Towards Better Ways of Reading the Bible

Bryan J. Gray

doi:10.1017/S0036930600047682

Towards Better Ways of Reading the Bible

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 February 2009

Bryan J. Gray

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Bryan J. Gray: Affiliation:
63 Holly Road Christchurch New Zealand

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The growing rift between biblical scholarship and the dogmatic and moral theologies of the Churches is a challenge to us all. But not only is it necessary to examine the presuppositions of the biblical scholars; it is also necessary to investigate the questions raised by their critics. Is there a uniform pattern in the questions raised? Do the critics provide any suggestions as to how the Scripture scholar should operate? Is there a common core which can be detected in the midst of the disquiet?

Type: Research Article
Information: Scottish Journal of Theology , Volume 33 , Issue 4 , August 1980 , pp. 301 - 315

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0036930600047682 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © Scottish Journal of Theology Ltd 1980

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^{page 301 note 1} London: James Clarke, 1967.

^{page 301 note 2} Edinburgh: Handsel Press, 1976.

^{page 301 note 3} Particularly in his Theological Science (London: Oxford University Press, 1969)Google Scholar and God and Rationality (London: Oxford University Press, 1971).Google Scholar

^{page 302 note 1} Langford, Thomas A., ‘T. F. Torrance's Theological Science, A Reaction’, SJT 25 (1973). p. 163.Google Scholar

^{page 302 note 2} Theology and the Gospel of Christ (London: S.P.C.K., 1977), p. 47.Google Scholar

^{page 302 note 3} For a discussion of these influences, see our ‘Theology as Science. An Examination of the Theological Methodology of Thomas F. Torrance.’ Unpublished dissertation in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the S.T.D., Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven, Faculty of Theology, 1975, pp. 72–94.Google Scholar

^{page 302 note 4} Dornisch, Loretta provides an introduction to the thought of Ricoeur in Semeia 4 (1975) pp. 1–21)Google Scholar. Our own reading has been guided by Johnston, Robert E., From an Author-oriented to a Text-oriented Hermeneutic: Implications of Paul Ricoeur's Hermeneutical Theory for the Interpretation of the New Testament. Unpublished dissertation in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Ph.D. in Religious Studies, Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven, Faculty of Theology 1977.Google Scholar

^{page 302 note 5} Space, Time and Resurrection, p. 9.

^{page 302 note 6} Theological Science, p. 192.

^{page 303 note 1} cf. Polanyi, Michael, The Study of Man (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1959) p. 29.Google Scholar

^{page 303 note 2} Space, Time and Resurrection, p. 3.

^{page 303 note 3} Ricoeur, Paul, Interpretation Theory: Discourse and the Surplus of Meaning (Fort Worth: The Texas Christian University Press, 1976), pp. 22–23.Google Scholar

^{page 304 note 1} Space, Time and Resurrection, pp. 7.8.

^{page 304 note 2} ‘Biblical Hermeneutics’, Semeia 4 (1975).Google Scholar

^{page 304 note 3} Space, Time and Resurrection, p. 4.

^{page 304 note 4} Jesus and the Christian, p. 10.

^{page 305 note 1} Torrance's interest in conceptual patterns groups him in terms of Kelsey's, David typologies in The Uses of Scripture in Recent Theology (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1975)Google Scholar as ‘biblical concept theology’. This is a position which grows out of Barth's early writings.

^{page 305 note 2} Jesus and the Christian, p. 12.

^{page 305 note 3} Theological Science, p. 275.

^{page 305 note 4} Interpretation Theory, pp. 87–8. Torrance makes a similar statement in Theological Science, pp. 170–2, in speaking of existence and coherence-statements, whereas Ricoeur derives his position from an analysis of metaphor.

^{page 306 note 1} ‘Philosophical Hermeneutics and Theological Hermeneutics’, SR 5 (1975/1976) p. 30.Google Scholar

^{page 307 note 1} God and Rationality, p. 151.

^{page 307 note 2} Ibid.

^{page 307 note 3} Torrance says we do not know how the Bible can be both Word of God and word of man. Milavec, Donald A., employing Polanyi's notion of boundary control, makes some interesting suggestions in his ‘The Bible, the Holy Spirit, and Human Power’, SJTh 29 (1976), pp. 215'235.CrossRef Google Scholar

^{page 307 note 4} Theological Science, p. 182.

^{page 308 note 1} ‘Philosophical and Theological Hermeneutics’, p. 19.

^{page 308 note 2} ‘Herméneutique de l'idée de Révélation’, p. 21, in Ricoeur, Paul et al. , La Révélation (Brussels: Publications des Facultés Universitaires Saint Louis, 1977).Google Scholar

^{page 309 note 1} ‘Philosophical and Theological Hermeneutics’, p. 27.

^{page 309 note 2} ibid., p. 20.

^{page 310 note 1} ‘Philosophical and Theological Hermeneutics’, pp. 28–9.

^{page 310 note 2} Space, Time and Resurrection, p. 13.

^{page 310 note 3} Jesus and the Christian, p. 10. Guidelines as to how we realise this are not given.

^{page 311 note 1} ‘Philosophical and Theological Hermeneutic’, p. 25; cf. Interpretation Theory, pp. 74–88.

^{page 312 note 1} ‘Philosophical and Theological Hermeneutic’, p. 30.

^{page 313 note 1} Interpretation Theory, p. 94.

^{page 313 note 2} Theological Science, pp. 274–6.

^{page 313 note 3} ‘Biblical Hermeneutics’, pp. 88–106.

^{page 314 note 1} ibid., p. 104.

^{page 314 note 2} ibid., p. 101.

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