Introduction: Hermeneutics as a Crucial Component of Theology
The Proposal
Hermeneutics: Definition
This paper seeks to understand the methods of interpreting the scripture nowadays, as well as the significance that the Scripture and its postulates have for the contemporary audience. There is no need to emphasize that the Biblical writing can be scrutinized and understood from a variety of perspectives. Therefore, selecting one and following it fully will allow introducing a homogenous interpretation of the Bible.1 In turn, given the observed environment of the Christian community, which has been diluted significantly, focusing on the notions of unity and collaboration appear to be justified.
Overall, this paper seeks to study the modern frameworks for conducting hermeneutical analysis of the Scripture, namely, attempting at eliciting the meaning contained within it. While the significance of the literal interpretation of the Bible remains high, it appears that the adoption of a more diverse tool, specifically, a multicultural approach, may help them in recruiting new percipients.
Research Question
Therefore, the main research question that this study is seeking to explore and to answer is whether the current approach toward hermeneutics has changed since the development of the concept, and whether the present hermeneutics practices can be improved. Specifically, the opportunity to use the outcomes o interpreting the Bible as the method of keeping the Christian community together and reinforce collaboration as opposed to squabbling and arguments that can be observed in the Christian environment presently. Moreover, by answering the question of how hermeneutics principles have evolved, one will be able to make forecasts concerning future developments in the specified domain.
The Problem
Search for Homogeneity
The main problem that this paper strives to address is the presence of the problem under analysis and the resulting contradictions emerging throughout the Bible. The specified incongruence in interpretations of the Biblical texts crates breeding grounds for disagreements, which reduce the extent of cooperation within the Christian church and, in the worst-case scenario, serve as the basis for conflicts.
Multiple Disagreements
The existence of different points of view on the issue of how the Scripture must be interpreted, as well as what its meaning implies for the further development of Christianity, may dishearten a range of Christian believers, not to mention newly recruited Christians, from following essential Christian value sand Biblical principles.2 Therefore, the integration of the hermeneutics framework that will encourage unity will also allow addressing the specified disputes, settling multiple disagreements and cementing unity- and collaboration-based relationships between the members of different congregations.
The Solution
As emphasized, the approach based on the use of critical hermeneutics as the method of adjusting and updating the old Biblical ideas that may have failed to age well, is likely to be the solution to the existing disputes regarding the selection and adoption of a hermeneutics approach. Specifically, the adoption of the anagogical framework as the means of cementing the relationships based on unity within the Christian church is expected to help in addressing the controversies surrounding the process of hermeneutics.
Reconciling the Approaches
As emphasized above, the difference in the approaches defines the meaning and key ideas elicited from the Biblical text to a significant degree, which implies that the introduction of a rather loose tool for examining the Bible will allow creating a uniform hermeneutical framework. In turn, the specified framework will allow for the existence of multiple opinions while supporting a single belief system and the promotion of a congruent set of values, standards, and philosophies.3 The specified stance will entail better collaboration within the Christian church, reducing the extent of disagreements and helping believers to focus on their personal and spiritual development.
Connecting Christian Values to Present-Day Reality
There is no denying that the present-day world has changed significantly, affecting how Christians perceive traditional Biblical narratives, ideas, and values. Therefore, it is essential for Christian leaders to keep up the pace and offer the interpretations of the Scripture that allow meeting the needs of the present-day population, while reinforcing the significance of the foundational concepts of Christianity, such as the emphasis on Christlikeness.4 Therefore, hermeneutics needs to be seen as the path to linking the modern reality to the Biblical discourse in the way that will seem relatable to most people.
Hermeneutical Practices of the Church: An Overview and Analysis
Primary Issue in Hermeneutics
Seeking the ways to understand the Scripture and key Biblical texts, hermeneutics can be represented as the study aimed at building the understanding of the Biblical narrative. Therefore, understanding as a concept and the process of developing familiarity with the foundational religious tenets, principles, and philosophies can be deemed as the main issue in hermeneutics. For instance, the methods of representing the Biblical narrative in the way that will be palatable and relatable to contemporary Christians is one of the problems that hermeneutics explores (). Thus, as a source of additional insight into the philosophy of Christianity and the primary txt source that establishes core Christian values and philosophies, hermeneutics needs to be recognized as a crucial field of study.
History of Hermeneutics
Representing a branch of theological studies, hermeneutics has a very rich history. Derived from the Greek word “ἑρμηνεύω,” which means “translation” or “interpretation,” hermeneutics originates in antiquity, yet its modern interpretation dates back to the 19th century, where it was established as full-fledged science by philosophers such as Hans-Georg Gadamer.5 Presently, hermeneutics examines an array of concerns, including the necessity to adjust the interpretation of the Bible to the contemporary cultural environment.
Current Practices: Hermeneutics
The Literal Approach
Being one of the most obvious and blatant approaches toward the reading of the Bible, literal hermeneutics suggests accepting the Biblical text in its raw, literal form. One might presume that the literal hermeneutic framework leads to fewer confusions, yet it also entails several problems in understanding the Scripture. Primarily, the literal approach demands that the Biblical narrative should be interpreted based strictly on the grammatical arrangement of the text.6 The specified approach has multiple problems, the main one being that the existing translations of the Bible already represent a significant deviation from the original source.
The Moral Approach
Suggesting that the key Biblical narratives and principles should be seen as the foundation for building a system of ethical standards and the following code of ethics and ethical behaviors, the specified approach implies imbuing every Biblical text with a specific moral meaning. Given the didactic nature of the Bible as a source of Christian wisdom and the foundational ground for building relationships between individuals, as well as between an individual and God, the Bible offers a plethora of ideas that can serve as the source of moral speculations.7
However, the adoption of the moral approach could be seen as slightly restrictive since it suggests viewing key Biblical principles, ideas, and texts from a single dimension. Therefore, while representing an important heuristic framework, the moral approach needs to be combined with another perspective to produce a multidimensional assessment and a deeper understanding of the text.
The Allegorical Approach
In turn, the allegorical approach allows distancing oneself from the literal meaning of the Biblical narrative and, instead, focus on the implicit meanings that it my contain. The described framework is particularly important for the development of a more nuanced understanding of the Biblical narrative, as well as its application to the present-day environment.8 The allegorical approach presently has the greatest potential for encouraging unification across the Christian community worldwide since it admits the advantage of progress and allows making concessions for the sake of maintaining collaboration and spiritual development.
The Anagogical Approach
Finally, one should mention the anagogical approach as one of the tools for approaching the sacred text. Offering a more generalized meaning of the scripture, the anagogical analysis implies putting the Biblical text into a broader perspective and addressing it in the way that introduces a heavenly meaning to the key ideas represented in the Bible.9 Moreover, the anagogical approach inclines its proponents to viewing the Church as the representation of heaven, which, while reinforcing the importance of complying with the existing Christian values and standards, may lead to a certain confusion regarding the role of Church.
Search for the Consensus
Promoting Christian Unity
Given the propensity toward alienation observed in the present-day Christian setting, the focus on reinforcing unity and promoting collaboration appears to be central to the practical outcomes of hermeneutics. For this reason, the focus on the anagogical hermeneutical analysis appears to contain the greatest potential for interpreting the Scripture and creating an in-depth understanding of the Bible. The outlined perspective will also imply the return to practicing the participatory approach toward relaying the Scripture and its crucial concepts.10 The proposed solution to some of the current disputes concerning the meaning of specific Biblical passages will encourage collaboration.
Furthermore, the adoption of the contemplative hermeneutics as the method of examining the true meaning of specific Biblical passages, is also expected to produce significant changes in how the process is perceived. Namely, since the Biblical narrative provides the mimetic world for the reader to emulate, the perception of the Biblical text in its literal sense becomes a very tempting idea. However, the opportunity to open the human world that the Bible conceals should not obscure the interpretation of the Bible as the source of heavenly wisdom, which reaches far beyond the human mind.11 Therefore, the application of the contemplative hermeneutics as the extension of the allegorical one needs to be seen as the future of the hermeneutical analysis of Biblical texts.
Promoting Theological Research
Among the key opportunities that the proposed measure provides, one should mention the encouragement of further research of the Bible and the key theological questions that it poses. Namely, the incorporation of the allegorical, participatory, and critical approaches into the examination of the key meanings of the Scripture provides a chance to consider some of the essential provisions from a new angle.12
Hermeneutics as the Path to Personal Understanding
Overall, the existing body of research shows that the process of extrapolating the meaning of essential Biblical passages needs to be advanced to a new level by inviting greater flexibility in the interpretations of the Biblical text. Therefore, in a certain way, the contemporary hermeneutical research allows embracing one’s personal interpretation of the scripture along with the traditional one. The described experience leads to the reinforcement of the effects of critical spiritual practices, primarily, praying, as the ultimate form of communication with God.13 As a result, an individual can experience spiritual transformation through the lens of the said individual’s culture, which allows reading the Scripture in a specific way and, therefore, interpreting it meaning in a new manner.
Consequently, the further development of hermeneutics can be seen as the creation of new paths to building a personal understanding of the Scripture and its meaning. As a result, opportunities for a more profound personal connection with God for Christian believers emerge with the further promotion of the contemporary hermeneutical research.14 The opportunity for considering the subject matter form the cognitive perspective along with the spiritual one, thus introducing the notion of rationality into the analysis, leads to important questions concerning the connection between the principles represented in the Scripture and the lived experiences of modern Christians. Thus, the incongruences identified in the process may lad to further discoveries and the identification of new ways of interpreting the Biblical text.
Conclusion: Current Hermeneutical Practices and Their Possible Improvement
Summary: Hermeneutics as the Source of Major Disputes
Allowing for the assessment of the Biblical text in order to elicit essential meanings form it, hermeneutics leads to a range of questions concerning possible interpretations of the source material. Due to the existence of multiple perspectives on the issue of the interpretation of the Bible, common grounds must be sought. In turn, the allegorical approach combined with the critical perspective entail greater variety in textual analysis of the Bible, thus, inviting opportunity for enhancing multicultural discourse among Christians.
Recommendations: Considering Unity as the Priority
Since the allegorical approach allows for the greatest flexibility in applying Biblical wisdom to the present-day environment, it needs to be seen as one of the main methods for hermeneutical analysis and research. With the application of the allegorical framework, Christian leaders will be able to transfer from theoretical theological [postulates to the practice of preaching and leading Christian believers toward redemption and salvation.
Apart from offering a chance to establish an individual connection between each Christian and God, the proposed framework can contribute to building unity among Christians since it allows introducing the contemporary perspective on Biblical principles, which, in turn, entails greater freedom in personal interpretations of the Bible. Therefore, with the adoption of the allegorical approach combined with the critical perspective, a Christian leader can encourage dialogue within the modern Christian community, helping people to establish a stronger link between their belief and value system and the Biblical ones, which, in turn, will entail a broader discussion and the process of cultural and spiritual sharing.
Conclusion: Using Hermeneutics to Expand the Personal Understanding
With the focus on the critical aspects of allegorical hermeneutics into the process of theological research and the framework for appealing to Christians worldwide, as well as on local levels, Christian ;leaders will be able to unify the community.
The focus on togetherness is especially important I the resent-day context of globalization and multiculturalism, which broaden the perspectives of Christian believers, yet also introduce them to a range of temptations, thus weakening their faith. With the inclusion of postmodern perspectives on Christian values and philosophy, the target demographic may be unable to resist temptations, thus deviating from the path to redemption and salvation. Thus, it is the responsibility of Christian leaders to use the theological theory to elicit crucial ideas from the Scripture and interpret them in the way that would be applicable to the present-day setting.
Bibliography
Dadang, M. E., and F. O. Danladi. “Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth and Implications to Society: Guidepost for Biblical Hermeneutics in Contemporary Africa.” Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies 4, no. 10, 2020, pp. 19-34.
Fawzy, Nimeen. “Paul Ricoeur’s Literary Hermeneutics and Biblical Exegesis.” EKB Journal Management System 7, no. 3, 2018, pp. 218-254.
Grey, Jacqueline. “Amos Yong and Weaving a Hermeneutics of Love.” Australasian Pentecostal Studies 21, no. 1, 2020, pp. 41-48.
Scherer, Bee. “Translating the Lotus Sūtra into Social Action: Hermeneutics and Public Dharmology.” Buddhist-Christian Studies 39, no. 1, 2019, pp. 147-168.
Yousaf, Talha, and Khair Ul Bashar. “Human Conscience in Walter de la Mare’s The Listeners: an Allegorical Exploration.” International Journal of English and Comparative Literary Studies 1, no. 1, 2020, pp. 37-43.
The Bible. English Standard Version. London, Crossway, 2001.
The Bible. New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1978.
Thirsk, Lorraine M., and Alexander M. Clark. “Using qualitative research for complex interventions: the contributions of hermeneutics.” International Journal of Qualitative Methods 16, no. 1, 2017, pp. 1-9.
Footnotes
- Nimeen Fawzy, “Paul Ricoeur’s Literary Hermeneutics and Biblical Exegesis,” EKB Journal Management System 7, no. 3 (2018): p. 221.
- Bee Scherer, “Translating the Lotus Sūtra into Social Action: Hermeneutics and Public Dharmology,” Buddhist-Christian Studies, 39, no. 1, 2019, p. 147
- Ibid.
- Jacqueline Grey, “Amos Yong and Weaving a Hermeneutics of Love,” Australasian Pentecostal Studies 21, no. 1 (2020): p. 44.
- Bee Scherer, “Translating the Lotus Sūtra into Social Action: Hermeneutics and Public Dharmology,” Buddhist-Christian Studies, 39, no. 1, 2019, p. 148.
- M. E. Dadang and F. O. Danladi. “Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth and Implications to Society: Guidepost for Biblical Hermeneutics in Contemporary Africa,” Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies 4, no. 10 (2020): p. 24.
- Lorraine M. Thirsk and Alexander M. Clark, “Using qualitative research for complex interventions: the contributions of hermeneutics,” International Journal of Qualitative Methods 16, no. 1 (2017): p. 2.
- Talha Yousaf and Khair Ul Bashar, “Human Conscience in Walter de la Mare’s The Listeners: an Allegorical Exploration,” International Journal of English and Comparative Literary Studies 1, no. 1 (2020): p. 39.
- Nimeen Fawzy, “Paul Ricoeur’s Literary Hermeneutics and Biblical Exegesis,” EKB Journal Management System 7, no. 3 (2018): p. 219.
- Ibid.
- Yousaf and Bashar, p. 41.
- Dadang and Danladi. P. 26.
- The Bible. New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1978): Ephesians 4:29.
- The Bible, English Standard Version (London, Crossway, 2001): Proverbs 13:17.