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Hermeneutics and Culture Perspective Digest Volume 14 Issue 3 Summer Article 2 2009 Hermeneutics and Culture Lael Caesar Andrews University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pd Part of the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Caesar, Lael (2009) "Hermeneutics and Culture," Perspective Digest: Vol. 14 : Iss. 3 , Article 2. Available at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pd/vol14/iss3/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Adventist Theological Society at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Perspective Digest by an authorized editor of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Caesar: Hermeneutics and Culture BY LAEL CAESAR* their vision of what it is to be fully more, rather than less, than some- human.”2 thing else as human as culture. So we Culture is everything. It is “the wonder aloud: Could Scripture, as a integrated pattern of human knowl- part, be greater than the whole called edge, be lief, and behavior that de- culture? Is there a single scriptural HERMENEUTICS pends upon man’s capacity for interpretation that may be determi- learning and transmitting knowl- native for all behavior, when inter- edge to succeeding genera tions.”3 preters and “behavers” come from Culture may also be described as and operate in cultural contexts as “the customary beliefs, social forms, varied as New Delhi, New Guinea, AND CULTURE and material traits of a racial, reli- New York, and New South Wales? gious, or social group.”4 Hence, cul- The question seems legitimate even ture as concept embraces what we within Adventism’s unified church believe, how we behave, and what we body. Given its representation from Despite the vast differences of human cultures, possess. hundreds of cultures, whose criteria should define the social forms that whether dramatic or subtle, God has revealed Himself to The Scope of the Problem are truly typical of Seventh-day Ad- all of humanity through His Word. Because of distinctive practices ventism? Whose theorizing unifies demarcating the global phenome- and har monizes the distinct philo- iblical hermeneutics and hu - Defining Culture non of Seventh-day Adventism sophical outlooks born of this plu- man socialization are a signifi- Biblical hermeneutics refers to the (worship, diet, and even dress), this rality of mental sets? cantly uncom fortable pair. In- science, such as it is, of the interpre- particular denomi nation provides a These several questions are all va- Bdeed, it is only natural for tation of Scripture. But what is particularly intriguing context for rieties of a single, urgent query. culture and hermeneutics to be meant by “cul ture”? What does the the discussion of culture. Eve rything Stated in just three words, it asks: in con stant contention, yet they are idea of culture embrace? It could a conventional Seventh-day Ad - Whose biblical hermeneutics? In an forever in company with one an- also be appropriately asked: What ventist does seems to be dictated by earlier time, theo logical open-mind- other. They seem to claim the same does culture not embrace? some fundamental belief of the edness already signified sensitivity to level of authority for determining Culture has been defined as, “The church, all of which, it is claimed, is the existence of Latin Ameri can, human behavior. While a believer study of people’s beliefs about the founded on Scripture. Yet, despite African-American, South Korean, may hold that God and His Word are meaning of life and about what it the all-encompassing nature of this Indian, and other theologies, na- everything, that very same believer, means to be hu man.”1 It is “the theology, any one of the foregoing tional, ethnic, or gender based. Nei- as anthropologist or sociologist, world of human meaning, the sum definitions helps to show that our ther the misguided but resilient idea knows that culture is everything. total of a people’s works that express faith in Scripture’s tran scendence is of race nor the notion of distinct de- This is be cause, despite our faith in in objective form their highest be- itself only part of our total social mi- nominational identity may effec- the Holy Scriptures as authoritative, liefs, values, and hopes—in short, lieu. tively protect us from the issue infallible, and prescriptive of con- Our spiritual instincts may not raised in these three words: Whose duct, no one has ever experienced *Lael Caesar, Ph.D., is a Professor of take kindly to such an acknowledg- biblical hermeneutics? Scripture outside of a hu man social Religion at Andrews University, ment. We may object on the convic- Nevertheless, worship practices at context. Berrien Springs, Michigan. tion that God’s Word should be the local level suggest that the ques- Published by Digital Commons @ Andrews24 University, 2009 1 25 Perspective Digest, Vol. 14 [2009], Iss. 3, Art. 2 BY LAEL CAESAR* their vision of what it is to be fully more, rather than less, than some- human.”2 thing else as human as culture. So we Culture is everything. It is “the wonder aloud: Could Scripture, as a integrated pattern of human knowl- part, be greater than the whole called edge, be lief, and behavior that de- culture? Is there a single scriptural HERMENEUTICS pends upon man’s capacity for interpretation that may be determi- learning and transmitting knowl- native for all behavior, when inter- edge to succeeding genera tions.”3 preters and “behavers” come from Culture may also be described as and operate in cultural contexts as “the customary beliefs, social forms, varied as New Delhi, New Guinea, AND CULTURE and material traits of a racial, reli- New York, and New South Wales? gious, or social group.”4 Hence, cul- The question seems legitimate even ture as concept embraces what we within Adventism’s unified church believe, how we behave, and what we body. Given its representation from Despite the vast differences of human cultures, possess. hundreds of cultures, whose criteria should define the social forms that whether dramatic or subtle, God has revealed Himself to The Scope of the Problem are truly typical of Seventh-day Ad- all of humanity through His Word. Because of distinctive practices ventism? Whose theorizing unifies demarcating the global phenome- and har monizes the distinct philo- iblical hermeneutics and hu - Defining Culture non of Seventh-day Adventism sophical outlooks born of this plu- man socialization are a signifi- Biblical hermeneutics refers to the (worship, diet, and even dress), this rality of mental sets? cantly uncom fortable pair. In- science, such as it is, of the interpre- particular denomi nation provides a These several questions are all va- Bdeed, it is only natural for tation of Scripture. But what is particularly intriguing context for rieties of a single, urgent query. culture and hermeneutics to be meant by “cul ture”? What does the the discussion of culture. Eve rything Stated in just three words, it asks: in con stant contention, yet they are idea of culture embrace? It could a conventional Seventh-day Ad - Whose biblical hermeneutics? In an forever in company with one an- also be appropriately asked: What ventist does seems to be dictated by earlier time, theo logical open-mind- other. They seem to claim the same does culture not embrace? some fundamental belief of the edness already signified sensitivity to level of authority for determining Culture has been defined as, “The church, all of which, it is claimed, is the existence of Latin Ameri can, human behavior. While a believer study of people’s beliefs about the founded on Scripture. Yet, despite African-American, South Korean, may hold that God and His Word are meaning of life and about what it the all-encompassing nature of this Indian, and other theologies, na- everything, that very same believer, means to be hu man.”1 It is “the theology, any one of the foregoing tional, ethnic, or gender based. Nei- as anthropologist or sociologist, world of human meaning, the sum definitions helps to show that our ther the misguided but resilient idea knows that culture is everything. total of a people’s works that express faith in Scripture’s tran scendence is of race nor the notion of distinct de- This is be cause, despite our faith in in objective form their highest be- itself only part of our total social mi- nominational identity may effec- the Holy Scriptures as authoritative, liefs, values, and hopes—in short, lieu. tively protect us from the issue infallible, and prescriptive of con- Our spiritual instincts may not raised in these three words: Whose duct, no one has ever experienced *Lael Caesar, Ph.D., is a Professor of take kindly to such an acknowledg- biblical hermeneutics? Scripture outside of a hu man social Religion at Andrews University, ment. We may object on the convic- Nevertheless, worship practices at context. Berrien Springs, Michigan. tion that God’s Word should be the local level suggest that the ques- 24 https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pd/vol14/iss3/225 2 Caesar: Hermeneutics and Culture tion is even more open today. C. Ellis ligion while, simultaneously, the in- Changes in history, alterations of time and place, Nelson accurately labels the individ- dividual self finds fuller vindication ual con gregation as “the primary so- than ever.7 matter a great deal, so much so that it is at least probable ciety of Christians.”5 Similarly, Wade that the same individual, if he or she were to live at different Clark Roof and Wil liam McKinney Cultural and Interpretive times or places, like some Connecticut Yankee in King observe that “individuals sharing a Fragmentation common outlook or behavioral style The chance or choice of psycho- Arthur’s court, would have different reactions to, and beliefs increasingly cluster around those in- logical makeup is hardly the only about, the world around him or her.
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