Patristic Exegesis and the Pre, Modern, and Postmodern

As theological and biblical studies approaches this modern/postmodern standoff, it is interesting to consider how things were done before we arrived at this point. The ancient writings of the church fathers offer an interesting juxtaposition to our current situation. They did not have the same presuppositions and preoccupation with methodology that we have today. They didn't even have the fully developed doctrines of this or that that we have today. Biblical interpretation was a different beast then and one that cannot be easily cornered.

In Sanctified Vision, which I am currently reading, John O'Keefe and R. Reno discuss the exegetical practices of the fathers, not simply seeking to explain their methodology but to present the logic and assumptions that they held. This book is helpful for sifting through some of the modern day interpretations of what the fathers were doing and seeks to avoid anachronism.

Hot hot hot

This was one of the hottest weekends in Chicago in years. My church doesn't have air conditioning, so it was a hot sermon (and it wasn't even about hell). Of course I had also planned to spend the afternoon/evening at Ravinia with some friends. We didn't let the weather stop us, so there we were in the shade of the trees, listening to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in the 100 degree weather -- what every sane person does on the hottest day of the year. It's still pretty hot today, but fortunately there is milder weather on the way in the next day or two.

Library Animals

For those of us who spend large portions of time in the library reading, writing, and researching there is a need for humor. This morning a friend and fellow researcher told me how a squirrel entered the university library and was treated to the time of his/her life. After chasing the poor creature all around the stacks of books, they pursuers finally cornered the animal and it fell over the ledge from the main floor to the basement level, apparently injured. It was placed in a bucket, but what happened after that is purely speculation.

Now the suffering of the animal is not the humor (relax), but the chase by the humans was the amusing part. Image the absurdity of grown men running after a little squirrel with brooms and rakes, as if they were chasing dirt and leaves. If you have seen Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, you will probably have more of a context for the power of the little squirrels.

Hermeneutics and the Holy

Hermeneutics has in many ways become a catchword in theological circles. Add a bit of the modern/postmodern conflict, and you have a full fledged argument. In a recent discussion with a friend the issue of hermeneutics came up as it relates to the issue of women in ministry. She was trying to reconcile her community oriented belief with a literal interpretation of Paul. Unfortunately the two were at odds, and her attempt was less than successful.

While this particular issue has been the subject of many books, articles, and tears, it is not the focus of the discussion. The focus is what has authority. Does Scripture have authority or does the belief of a particular community have authority? Are they mutually exclusive? What also about the role of tradition? It is unlikely that one can argue for a purely biblical authority because Scripture has to be interpreted and applied, and communities are the ones who interpret and apply Scripture. Is this simply relativism? No, because there are standards and established methods for interpretation, there is a text, there is history, and there are orthodox bounds. So, the specifics of Christianity may look somewhat different in various times and places, but it is the same good news and the same Spirit at work.

What is the method we use for interpretation? Do we consider the propositional statement of scripture to the exclusion of narrative or other genres? Well, this question requires more than a single comment, so I will take it up again at another time.

Blogging Black Hole

Today you can find just about anything you want on the web, and you can find it with great speed. However, the one thing that seems to get away in this search is time. Where does it go? It is easy to spend a lot of time reading and posting. I wonder how the internet plays into statistics that tell us how much time an average person spends doing things like eating and waiting in traffic.

Questions that Provoke

A couple weeks ago a friend from church asked me what I knew about the Emergent Church (EC). For the next hour or so we discussed the EC, D. A. Carson's book on the EC, postmodernity, and related subjects. While it was an interesting discussion, it pretty much exhuasted what I knew about the EC and set me on a search to learn more. I have found several places online that have been great resources for learning more about this discussion and am now intrigued in how this movement (although they do not see themselves as a "movement") will impact Christianity.