Download - Introducing the Hebrew bible 3
Interpretation of the Hebrew Bible
• There are differing approaches to theinterpretation (assumptions and methods)of the Hebrew Bible. Four majorapproaches which are generally utilized tointerpret the Hebrew Bible are:
• Confessional Approach• Historical Approach• Literary Approach• Post Modern Approach
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Text of the Hebrew
Bible
Confessional Interpretation
Historical Interpretation
Post Modern Interpretation
Literary Interpretation
Contemporary Application
Confessional Approach
• The Confessional Interpretation approaches the biblical text from below. This is to say that the Hebrew Bible is regarded as an authoritative text.
• Assumption: The Hebrew Bible is a deposit of divine truth
• Methods: Literal and Allegorical Interpretations
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Historical Interpretation
• The Historical Interpretation approaches the biblical text from behind in an effort to reconstruct the history in and behind the text.
• Assumptions: The Hebrew Bible is a human creation.
• Methods: critical studies including text, source, form and redaction criticisms.
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Literary Interpretation
• The Literary Interpretation approaches the biblical text from within maintaining that all meaning is determined by the world of the text.
• Assumptions: The Hebrew Bible is a magnificent representation of literature.
• Methods: Critical literary studies that include rhetorical criticism, structuralism and narrative criticism.
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Post Modern Interpretation
• The Post Modern Interpretation approaches the text from above with the understanding that “meaning” including that of biblical meaning is dependent upon a given interpreter.
• Assumptions: the Hebrew Bible has no meaning without an interpreter.
• Methods: includes critical interpretations such as deconstructionism, ideological criticism and reader-response criticism.
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