Philosophy Dictionary of ArgumentsHome
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| Theological Hermeneutics: Hermeneutics is the theory and practice of interpretation, especially the interpretation of texts. It is concerned with the question of how we understand meaning. It is based on the idea that meaning is not fixed or objective, but rather is created through a process of interpretation. This means that the interpreter's own background and experiences will play a role in shaping their understanding of the text. See also Interpretation, Texts, Hermeneutc circle._____________Annotation: The above characterizations of concepts are neither definitions nor exhausting presentations of problems related to them. Instead, they are intended to give a short introduction to the contributions below. – Lexicon of Arguments. | |||
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Rudolf Bultmann on Theological Hermeneutics - Dictionary of Arguments
Gadamer I 336 Theological Hermeneutics/Bultmann/Gadamer: Sacred Scripture is the Word of God, and this means that Scripture has an absolute precedence over the teaching of those who interpret it. Also as a scientific interpretation of the theologian it must always state that the Holy Scripture is the divine proclamation of salvation. Its understanding cannot therefore be the scientific investigation of its meaning alone. Bultmann once wrote: "The interpretation of the biblical Scriptures is not subject to different conditions of understanding than any other literature(1). Gadamer: The meaning of this sentence is ambiguous. For it is precisely the question of whether all literature is not subject to other conditions of understanding than those that must be fulfilled in formal generality in relation to every text. Pre-understanding: Bultmann himself emphasizes that every understanding presupposes the interpreter's life relationship to the text, his prior relationship to the matter conveyed by the text. He calls this hermeneutical precondition the pre-conception, because the same is obviously not only achieved through the process of understanding, but is already presupposed. Gadamer I 337 Prerequisite/Gadamer: Now the question is what "prerequisite" means here. Is it given with human existence as such? Is there a prior factual reference to the truth of divine revelation in every human being, because the human as such is moved by the question of God? Or must it be said that only from God, that is, from faith, human existence learns about the question of God in this being moved? But then the meaning of precondition, which the concept of preconception contains, becomes questionable. Obviously this condition does not apply generally, but only from the point of view of the right faith. Thus the precondition of being moved by the question of God in truth already contains the claim of knowledge about the true God and his revelation. Even what is called unbelief is determined by the required faith. The existential pre-conception from which Bultmann proceeds can only be a Christian one in itself. Wrong solution/Gadamer: Now one could perhaps try to avoid this consequence by saying that it is enough to know that religious texts are only to be understood as texts that give an answer to the question of God. The interpreter does not need to be called upon in his or her religious movements. GadamerVsBultmann: Such a condition apparently applies only to those who already recognize the alternative of belief or unbelief in relation to the true God. So the hermeneutical sense of the theological pre-conception seems to me to be a theological one. The history of hermeneutics does also show, how the questioning of the texts is determined by a highly concrete prior understanding. Modern hermeneutics as a Protestant discipline is obviously, as the art of interpreting Scripture, polemically related to the dogmatic tradition of the Catholic Church and its doctrine of the justice of works. It has itself a dogmatic- Gadamer I 338 confessional sense. This does not mean that such a theological hermeneutics is dogmatically biased so that it reads out what it has put into it, it really puts itself at risk. But it presupposes that the Word of Scripture is true and that only the person concerned understands in a believing or doubting way. In this respect the application is the first. 1. R. Bultmann, Glauben und Verstehen II, p. 231_____________Explanation of symbols: Roman numerals indicate the source, arabic numerals indicate the page number. The corresponding books are indicated on the right hand side. ((s)…): Comment by the sender of the contribution. Translations: Dictionary of Arguments The note [Concept/Author], [Author1]Vs[Author2] or [Author]Vs[term] resp. "problem:"/"solution:", "old:"/"new:" and "thesis:" is an addition from the Dictionary of Arguments. If a German edition is specified, the page numbers refer to this edition. |
Bultmann, Rudolf Gadamer I Hans-Georg Gadamer Wahrheit und Methode. Grundzüge einer philosophischen Hermeneutik 7. durchgesehene Auflage Tübingen 1960/2010 Gadamer II H. G. Gadamer The Relevance of the Beautiful, London 1986 German Edition: Die Aktualität des Schönen: Kunst als Spiel, Symbol und Fest Stuttgart 1977 |
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