Renewing Biblical Interpretation

Scripture and Hermeneutics #1

by Craig G. Bartholomew (Editor), Karl Moller (Editor), Colin Greene (Editor)

Renewing Biblical Interpretation is the first of eight volumes from the Scripture and Hermeneutics Seminar. This annual gathering of Christian scholars from various disciplines was established in 1998 and aims to re-assess the discipline of biblical studies from the foundation up and forge creative new ways for re-opening the Bible in our cultures. Including a retrospective on the consultation by Walter Brueggemann, the contributors to Renewing Biblical Interpretation consider three elements in approaching the Bible―the historical, the literary and the theological―and the underlying philosophical issues that shape the way we think about literature and history.

Genres: Theology

367 pages, Hardcover

First published December 11, 2000

About the author

Craig G. Bartholomew (PhD, University of Bristol) is the H. Evan Runner Professor of Philosophy at Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ontario, and the principal of the Paideia Centre for Public Theology. He founded the internationally recognized Scripture and Hermeneutics seminar and is coauthor of Living at the Crossroads and Christian Philosophy.

Reviews

[Brandon Keel]

Review is only for Chapter 1, Craig Bartholomew’s “Uncharted Waters: Philosophy, Theology, and the Crisis in Biblical Interpretation.” His deconstruction of the philosophies undergirding historical-grammatical exegesis is provocative and clear.

“The danger of a theological hermeneutic which fails to negotiate its relationship to philosophy will be [that] philosophical subtexts will continue to shape the discourse, but in a relatively unconscious way. One suspects that much evangelical Biblical interpretation is vulnerable in this respect.”

“Faith seeking understanding is not the peculiar terrain of theology but should be true of all academic research.”

[Trevor Smith]

This one is filed under, good book but too many others to read. Lots of text criticism, which is interesting but has no direct bearing on my life or studies. Not being in that world, much of what is in here is gibberish, though that is my deficiency, not the books.

[Tyler Holley]

A helpful introduction to some of the major issues out there, but at the end of the day, you get the opinion of particular writers, and not all of them are helpful.

[Zachary Cobb]

Excellent at addressing many of the "issues" of language, inspiration, and the situated-ness of all interpretive efforts. Essays are written by leading scholars and are full of valuable examples of how their comments work themselves out in real interpretive situations. As an added bonus, some of the essays are responded to by other scholars. This proves especially helpful, and is well received.