Identify and Own a Hermeneutic
My companion is a biblical scholar teaching at a progressive, mainline seminary. She’s been listening to our denomination talk about the non-essentials and the essentials of faith since we entered seminary back in the late 1980’s. The conversations have been, at times, charitable in tone. As a scholar of the First Testament and professor, she asks tough questions with grace and balance about Christendom’s use of the bible. Hat tip to Dr. Toni Craven and Dr. William Baird for passing that along to Lisa, to me, and others that studies with them and witnessed their example at Brite Divinity School.
I don’t remember what we had talked about or what might have been on TV, but one evening I noticed her typing away, and she turned out this piece published at Dmergent.
A Little Consistency Please
Oct 23, 2015In an effort to be candid, I will share my hermeneutic for reading biblical texts. As a follower of the way of Jesus, I value and recognize the two “greatest commandments” that at least 2 gospels (Matt 22:36-40 & Mark 12:28-34) attribute to Jesus: “Love God with all you are” (Deut 6:5) & “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev 19:18). Every text in the bible must be evaluated with these questions: does it teach me to love God with all that I am and does it teach me to love my neighbor as myself. If the answer is “no,” then I must delve deeply in research to seek an answer as to why this text might be in the bible. If the answer is “yes,” then I must also delve deeply into the exegesis of the passage, so that I do not just bend it to approve of what I do and what I value.