Description
Book SynopsisWhen interpreting Scripture, do we take an academic or a spiritual approach? Do we emphasize the human or the divine agency? Do we focus on man's authorship or God's inspiration?
Mark Bowald argues that these are false dichotomies. We need to understand both the human qualities of Scripture and the divine, as an overemphasis on either will lead to distortions. In
Rendering the Word in Theological Hermeneutics, Bowald surveys various schools of thought, explaining where they lose the balance between the two. He analyzes the hermeneutical methods of George Lindbeck, Hans Frei, Kevin Vanhoozer, Francis Watson, Stephen Fowl, David Kelsey, Werner Jeanrond, Karl Barth, James K. A. Smith, and Nicholas Wolterstorff.
Bowald shows that we should view Scripture as equally human and divine in origin and character. And our reading of Scripture should involve both critical rigor and openness to the leading of God's Spirit.
Trade ReviewRendering the Word is one of the most astute treatments of scriptural hermeneutics in recent years. It is a work of considerable theological perception, most of all in its clear-minded and penetrating analysis of the place and significance of divine agency in the interpretation of Scripture.
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John Webster, professor of divinity at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. Author of
Confronted by Grace"Theological hermeneutics has no more avid cartographer than Mark Bowald. Readers who are still wondering what theological interpretation of Scripture is would do well to orient themselves to the discussion by consulting Bowald's charts. Bowald does more than map out this strange new continent, however; he makes a constructive dogmatic claim about the role of divine agency. This is intelligent theological mapmaking, a book to take up and read to find one's way through the issue of God's presence and activity in biblical interpretation."
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Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Research professor of systematic theology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
