HERMENEUTIC

Spent one and a half days listening to presenters share on a Wesleyan Hermeneutic, or lack thereof. I am never completely clear what is meant when we use hermeneutic? I know of Herman Munster. But it has to be understood that I took German as my High School language elective so I could find out what the Germans were saying on the TV show Combat. I tend to filter way too much through the lens of TV. Can you have a television hermeneutic?

Basically hermeneutics is the study of interpretation theory. For those in pulpits it deals with our handling of the biblical texts. How do we understand them? What do we use to inform our understanding of the bible? How might we effectively communicate our understanding to those who enter our church doors and wish to hear?

It seems to me there is one context in which the texts were written, but there can be a variety of applications of that text. The application often emerges out of the preachers historical, cultural and personal context.

We, I believe, can never completely separate our perspective from the interpretation, application and implementation of the biblical text. To void our cultural, historical and experiential perspective from our exegesis and hermeneutic is to hollow out the power of the applied gospel.

I didn't really have much to say, but did want to say that!