So far in this series on developing an integral hermeneutic, I’ve talked about the need to read our Scriptures through a growth-oriented lens, with a holistic, multi-perspectival approach, and by integrating the wisdom of past and present ages. But you may have noticed that we seem to be circling around a similar set of ideas, … Continue reading Toward an Integral Hermeneutic: Complexity
We are truly in a unique position in history. Just think about it: at any given moment most us have access to essentially the entirety of human knowledge, often right in our front pocket. This kind of access to the wisdom of the whole world has historically been simply unthinkable. This state of affairs clearly … Continue reading Toward an Integral Hermeneutic: Integrating
[This is Part 3 of a series looking at what an integral approach to interpreting Scriptures might look like: Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Growth-Oriented ] ‘Holistic’ is a word that can mean different things to different people. To some it simply means ‘whole’, but for others it might conjure up images of alternative … Continue reading Toward an Integral Hermeneutic: Holistic
The first post in this series introduced four characteristics I think are vital for a hermeneutical approach 'after postmodernism': It must be growth-oriented, holistic, integrating, and inclusive of complexity. This post will focus on the first of these characteristics. I’ve written a lot already in this space about growth and why I think it’s important … Continue reading Toward an Integral Hermeneutic: Growth-Oriented
The written word is nothing short of a miracle, transforming patterns of marks on a surface into meaningful communication, across space and time. It should be no surprise, thinking of the miracle that writing actually represents, that understanding the written word is often challenging. Even more than understanding face-to-face oral/aural communication, it is really nothing … Continue reading The Written Word (Toward an Integral Hermeneutic: Introduction)
