very postmodern way of saying that contemporary Christians should acknowledge the limited perspective of their community but sit back and enjoy the flight in any case.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the primary text for my hermeneutics class at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and I had the great benefit of taking the class with the author. (Should have had him sign it for me!) I'm waiting for the next edition when he footnotes me for the invention of the "Loomis Law" regarding parables as a subset of the narrative literature device.

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

One would be better off to read: Fundamentals of New Testament Textual Criticism by Porter and Pitts. Voelz entire approach contradicts itself.

[Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book several times. I also teach hermeneutics for our seminary, and I use this as the primary text (after the Bible). The format sometimes is confusing, but the content is critically important for understanding and applying this to the study of a text.

[Jonathan Watt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Voeltz describes the process of interpreting and communicating the scriptures. The book is difficult to read at times but worth the effort.