Thursday is for Hermeneutics!

There are certain words that graze in the landscape of theological discussion that I cannot quite corral in my mind: escatology, ontology, teleology, hermeneutics and others that I have escaped me at the moment. I'll look one of those up about every four months and promptly forget the meaning.

But I think I might have a shot at remembering hermeneutics. After writing this post I might even remember how to spell it! Hermenutics is "the study of the interpretation of religious texts." Hermeneutics like the following parody can lead to all sorts of problems and various isms (racism, sexism, etc.):

And BuildingChurchLeaders has a Hermeneutics Quiz that can help identify your tendancies towards reading the bible. Unlike a lot of online quizzes this one is moderately helpful. Not so much because of the end result, but because it forces you to think about how you actually read the bible.

(BTW: I scored a 71, which makes me a progressive)

Thoughts? What did you score? Anyone have any examples of terrible hermeneutics they'd like to share?

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Comments (8)

I scored a 64. That makes me one of those dreaded Moderates...
And I am a 38! We don't trust you 71ers. Kidding.
Although I always resent the word progressive. Progress usually implies moving forward in an enlightened, more perfect way. That is an a priori value judgement made by the person defining and employing those words in a quiz. And yet progressive has now come to stand for moving towards socialism politically, moving away from traditional sexual morals morally and moving towards naturalistic (non-supernatural) Biblical interpretations theologically.
But I accept you 71ers. The Kingdom is a big tent. Now about those 89ers...
Heh. I agree with you on the label "progressive"--it has always struck me as a little snooty. It implies that people who aren't progressive are, what, opposed to progress or something?

Also, we ought to give out a prize for the people who get the highest and lowest scores on that quiz...
I got a 38. From my "conservative" perspective, you two deserve the death penalty as proscribed in the timeless book of Leviticus. :)
Scored a 47 after growing up in a fairly conservative family and going to a moderately conservative Christian college.
I scored conservative. That doesn't surprise me - I figured I would.
I scored a 41, but figured so. We do have to remember that we all are the children of God and through his grace we go, no matter what your score. In God's Grace John
44, which in current company gives me an inferiority complex.

I remember an episode of Rocko's Modern Life (I think), where Rocko and Heff were kidnapped by some weird cult and were about to be put to death by having frankfurters hurled at them. The cult leader read the relevant passage from their holy book before the punishment, "and lo ye shall _not_ put to death your prisoners by hurling frankfurters at them" (or something similar). Rocko cried out "doesn't your holy book forbid putting us to death with frankfurters?" The cult leader said "it's all in the interpretation".

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