Hermeneutics: An Introduction

by Anthony C. Thiselton

Anthony Thiselton here brings together his encyclopedic knowledge of hermeneutics and his nearly four decades of teaching on the subject to provide a splendid interdisciplinary textbook. After a thorough historical overview of hermeneutics, Thiselton moves into modern times with extensive analysis of scholarship from the mid-twentieth century, including liberation and feminist theologies, reader-response and reception theory, and postmodernism. No other text on hermeneutics covers the range of writers and subjects discussed in Thiselton’s Hermeneutics.

Genres: Philosophy, Theology, Nonfiction, Christianity, Biblical Studies, History, Religion

591 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2009

About the author

Anthony Charles Thiselton is emeritus professor of Christian theology at the University of Nottingham and a fellow of the British Academy. His recent publications include Approaching Philosophy of Religion, Discovering Romans, Systematic Theology, The Holy Spirit, and The Last Things.

Reviews

[Shane Williamson · Rating 3 out of 5]

2021 reads: 01/52

Rating: 3.5 stars

Thiselton has provided an expansive overview of hermeneutics, encompassing definitions, philosophical approaches and a historic look at interpretation all the way from Rabbinic Judaism to post-modernism. The title is somewhat misleading, as you've perhaps deduced. The book is not so much Thiselton's hermeneutical proposal as much as it is the historic overview of how others have gone about the task of hermeneutics. The real strength of this book is its width of analysis, as well as Thiselton's willingness to always ask what can be learned from others, whether feminism or Foucault. I must be honest, I felt the later sections not as helpful as everything post-biblical criticism became almost entirely philosophical and Thiselton did not present many examples of what such methods of interpretation would look like. Though thorough and enlightening it was a mostly dry read and a little dense. It serves its purpose in providing a diverse overview of hermeneutical methods over time.

[Guilherme Nunes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick review ;)

Os dois primeiros capítulos do livro abordam questões ligadas aos fundamentos teóricos. De acordo com o autor, hermenêutica está relacionada em todo o evento da comunicação, envolvendo o autor, texto e o leitor. Apesar de considerar a teoria dos atos de fala, Thiselton constrói os fundamentos de sua hermenêutica filosófica sobre a noção de uma espiral hermenêutica, fazendo algumas reflexões sobre “pré-entendimento”, hermenêutica narcísica, que envolve suspeita e culpa, e outras discursões filosóficas. Essa é uma das melhores partes do livro.

No Terceiro capítulo, Thiselton discute sobre as parábolas de Jesus. A proposta do autor aqui é mostrar como a hermenêutica funciona na prática. Aplicando diversos métodos na interpretação das parábolas, o autor em seguida demonstra os pontos bons e ruins de cada abordagem (um proeminente foco nas abordagens do século XX). Um ponto forte que percebi na abordagem das parábolas é o cuidado do autor em ser flexível e juntar o que há de melhor em cada abordagem e apresentar para o leitor uma proposta “eclética”, por exemplo, o cuidado em não olhar o texto simplesmente como um esqueleto (explanação), algo mais insípido, em contraste com a abordagem que se envolve.

Em seguida, na maior parte do livro, Thiselton faz um abordagem histórica começando desde da literatura do segundo templo, pontuando as maiores figuras e principais documentos, passando pelo período da patrística, período medieval, período dos reformadores, até chegar em Gadamer e Riceour detalhando seus métodos hermenêuticos e como a hermenêutica tradicional e a teologia foi impactada por essas abordagens.
Thiselton conclui abordando pequenos tópicos (inerrância, linguística, pragmática e semântica) para desenvolver em livros posteriores ou que são abordados em outras obras.

O livro é excelente, um material de consistência teórica impressionante, assuntos complexos bem resumidos. Apesar de que, por conta da proposta concisa, alguns termos não são explicados, o que dificulta para o leitor que está buscando uma introdução. A bibliografia no final de cada capítulo é um ponto forte da obra, assim como sua estrutura, que abrange aspectos teóricos e históricos fundamentais para um visão ampla da Hermenêutica.

Os melhores capítulos são os dois primeiros. A abordagem das questões como pre-entendimento, espiral hermenêutica, hermenêutica da comunidade (histórica) em contraste com a hermenêutica individual, etc., certamente pagam o livro.
No futuro penso em colocar minhas anotações num site ou blog em forma de gráficos-slides para ajudar amigos que tenham interesse na área de Hermenêutica.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating does not follow the emotion-based Goodreads scale. While I would probably not say this book was something I "really liked", it was something I really appreciated. This was assigned reading for my hermeneutics class, but I found Thiselton's overview of the history of hermeneutics to be informative, concise and clear. Unlikely many in this field who are given to needlessly convoluting their sentences, Thiselton's style is crisp but not overly dry. He says what needs to be said with as few words as possible. This is a rare treasure among hermeneutics theorists. I also appreciated his treatment of rabbinic hermeneutics. Thiselton has written much elsewhere covering particular issues in the field, while this volume comes off as a concise historical overview of the major players, developments and their ideas, with some very sparse assessment by the author. Overall a highly recommended book for those interested in the topic.

[Chad Gibbons · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and intense journey through literary theory and interpretation. Although the book is labeled as an introduction, I'd be hesitant to recommend it to someone as their first book on the subject. Before reading, you should at least have a handle on what hermeneutics itself is and some different approaches people have taken to it.
If a basic understanding is present however, I would highly recommend it. There's not many people alive today who would even be able to write a book like this, and Thiselton gives, without a doubt, the fairest assessment of each of the different schools I have ever come across.

[Zachary Horn · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, this is a very deceptive title. It is not an introduction to hermeneutics by any means, and you will need a significant working knowledge of the various hermeneutical theories to profit much from this book. Osborne's The Hermeneutical Spiral would be a good introductory text. Truthfully, one would do well to read Vanhoozer's Is There a Meaning in This Text? which, while hardly introductory, is still help to orient the reader to the ideas Thiselton address. Second, if you are expecting a discussion of a developed set of hermeneutical principles, this is not that kind of work. This is more of an anthology of important figures in the fields of philosophy, textual criticism and hermeneutics. Thiselton clearly knows his stuff, but the rate at which he addresses these figures and movements, and the manner in which he relates them to one another (often without explanation of the relationship he is addressing) is frustrating.

[Tom Greentree · Rating 3 out of 5]

A compressed introduction by a master of his field, though perhaps he was overly concerned about not repeating what he'd written elsewhere (I mean, who, reading this introduction, would be concerned about that?) when at times repetition would have lead to a much clearer explanation. I found most of his chapters helpful, as he leads us through a history of hermeneutics, though at times he jumps from person to person or idea to idea with little more than a sentence, which may have felt satisfactory to him (at least they got mentioned) but didn't help the reader (especially the student) at all. And his chapter on Gadamer was difficult and confusing.

[Donnie DeBord · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great survey

This Elton has provided a great survey of hermeneutical approaches. The Patristic exegesis or theological interpretation could use more attention.

[Zachary Cobb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A critical and assessable introduction to the historical development of hermeneutics. While not exhaustive, this text focuses on the key figures in the development of hermeneutics, and is a valuable resource for anyone looking for an introductory text to then dive into the confusing world of hermeneutics. Thiselton is critical with charity, as always, and is a leading scholar in hermeneutics. Since this is also a relatively recent work of his, he refers back to many of his previous larger works which are daunting from the outset. This intro text serves as a nice bridge to aid in reading any of his larger works.

[Corey Astill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had hoped this book would provide more of a how-to and background for understanding the practice of hermeneutics. Instead, it presents more of an anthology of hermeneutical thinking from ancient to postmodern times. Thiselton name-drops with reckless abandon. He offers an endless litany of quotes from all directions with little or no context. He blasts through four thousand years of philosophical history in the first 200 pages. He clearly knows his stuff, but his presentation left me feeling dizzy at many points. I would not recommend this book to anyone who isn't already steeped in hermeneutics.

[Corey Hampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic introduction to the history and development of hermeneutics within the Western world (at least after a brief study of Jewish and early Christian models of interpretation. This will always be easily accessible on my shelf as a great reference tool, though it's also quite enjoyable to just read!

[Sujit Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A useful introductory work for Biblical Studies students. Book seems like the author's class notes. It is a survey of the history of major figures and movements.

[ben adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a book about the history and development of Hermeneutics, both biblical and otherwise, especially in Europe and the U.S. this could not be a better book. However, if you care about justice and liberation like me, this will likely be a waste of your time unless you are interested in the subject of hermeneutics in general. His chapters on Liberation Theology and Feminism & Womanism are laughable at best and willfully ignorant at worst. He almost never credits a woman with an independent insight throughout the entire book and states that Liberation Theology is fizzled out, not realizing that women are now the most original biblical interpreters and Liberation Theology is now so ubiquitous that most people do not even realize it has influenced everyone. Great on history but not much on caring for people who are elitist intellectuals.

[Cayla Pruett · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should be clear, my rating is very biased. I did not love this book, at all, but can acknowledge that Thiselton clearly knows his history of hermeneutics. But, considering the fact that I was hoping for a practical guide for hermeneutical approaches only to find a mind-numbing philosophical history of the big names is hermeneutical development, I was disappointed and frustrated with the read. His final 4 chapters are most interesting in my opinion, but I didn’t love his dismissive attitude toward feminist/womanist scholarship. He comes across as very ivory-tower/unrepeatable to me. But then again, philosophy of hermeneutics isn’t really my thing. I would never recommend this book to someone who wasn’t already deeply steeped in hermeneutical study.

[Greg Mathis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't be fooled by the word "introduction" in the title; there is nothing cursory about this text. Thiselton's book is laid out in a helpfully ordered way and represents a history of hermeneutic thought. Mostly descriptive, the volume does convey Thiselton's views, but these represent a minor note throughout and are mostly limited to the summary sections at the end of each chapter. As such, he largely stayed in his lane in terms of providing an overview of the field's development over time.

Those criticizing the book because it does not provide a how-to method of hermeneutics should perhaps begin reading dust jackets before making purchases.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent history of hermeneutical thought and an introduction to interpretive theory. What this book is not however is an answer to the question of interpretive methodology for Scripture. For that, you'll need other books. Thistleton loses one star for his frequent references to his other works without explicating or mentioning the points made there. For an introductory text or course, it shouldn't be expected to run down copies of his other books for information.

[Sooho Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

**true rating 3.5

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much of an introduction. Thiselton does not explain much at a basic level. This book mainly explains and comments on the work of thinkers throughout the history of interpretation.

[Mollie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I recommend to anyone looking for a sexist, chauvinistic perspective on biblical hermeneutics.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superb stroll through the history of exegesis. Latter chapters are particularly rewarding.

[Brandon Cherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A historical survey of interpretation in Western culture, with emphasis on biblical interpretation. Rather detailed for an introductory text.
The bibliography is excellent.

[Радостин Марчев]

Заглавието е донякъде подвеждащо - това може и да е въведение, но съдържанието изкисва толкова допълнителни знания, че вероятно би останало напълно неразбрано от хора, които сега "прохождат" в предмета и търсят наистина въведение. На моменти дори аз четях цели страници без да мога да схвана авторовата идея. При това Тишелтън пише едновременно сбито, не винаги съвсем ясно и предполагайки, че читателите знаят за какво иде реч. Последното, разбира се, далеч не винаги е така особено когато става дума за философска херменевтика.
Лично за мен книгата беше достатъчно разбираема някъде до средата. Когато започна разглеждането на Шлайермахер, Дилтай,Гадамар, Рикор и донякъде Барт изгубих нишката. Предполагам, че поне част от проблема е, че не съм чел основните съчинения на тези автори, но едва ли е само това. От богословието на освобождението нататък книгата отново стана напълно достъпна за мен до самия й край.
Макар че твърде много от нещата са толкова схематично нахвърляни, че едва ли бих могъл да имам някаква полза от тях (напр. цялата дискусия за херменевтиката на ранната църква) книгата ми даде някои идеи, които намирам за много интересни и върху които със сигурност ще мисля по-нататък. Тук визирам най-вече краткото разглеждане на разликата и припокриването на типология и алегория (с разглеждането на известния пасаж в Галатяни), виждането, че поне някои текстове (вкл. библейски) не могат да бъдат ограничени до едно единствено значение, притчите като частична алегория и приложението на генериращата отговор от страна на читателя херменевтика чрез тях както и делението на текстовете на "отворени" и "затворени" т.е. с фиксиран и с поне частично "свободен" смисъл.
Докато пишех последния параграф си дадох сметка, че книгата всъщност ми е дала повече отколкото предполагах. Въпреки това не бих я препоръчал на никой, който не се е занимавал доста сериозно с херменевтика - не защото книгата е лоша, а понеже е всичко друго, но не и леко въведение в тематиката.

[Don Henrikson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as a class assignment. That said, this seemingly exhaustive history of hermeneutics theory was a good read. The author organized his material and presented his observations and evaluations in a readable manner - a true accomplishment for such a devoted scholar writing on such a scholarly topic. I would recommend this book to those who are interested in the history of how the Bible has been interpreted and why. You may not agree with many of the theories, or even with the author's evaluation, but will come away well-informed.

[Abdullah Başaran · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brief yet superficial introduction. Besides, in a deficiency of many major figures such as Habermas, Apel, Betti, and Vattimo. The latter especially needs a particular chapter since Vattimo, another student of Gadamer, has a very brilliant reading of Christianity. He is a figure who juxtaposes Christianity, hermeneutics, and postmodernity. I don't know why he is excluded but I know he has been deliberately avoided because of his disclosure of being gay and of his being against the state of Israel. Such a great loss for an introductory work to hermeneutics.

[Josue · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating reflects not on the author's scholarship, but reflects my opinion on the book. I cannot say that "I really liked" this book, so I cannot give it 4 stars.

Thiselton's scholarship is definitely excellent. He explained things very well. No doubt Thiselton wrote precisely what he intended to write, and he succeeded at communicating it well.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A ridiculous scope of scholarship covered in 350 pages. This really is a gift to the student who wants to know about hermeneutical theory, especially in regards to biblical studies. However this is probably the most laborious book I'll read this year, and have read in some time.

This was a worthwhile investment, albeit a strenuous one.

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very, very dense and explains why my NSA professors think writing is important. Thiselton does not cut through the jargon. The only chapter I can say that I enjoyed was the one on liberation theology. Thiselton is reasonable though and I have no feelings of ill will in his endeavors or analysis, just wishing I didn't have to read him.

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't be fooled by the title including the word Introduction, this is still a technical book. He does have a good discussion on a broad scope of hermeneutical topics. It is worth the read if you are willing to tread through some tough tedious reading.

[Jesse]

Complimented by Philip Ryken as an excellent scholar.

[Luís Branco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the reading gave me very good inputs on the LXX, womanism and postmodernism. I think that it is a great book for both, scholar and students.

[Zach Waldis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thiselton is brilliant, but I have read better prose in instruction manuals. He is unbelievably quote happy, and this is true here. New horizons is much better.