Biblical Hermeneutics – Five Views – A Short Review

Last updated on: August 16, 2012 at 9:00 am by Nijay Gupta

Biblical Hermeneutics – Five Views – A Short Review 2012-08-16T09:00:29-08:00 Nijay Gupta

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A couple of days ago I blogged on a multi-view book called Four Views on the Apostle Paul (ed. Mike Bird). Now, I would like to make mention of another recent book entitled Biblical Hermeneutics: Five Views (ed. Stan Porter and Beth Stovell). Now, while these books came out around the same time, not only are they in different series, but also by different publishers! Apostle Paul is a Zondervan title. Biblical Hermeneutics is an IVP title.
OK, now on to the substance of the book. Stan Porter and Beth Stovell are on to something very important. Scholars (and students and pastors) regularly argue and disagree about what this verse means and what that passage means. There are wider hermeneutical issues involved, not just in the interpretation of one passage, but in the whole manner of approach to the Bible itself. In the book, five scholars (representing five “schools of hermeneutical thought”) give their own take on the primary mode of interpretation. One nice feature of the book is that each one works on a case study, all working on Matthew 2:13-15. That addition helps one to see the practical difference between the contributors’ views.
Here are the five views.
1. Craig Blomberg (The Historical-Critical/Grammatical View) – Blomberg represents the traditional evangelical approach that focuses on history and basic exegetical method (which concentrates especially on grammar). I rather like Blomberg’s commentaries, but his case study on Matthew 2:13-15 was not especially interesting. I am “on-board” with the grammatico-historical approach, but I was taught in seminary that it needed to be complemented equally by literary criticism. So, I naturally utilize both historical and literary criticism regularly.
2. F. Scott Spencer (Literary/Postmodern View) – As the view title implies, Spencer is interested in the “synchronic connections in, around and in front of the text in contradistinction to diachronic developments behind the text” (68). I am not sure it was the best idea to blend a “literary” approach with a “postmodern” (or open-text) approach – I know often these go together for scholars, but they need not always do so. Still, Spencer was a good choice – clear, clever, and offering a persuasive essay. I am not sure the “literary” end of his view is all that controversial. Diachronic analysis has been waning for some time, though there are pockets of scholarship that insist on a revival (especially in Jesus studies)!
3. Merold Westphal (Philosophical/Theological View) – It is hard to summarize this approach. It is not really on par with the others – it is really a call for Biblical scholars to think more philosophically about hermeneutics and theology. There is really no reason for one to see this view in conflict with the others.
4. Richard Gaffin (Redemptive-Historical View) – it is hard for me to summarize Gaffin’s view as well. Here is what I understand from his “view”: Scripture is focused on Jesus Christ. It is based on revelation. It is directed towards God’s action of redemption. Much like Westphal’s essay, I kept thinking to myself, this does not seem to be a “view” that rules out or stands against any of the other views per se. I can’t say I had any trouble accepting Gaffin’s overall perspective, but I am not quite sure it is easy to compare and contrast it to the other views.
5. Robert Wall (Canonical View) – Wall is an expert in this area and his essay represents well the “canonical” view.
Strengths
Again, I love books where we get a nice broad picture of something critical (meaning “essential”!) to Biblical Studies. It doesn’t get any more important than “hermeneutics”! Also, who better to introduce the subject than Stan Porter? He is the hermeneutics and Greek guru (see here).
For me it was helpful to see evangelicals who think quite differently about hermeneutics. Sometimes I think that evangelicals (a group I identify with) are mostly “historical-critical.” However, this volume shows the breadth of evangelicalism. I think that can be a very good thing, and for the most part the various contributors are irenic in their responses.
I would also like to note that Porter and Stovell are to be commended for a fine conclusion that capably analyzes and synthesizes the discussion.
Weaknesses
While I appreciate that there are five views included in this book, I am not sure the 5 “views” are true alternatives. In some cases, it appears we are comparing “apples” and “oranges.” I think the Historical-Critical, Literary, and Canonical could be reasonably compared (and contrasted), because they are genuinely different “ways” of looking at a text and interpreting it. How this works out exegetically is very clear.
For the views of Gaffin (Redemptive-Historical) and Westphal (Philosophical), they are dealing with higher-order theological issues. Westphal is basically making a (good!) case that Biblical interpreters need to care more about philosophy and the hermeneutics of meaning. However, it is not clear how a “philosophical” view works in view of interpreting a particular passage. Note what Wall writes in his response:

…he [Westphal] offers no interpretive strategy in particular or a set of conditions that might help explain or guide one’s interpretation of Matthew 2:7-15. He evades a reading of this passage based on his philosophy of hermeneutics. (p 189)

One of the key areas of confusion here, then, is how one uses the word “hermeneutics.” Is it referring primarily to a method of interpreting Scripture (Wall, Blomberg, Spencer), or a broader philosophical approach to finding meaning in the Bible (Westphal and Gaffin)?
Personally, I think seminary students will learn the most from the introduction/conclusion, and then close comparison of Blomberg, Spencer, and Wall with interest in their responses.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

August 14, 2012

Short A.J. Jacobs lecture - great for hermeneutics courses!

Next Post

August 21, 2012 Barton's Theology of the Book of Amos

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category (Mis)Understanding Philippians 10 Things I Can't Live Without 2023 New Books 30 OT HB Scholars to Read and Follow 5 Books Series 50-2-Follow Academia Christian Theologians to Read and Follow Cruciform Scripture: Contributor Reflections Crux Sola TV Editors Behind Great Books in NT Studies Education Gendering the Holy Spirit Gupta FB Live Lectures In Faith and Doubt In Their Own Words Living the King Jesus Gospel My Top 6 OT Commentaries New Testament Resource Guide New Word Biblical Themes Nijay's A Very Library Christmas Shopping Guide Notes from an Editor Notes on New Books NTRG OT in the NT Paul Seminary Now The Bible in God's World The Word Felt Among Us SPENCER Translating Philippians Uncategorized Why I Use Accordance Women in Ministry

Select a Month March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 May 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz