Sacred Text and Dialogue between Religions (original) (raw)
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Towards a Hermeneutics of Religion(s). A Reading of Ricoeur's Readings
Forum Philosophicum
The objective of this article is to present and analyze some theses advanced in "Lectures 3" 1 by Paul Ricoeur. The book is devoted to the boundaries of philosophy, to non-philosophical sources of philosophy and finally to the other par excellence of philosophy-to religion. The book is composed of a series of essays divided thematically into three parts. The first part deals with Kant's and Hegel's philosophy of religion. Then in the course of the book the author gradually moves away from the philosophical logos (the second part deals with prophets, the problem of evil, the tragic etc) to arrive at a point where recourse to the exegesis of the Bible becomes for him indispensable.
In this essay some key characteristics of contemporary discourse on biblical hermeneutics and philosophical hermeneutics are identified. A redescriptive archaeology of hermeneutics is suggested. The key characteristics of hermeneutics are re-interpreted and critiqued in light of recent theories of religion and history. There are three domains of critical questions at issue in the open question posed to the practice of hermeneutics, namely 1) redescriptive theorising of religion as a social discourse; 2) the materiality of the tradition; and 3) revisioning history and the relationship to the past. Keywords Hermeneutics – biblical interpretation – discourse – theory of religion – history – material tradition This paper appeared in Religion & Theology 22, no. 3&4 (2015): 187--219.
ADDIN
The hermeneutic study about discourse before the existence of Paul Ricoeur was around three points: romantic hermeneutics, onology hermeneutics, and dialectical hermeneutics. They have characteristics that other mainsteams do not have. Ricoeur’s thought style cannot be included in any of those three hermeneutic thoughts. In fact, his thought covers almost all contemporary philosophical topics. One of the points of Ricoeur’s contemporary hermeneutics is how to combine the phenomenology of Husserl’s metaphysical tendencies with Heidegger’s existential phenomenology. The text is essentially autonomous to carry out “de-contextualization” (the process of liberating oneself from context) and “re-contextualization” (the process of returning to context). Ricoeur’s thought patterns cannot be included in one of the three hermeneutic thought. In fact, his thought allegedly covers almost all contemporary philosophical topics. One of Ricoeur’s contemporary hermeneutics is how to combine the phen...
Paul Ricoeur and the Biblical Hermeneutics
Journal For the Study of Religions and Ideologies, 2010
The main aim of this paper is to analyze the texts in which Paul Ricoeur discusses the relation between biblical and philosophical hermeneutics and to argue that biblical hermeneutics is the central part of Ricoeur's philosophical project. If the modern hermeneutics (Schleiermacher, Dilthey, etc.) aims to reveal the general principles of interpretation that can be applied to every text, including the sacred one, Ricoeur's biblical hermeneutics reveals the limits of general hermeneutics when it deals with an unusual text. The consequences of the biblical hermeneutics refer to specific problems such as revelation and faith, but also to philosophical themes such as the self and its place in the world.
The Biblical Text and Metánoia
2009
U ovom članku autorica hermeneutiku (biblijskoga) teksta francuskog filozofa Paula Ricœura (1913-2005) stavlja u odnos s teorijom mogućih svjetova te je vidi kao preobražavalačku hermeneutiku srodnu iskustvu obraćenja. Nadalje, povezuje je s lectio divina te zaključuje da, zahvaljujući takvoj hermeneutici, ponovno možemo, onkraj «pustinja kritike», biti pozvani te postati integrirano sebstvo, kadro odgovorno stvarati vlastitu i zajedničku povijest.In this article the author brings the biblical hermeneutics of the French philosopher Paul Ricoeur (1913- 2005) into relation with the theory of possible worlds and sees hermeneutics as transformation related to the experience of conversion. Furthermore, the author connects it with lectio divina and concludes that, thanks to such hermeneutics, we may again, beyond the «desert of criticism», be called to integrated selfhood and thus become able to shape our particular history as well as common history in a responsible way
"From Religious Studies to the Study of Religion/s: Disciplinary Futures for the 21st century" British Association for the Study of Religions Annual Conference, 2021
The way we deal with texts has been widely dicussed within Postmodern Hermeneutics. This is the case of Paul Ricoeur’s theory of text, which invites the reader to engage with a new relationship with written materials. However, his proposal is not as original as it may seem: In the 1st century C.E. a new way of dealing with texts was evolving in Palestine. This impulse arose as a heterodoxical religious view and grew gradually stronger, to the point of eventually conforming Rabbinical Judaism in the 4th century C.E. Rabbis kept a special and intimate relationship with their sacred texts, producing dialectical dynamics between what was written and its interpretation, closely related to the divine revelation in motion. The conceptual frame of these dynamics is very distant from postmodern philosophical perspectives, but at the same time they deal with quite similar issues. Approaching the rabbinical relationship with their texts from our postmodern perspective would have interesting consequences: this interdisciplinary research reveals some aspects of Rabbinic Hermeneutics that have been considered as secondary. Those features will provide us with interesting practical examples for Ricoeur´s proposals, with no less interesting and challenging conclusions on our current philosophical notions related to text and reference.
George Bondor Paul Ricoeur and the Biblical Hermeneutics
2016
Abstract: The main aim of this paper is to analyze the texts in which Paul Ricoeur discusses the relation between biblical and philosophical hermeneutics and to argue that biblical hermeneutics is the central part of Ricoeur’s philosophical project. If the modern hermeneutics (Schleiermacher, Dilthey, etc.) aims to reveal the general principles of interpretation that can be applied to every text, including the sacred one, Ricoeur’s biblical hermeneutics reveals the limits of general hermeneutics when it deals with an unusual text. The consequences of the biblical hermeneutics refer to specific problems such as revelation and faith, but also to philosophical themes such as the self and its place in the world.
Scripture: A Very Theological Proposal (review)
Toronto Journal of Theology, 2011
Angus Paddison's work builds upon a recent trend that seeks a ''theological (re)engagement of Scripture'' (1). One sees behind this effort the influence of ressourcement in Catholic theology and beyond, that is, the desire to reclaim scriptural exegesis as true ''theology'' or ''words about God.'' More acutely, one senses here the contemporary discontent among many Christians who are tired of the ills of modernity's influence on their churches. Paddison, in this context, promotes a scripturally informed theology inseparable from the life of the ekklesia as rooted in its liturgical traditions. Paddison's book includes five chapters. The first lays a solid foundation for the particular hermeneutical stance that is the volume's presupposition. Paddison argues convincingly that Scripture is a text sifted, composed, and embraced by the people of God, and therefore can be rightly interpreted only through that community's eyes of faith. This faith is enacted in the praxis of worship, since the Church is expressed in its fullness in the gathering of the people of God, the proclamation of the word, and the breaking of the bread. Even if the bias of historical criticism seeks to find meaning in the text by digging into its original socio-cultural context, such criticism is truly relevant for scriptural exegesis only as the Church is oriented towards the eschaton. The Church transcends time, even as it is embedded in specific times and cultures; thus its exegesis is nurtured by the signs of the times, while it keeps its focus on eternity. The locus of scriptural interpretation is the Church's prayer, but God's word is pivotal for other dimensions of the Christian life. Paddison underlines ethics and doctrine in particular. The second chapter reflects on how Scripture, Church, and Christian ethics mutually inform each other, since Scripture provides the Church's system of meaning or ''imaginary,'' and the disciples' becoming like Christ transforms their life choices and actions. Thus, Scripture is the logos or reasoning of Christian ethics, just as scriptural reasoning promotes a stance of patience in Christians, who wait for the world and each other to be transformed by God's grace. Patience is nowhere more necessary than in questions of doctrine. This is the focus of the third chapter. Not only is there no such thing as sola scriptura divorced from the Church's history of scriptural reasoning, but the heritage of rich interpretation is the Church's deposit of faith. Thus, Scripture's claims make sense only as informed by the Church's ongoing reflection on the words of God, just as theology divorced from its grounding in Scripture loses its relevance. Paddison's argument gains practical traction in the final chapters, which tackle two principle contemporary contexts in which scriptural hermeneutics takes concrete form: preaching and academic scholarship. If Scripture is the book of the Church, then the homily is the natural environment for its proclamation. Homiletics cannot be reduced to formulas or rhetorical techniques, for breaking open the word of God is a task of contemplation and a gift of the Holy Spirit. Above all, preachers must be men and women of prayer who guide their congregations' rich engagement with the word of God through attentive listening. Lastly, Paddison stresses the university's need for the existential voice of theology born out of a participatory engagement with Scripture. He criticizes the academy's dogmatism and the fragmentation of its scholarly disciplines, and argues that theology must witness to a holistic vision of the world and of our place in it. Accordingly, theology itself must be healed of its brokenness by being teleologically oriented in the service of true human flourishing. Paddison's work is highly recommended for students of ministry and theology, who many times are baffled by the fragmentation in their programs of formation. In its spirit, it