DOCSLIB.ORG

Dilthey-Rise of Hermeneutics-Add

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Dilthey-Rise of Hermeneutics-Add 1 Dilthey, Wilhelm. 1996. Hermeneutics and the Study of History: Selected Works, Volume IV. Edited by R. A. Makkreel and F. Rodi. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. THE RISE OF HERMENEUTICS (1900) 235 TRANSLATED BY FREDRIC R. JAMESON AND RUDOLF A. MAKKREEL V, 317 Gesammelte Schriften In an earlier essay' I have discussed the representation of individuation in art and particularly in poetry. We have now to deal with the problem of the scientific knowledge of individuals and in- deed the main forms of singular human existence in general. Is such knowledge possible, and what means are at our disposal to attain it? It is a problem of the greatest significance. Action everywhere presupposes the understanding of other persons; much of our happiness as human beings derives from being able to feel the states of mind of others; the entire science of philology and of history is based on the presupposition that such reunderstanding of what is singular can be raised to objectivity. The historical con- sciousness developed on this basis has enabled modern man to hold the entire past of humanity present within himself: Beyond the limits of his own time he peers into past cultures, appropriat- ing their energies and taking pleasure in their charm, with a consequent increase in his own hap- piness. And when the systematic human sciences go on to derive more general lawful relations and more inclusive connections from this objective apprehension of what is singular, the proc- esses of understanding and interpretation still remain basic. Thus, these disciplines, like history itself, depend for their methodological certainty upon whether the understanding of what is sin- gular may be raised to the level of universal validity. So at the threshold of the human sciences we encounter a problem specific to them alone and quite distinct from all conceptual knowledge of nature. Human sciences have indeed the advantage over the natural sciences that their object is not sen- sory appearance as such, no mere , This essay was first published in the Festschrift: Philosophische Abhandlungen, Christoph Sigwart zu seinen 70. Geburtstag 28 Marz 1900 gewidmet (Tiibingen, 1900), pp. 185-202. Reprinted in Dilthey, GS, V, 317-38. Pagination in the margins refers to GS V. This is a revised and expanded version of a translation by Fredric Jameson originally published in New Literary History, volume 3, no. 2, 1972, 22944· 2 "Die Kunst als erste Darstellung der menschlichgeschichtlichen Welt in ihrer Individuation," in "Beitrage zum Studium der Individualitat (1895-96)," GS V, 273-303. See also SW 2. HERMENEUTICS AND ITS HISTORY 236 V, 3 I 8 reflection of reality within consciousness, but is rather first and foremost an inner reality, a nexus experienced from within. Yet the very way in which this reality is given in inner experi- ence raises great difficulties for its objective apprehension. It is not the purpose of the present essay to deal with those difficulties. Moreover, the inner experience through which I attain re- flexive awareness of my own condition can never by itself bring me to a consciousness of my own individuality. I experience the latter only through a comparison of myself with others; at 2 that point alone I become aware of what distinguishes me from others, and Goethe was only too right when he said that this most crucial of all our experiences is also one of the most difficult, and that our insight into the extent, nature, and limits of our powers remains at best incomplete. But the existence of other people is given us at first only from the outside, in facts available to sense, that is, in gestures, sounds, and actions. Only through a process of re-creation of that which is available to the senses do we complete this inner experience. Everything-material, structure, the most individual traits of such a completion-must be carried over from our own sense of life. Thus the problem is: How can one quite individually structured consciousness bring an alien individuality of a completely different type to objective knowledge through such re-creation? What kind of process is this, in appearance so different from the other modes of conceptual knowledge? Understanding is what we call this process by which an inside is conferred on a complex of ex- ternal sensory signs. Such is ordinary usage; and the precise psychological terminology that we so desperately need can come into being only if such carefully defined, clear, and usefully delim- ited expressions are equally respected by all writers. The understanding of nature-interpretatio naturae - is a metaphor. Even the apprehension of our own states can only be called understand- ing in a figurative sense. To be sure, I say: "I can't understand how I could have acted thus," and even, "I don't understand myself anymore." Yet what I mean by this is that an objectification of my own being in the external world now stands before me as that of a stranger and that I am un- able to interpret it, or alternatively that I suddenly find myself in a state that I stare at, so to speak, as something alien to me. We therefore call understanding that process by which we rec- ognize, behind signs given to our senses, that psychic reality of which they are the expression. Such understanding ranges from grasping the babblings of children to Hamlet or the Critique of Pure Reason. Through stone and 319 marble, musical notes, gestures, words, and texts, actions, economic THE RISE OF HERMENEUTICS 237 regulations and constitutions, the same human spirit addresses us and demands interpretation. Indeed, the process of understanding, insofar as it is determined by common conditions and epis- temological means, must everywhere have the same characteristics. It is thus the same in its es- sential features. If, for instance, I wish to understand Leonardo, my interpretation of his actions, paintings, sketches, and writings coheres as a single homogeneous and unified process. Understanding has various degrees. These are determined first of all by interest. If our interest is limited, so also is our understanding. How impatiently do we listen to many arguments, merely extracting the point that happens to be important to us practically, without any interest in the in- ner life of the speaker; at other times we passionately attempt to seize the innermost reality of a speaker through his every facial expression, his every word. Yet even the most attentive concen- tration can develop into a rule-guided procedure-one by which a measurable degree of objectiv- ity can be reached-only where the objectification of life has been fixed, so that we can return to it again and again. Such rule-guided understanding of fixed and relatively permanent objectifica- tions of life is what we call exegesis or interpretation. In this sense there is also an art of inter- pretation whose objects are statues or paintings, and Friedrich August Wolf 3 already called for archaeological hermeneutics and critique. Welcker4 agreed with the need for such a hermeneutic, and Preller5 tried to work it out. Yet Preller himself had already pointed out that such interpreta- tion of mute works is everywhere dependent on literature for its elucidation. 3 That is indeed the immeasurable significance of literature for our understanding of spiritual life and of history, for only in language does human inner life find its complete, exhaustive, and ob- jectively understandable expression. That is why the art of understanding centers on the exegesis or interpretation of those remains of human reality preserved in written form. The interpretation of such remains, along with the critical procedures inseparable from it, consti- tuted the point of departure for philology. Philology is in its essence a personal skill and virtuOs- ity in dealing with what has been preserved in writing. Other types of J Friedrich August Wolf (1759-1824), classical philologist and educational theorist; author of Prolegomena ad Hom- erum. 4 Karl Theodor Welcker (1790-1869), liberal politician and professor of public law. S Ludwig Preller (1809-61), German philologist and historian. HERMENEUTICS AND ITS HISTORY 238 interpretation of monuments or historically transmitted actions can prosper only in association with philology and its findings. We can always make mistakes about the motivation of the agents of history; 320 they themselves can spread misconceptions about their own motives. But the work of a great poet or discoverer, a religious genius or an authentic philosopher can never be anything but a true expression of his psychic life; in a human society filled with lies, such a work is always true, and unlike every other objectification registered in signs, it is capable of complete and objective interpretation; indeed, it is only in the light of such works that we begin to under- stand other artistic monuments of an age and the historical actions of contemporaries. This art of interpretation has developed in a manner as slow, gradual, and lawlike as the experi- mental investigation of nature itself. It originated in the personal and inspired virtuosity of the philologist, where it continues to flourish. Thus its tradition is predominantly handed down through personal contact with the great practitioners of exegesis or with their works. At the same time every art is conducted according to rules, which teach us how to overcome difficulties. They bequeath the results of the personal skill. Hence from early on there developed from the art of exegesis the exposition of its rules. And from conflict about these rules, from the struggle of various tendencies in the interpretation of fundamental works and the subsequent need to estab- lish a basis for such rules, the science of hermeneutics itself came into being.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • HERMENEUTICAL CRITICISMS: by Mark E
    Issues of Interpretation Ozark Christian College, GB 216-2 Professor Mark E. Moore, Ph.D. Table of Contents: 1. Hermeneutical Constructs .......................................................................................................2 2. A Chart of the History of Hermeneutics .................................................................................5 3. History of Interpretation .........................................................................................................7 4. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, 1.1.10.......................................................................29 5. Allegory of 153 Fish, Jn 21:11 .............................................................................................30 6. How the Holy Spirit Helps in Interpretation .........................................................................31 7. Problem Passages ..................................................................................................................32 8. Principles for Dealing with Problem Passages .....................................................................33 9. Cultural vs. Universal ...........................................................................................................34 10. Hermeneutical Constructs .....................................................................................................36 11. Hermeneutical Shifts .............................................................................................................38 12. Hermeneutical Constructs:
    [Show full text]
  • The Triune God As Similarity in Difference: an Engagement with Paul Ricoeur's Hermeneutical Detour JH Ahn Orcid.Org / 0000-00
    The Triune God as similarity in difference: An engagement with Paul Ricoeur’s hermeneutical detour JH Ahn orcid.org / 0000-0002-0574-3183 Thesis accepted for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Dogmatics at the North-West University Promoter: Prof S Van Der Walt Graduation: May 2020 Student number: 28883179 Acknowledgments The last moment of the long journey to the Triune God probably should inevitably end with Augustine’s confession: “I [Augustine] confess rather that the highest Trinity’s sublime knowledge has been too great for me, and that I am unable to reach to it” (Ps 138:6) (De Trin. 15.27.50). I also praise the Holy Triune God: “Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul” (Ps 146:1). I would like to express my gratitude to my promoter Prof. Sarel Van Der Walt who gave me guidance and advice as well as encouragement. I would also like to give thanks to Prof. Hae Moo Yoo. Through him, I gained trinitarian perspectives for theology. I would like to express my special gratitude to my wife Hyo Jung Lee and my lovely children; Dong Eun, Si Eun, Cho Eun. I want to dedicate this thesis to my family. I Abstract The aim of this study is to apply Ricoeur’s (1913-2005) philosophical hermeneutics to the doctrine of the Trinity and to move and expand the doctrine from the notional sphere to the pragmatic field through trinitarian hermeneutics. The basic structure of this thesis is constituted by interaction between three fields: Ricoeur’s hermeneutical detour (symbols, metaphors, and narratives), doctrine of the Trinity (the analogical, the immanent, and the economical Trinity) and biblical texts.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ineffectiveness of Hermeneutics. Another Augustine's Legacy In
    The ineffectiveness of hermeneutics. Another Augustine’s legacy in Gadamer Alberto Romele To cite this version: Alberto Romele. The ineffectiveness of hermeneutics. Another Augustine’s legacy in Gadamer. International Journal of Philosophy and Theology, Taylor & Francis, 2015, 75 (5), pp.422-439. 10.1080/21692327.2015.1027789. hal-01303281 HAL Id: hal-01303281 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01303281 Submitted on 17 Apr 2016 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. The Ineffectiveness of Hermeneutics. Another Augustine’s Legacy in Gadamer Alberto Romele Institute of Philosophy, University of Porto COSTECH Laboratory, University of Technology of Compiègne This article builds on Gadamer’s rehabilitation of the Augustinian concept of inner word (ver- bum in corde). Unlike most interpretions, the thesis is that the Augustinian inner word does not show the potentialities, but rather the ineffectiveness of ontological hermeneutics. In the first section, it is argued that for the later Augustine the verbum in corde is the consequence of a Word- and Truth- event. In the second section, the author suggests that Gadamer has properly understood the verbum in corde as a matter of faith.
    [Show full text]
  • Table of Contents
    Table of Contents 2 .............................................................. new releases 26 ........................................................... biblical studies 31 ..................................................... theology and doctrine 34 ................................................. apologetics and worldview 37 ............................................................. church history 44 ............................................................ baptist studies 46 ............................................................. hermeneutics 48 ................................................................. homiletics 51 ............................................ church leadership and ministry 54 ..................................................................... bibles 64 ................................................................. reference 69 .................................................. evangelism and missions 70 ................................................. christian higher education NEW RELEASES NEW RELEASES Theology, Church, and Ministry Pastoral Ministry A Handbook for Theological Education The Ministry of a Shepherd, Volume 1 in A Treasury of Baptist Theology Series EDITED BY DAVID S. DOCKERY EDITED BY DERON J. BILES We live in a precarious time when many are questioning the “So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided necessity of formal theological education for ministers. Theology, them by the skillfulness of his hands.” —Psalm 78:72 Church, and Ministry:
    [Show full text]
  • Historical Survey of Hermeneutics and Homiletics: a Summative Paper
    HISTORICAL SURVEY OF HERMENEUTICS AND HOMILETICS: A SUMMATIVE PAPER by Charles E. Handren B.A., California Baptist University, 1995 M.Div., American Baptist Seminary of the West, 1999 A POST-COURSE ASSIGNMENT FOR MN 9101-01 HISTORICAL SURVEY OF HERMENEUTICS AND HOMILETICS Submitted to the faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF MINISTRY Concentration in Preaching at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School Deerfield, Illinois June, 2013 HISTORICAL SURVEY OF HERMENEUTICS AND HOMILETICS: A SUMMATIVE PAPER In the spring of 2011, I took a Doctor of Ministry course at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School entitled, “Hermeneutics and Homiletics.” One of the required readings was Dennis Johnson’s fine work, Him We Proclaim: Preaching Christ from all the Scriptures. Part one of this book, and particularly chapter four, provides an overview of the history of hermeneutics and homiletics which both aided my understanding of the subject and exposed a significant gap in my knowledge. Specifically, Johnson helped me to see how little I knew about the interpretation and proclamation of the Bible over the last twenty centuries, and how significant a bearing this history has on current issues and debates. Since my Doctor of Ministry concentration is preaching, I thought this gap unacceptable and thus requested an independent reading course which was eventually entitled, “Historical Survey of Hermeneutics and Homiletics.” I set two objectives for the course. First, I aimed to develop a broad and general understanding of the history of the relationship between hermeneutics and homiletics in the Christian church. I have fulfilled this aim by reading a little over five-thousand pages of secondary material, and by building a basic mental framework which now needs to be clarified, strengthened, and built out.
    [Show full text]
  • The Task of Hermeneutics in Ancient Philosophy in This Chapter, I Would
    The Task of Hermeneutics in Ancient Philosophy [Paru dans Proceedings of the Boston Area Colloquium in Ancient Philosophy (8), 1994, 211- 230] In this chapter, I would like to identify the sources of hermeneutic thinking in ancient philosophy. Nevertheless, one might justifiably question whether or not there was such a thing as "hermeneutics" in the ancient world? Indeed, the latin word hermeneutica did not emerge until the 17th century when it was first introduced by a theologian from Strasbourg, Johann Dannhauer, as a necessary requirement of all the sciences that rely on the interpretation of texts - an understandable demand in light of the fact that the Renaissance sought fresh avenues of wisdom in returning to the classical texts.1 When Dannhauer created the word hermeneutica, he openly drew his inspiration from Aristotle's treatise Peri hermeneias (De interpretatione), claiming that the new science of interpretation was in effect nothing but a complement to the Aristotelian Organon.2 However, the first real historian of the hermeneutic tradition, Wilhelm Dilthey, proclaimed that hermeneutics was in fact created a century earlier by protestantism3 in the wake of Luther's principle of the sola scriptura. This principle, which had been used to undermine the authority of tradition advocated by the Catholic Church, was to be the one and only norm of Biblical exegesis. Following Dilthey's lead, many prominent historians of hermeneutics, such as Bultmann, Ebeling and Gadamer have paid great attention to Luther's hermeneutic revolution. However, even if Luther launched a hermeneutic revolution in the history of the Church, one would be hard-pressed to find in his own writings anything like a hermeneutics (i.e.
    [Show full text]
  • Hermeneutics: Aims, Scope, and Provisional Definition
    SOUTHEASTERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY HERMENEUTICS: AN EXAMINATION OF ITS AIMS AND SCOPE, WITH A PROVISIONAL DEFINITION SUBMITTED TO DR. ANDREAS KÖSTENBERGER IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF: PHD 9201 READING SEMINAR 2 BY NOAH W. KELLEY FEBRUARY 27, 2015 HERMENEUTICS: AN EXAMINATION OF ITS AIMS AND SCOPE, WITH A PROVISIONAL DEFINITION Introduction The topic of hermeneutics is not something that most people think about, even though they are engaging in it all the time. While a common sense approach might overlook the necessity of studying hermeneutics because of the assumption that words “simply mean what they say,” in reality the process of interpretation is much more complicated than most people recognize. This is much more the case when what is being interpreted is God’s message to us in the Scriptures. There are many intelligent people both inside and outside the church saying radically different things about the hermeneutical process. How should we adjudicate between these various theories of interpretation? In order to answer this question, it is important to understand what hermeneutics is “about.” This paper will seek to explain hermeneutics in terms of its aims and scope, or in other words, the goal and subject matter for which the discipline of hermeneutics exists. It will posit that hermeneutics has as its subject matter all of the elements that make up the communicative act, including authors, texts, and readers. The goal of hermeneutics is consequently to understand both the practice of interpretation as well as the theory behind it. The first section of this paper will describe the importance of the author, text, and reader in hermeneutics.
    [Show full text]
  • Hermeneutics
    Sacred Hermeneutics Lesson 1 A GENERAL INTRODUCTION* There he goes a flash across the heavens - Mercury the messaengers of the gods. Also known as the god of science, invention, eloquence, speech, writing and art. His Greek name is Hermes. Now look in Luke chapter 24:27 "And beginning with Moses and all the prophets. he EXPLAINED to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." (Luke 24:27) Explained (NIV) Interpreted (AV) the Greek word is DIERMENEUO. DIA means through, give a rough breathing to "E" and we have the exact word from which our English word HERMENEUTICS is derived HERMENEUO. A word used by Plato. Sacred Hermeneutics is the science and art of Biblical Interpretation. HERMENEUTICS IS:- 1. A science because it is guided by rules within a system. 2. An art because of the application of the rules. 3. By skill and not mechanical imitation. HERMENEUTICS is usually studied with a view to the interpretation of literature produced in the past. The special task is to remove the distance and differences between the author and the reader. In the study of the Bible, it is not sufficient that we understand the meaning of Secondary authors. Moses, Isaiah, Paul, John etc. We must learn the mind of the Holy Spirit. 1] THE PRIMARY NEED. 1. That God has spoken in Holy Scripture is the very heart of our faith - without this certainty we are left with that very dubious thing called HUMAN KNOWLEDGE God has spoken! But what has He said? This is the primary and basic need of hermeneutics to discover what God has said in scripture; to determine the meaning of the Word of God.
    [Show full text]
  • Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics FOUNDATIONS and PRINCIPLES of EVANGELICAL BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION
    Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics FOUNDATIONS AND PRINCIPLES OF EVANGELICAL BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION Graeme Goldsworthy InterVarsity Press P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426 Internet: www.ivpress.com E-mail: [email protected] ©Graeme Goldsworthy 2006 Published in the United States of America by InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, with permission from Inter-Varsity Press, Nottingham, U.K. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from InterVarsity Press. InterVarsity Press® is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA®, a movement of students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities, colleges and schools of nursing in the United States of America, and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. For information about local and regional activities, write Public Relations Dept., InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, 6400 Schroeder Rd., P.O. Box 7895, Madison, WI 53707-7895, or visit the IVCF website at <www.intervarsity.org>. Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Cover design: Cindy Kiple Cover image: Chris Thomaidis/Getty Images ISBN 978-0-8308-9836-7 (digital) ISBN 978-0-8308-2839-5 (print) M421 GOLDSWORTHY PRE M/UP 9/8/06 10:19 AM Page 5 Gary Gary's G4:Users:Gary:Public:Gary's Jo In memoriam Robert Alan Cole 1923–2003 M421 GOLDSWORTHY
    [Show full text]
  • ON5100 Hermeneutics
    HERMENEUTICS ON5100 MINI-SYLLABUS Fall 2019 Note: This syllabus is the “mini-syllabus” and is not to be confused w/ the “mega-syllabus” that contains all the class-lecture notes, biblio, various articles, etc. The mega-syllabus will be posted on “Canvas” and is needed for all the class lectures. For the first day of class, the student should be prepared w/ either a hard-copy of the mega-syllabus or have it downloaded to his laptop. Note: No prerequisites for this course. Required Texts: Trinity Psalter. R. L. Pratt. He Gave Us Stories. M. Silva, ed. Foundations of Contemporary Interpretation. S. Greidanus. Preaching Christ from the OT. G. K. Beale. Handbook on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament: Exegesis and Interpretation. S. R. Swain. Trinity, Revelation, and Reading: A Theological Introduction to the Bible and its Interpretation. R. J. Cara. “The Use of the Old Testament in the New Testament: Trusting the New Testament’s Hermeneutics.” Pages 595–602 in A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament: A Gospel Realized. Edited by Kruger. Wheaton: Crossway, 2016. R. J. Cara, “Psalms Applied to both Christ and Christians: Psalms 8, 22, 34, 118, and Romans 15:3 // Psalm 69:9.” Pages 97–111 in Redeeming the Life of the Mind: Essays in Honor of Vern Poythress. Edited by Frame, Grudem, and Hughes. Wheaton; Crossway, 2017. (Pdf of this article is included in Cara’s mega-syllabus.) Professors * Professors Dr. Cara and Dr. Belcher (technically, Dr. Robert J. Cara, Ph.D. and Richard P. Belcher, Jr., Ph.D.). Class participation * For both Cara and Belcher, bring and sing Psalter.
    [Show full text]
  • California State University, Northridge
    CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE THE HERMENEUTICS OF JOHN MILTON A thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in English by Kurt Lynn Hild r~ay, 1983 The Thesis of Kurt Lynn Hild is approved: Professor Catherine M. Dunn, Chairperson California State University, Northridge DEDI CATION To Tammi My wife, my soul mate, and my best friend whose mind is knit with mine as we walk together in Christ. Her constant love, faith and encouragement cannot be measured in the completion of this work. ' d iii ACKNOWLE DGt~ENTS It has been said that if a student is fortunate, he encounters two or at most three teachers who truly touch his life. For me, one of those teachers is Dr. Catherine Dunn. Her enthusiasm for learning, her command of her subject matter, and her encouragement to me as a student have provided me with inspiration in no small degree, and I count it a privilege to have studied under her guidance and direc­ tion. A "thank you" is insufficient to acknowledge what she has meant to me in my academic training. I also wish to express my gratitude to Dr. Thomas Wright for his time and willingness to serve as one of my readers and to Dr. Elaine Plasberg for her time and her helpful suggestions as a reader of my thesis. • j) iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION • • . • • iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv TABLE OF CONTENTS • • • • • • • v ABSTRACT •• • • vi INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTERS I History of Interpretation • • • • • • 5 II - The Antiprelatical Tracts • . 29 III - The Divorce Controversy • .
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter Five the Patristic Literature
    Chapter Five The Patristic Literature 5.1Introduction The study of the development of patristic exegesis follows the same approach used for studying early Jewish interpretation in the previous chapter. We first make a delineation of patristic literature. Once the period of time has been decided, the historical, political and social influence on patristic literature is indicated. This may be used to study the influence imposed on commentators of the early Christian church. There was a long tradition of exegetical trends formed during this period. Certain types of patristic exegetical methods were employed by commentators to interpret the book of Ruth. The standard period of the patristic interpretation should refer to the “The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church”, which places the Patristic Age between the end of the 1st century and the end of the 8th century.1 That period is full of philosophical innovation and theological development. We may describe this period as the meeting of the Old with the New. The Christian Patristic commentators transformed old problems into new ones, in such a way as to turn the subject in fresh directions. This period of interpretation is continuous, consistent and parallel with early Jewish exegesis. As with Jewish exegesis, we also need to investigate the socio-political and cultural environment of this literature, such as Hellenism, Stoicism and Platonism that affected the patristic interpretation of the book of Ruth in the last part of this chapter. 5.2 The age of hermeneutics in early Christian exegesis 5.2.1 Introduction The coming of the Christian Church corresponds with some previous religious traditions that interacted with the newly established system of interpretation within the early Christian church.
    [Show full text]