Interpretation: A Critical Primer

This book explores the nature of interpretation, strategies, and negotiations in the academic study of religions, particularly focusing on the roles of hermeneutics. It addresses fundamental questions such as what an interpretation is, who determines its meaning, and how it can navigate conflicts. The unique approach taken is based on the hermeneutic priority of questioning, and each chapter refines a conceptual element into a theory of interpretation useful for the classroom and scholarship.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 176 pages
Publication date: 02 October 2023
Publisher: Equinox Publishing Ltd

While many individuals engage in the act of interpretation, it remains unclear what precisely interpretation entails. This comprehensive primer delves into the essence of interpretation, explores various strategies employed within it, and examines discussions surrounding the adequacy of interpretations, with a particular focus on the potential roles played by hermeneutics, the theory of interpretation, in the academic study of religions. This book addresses a multitude of fundamental questions that have been posed throughout the history of hermeneutics:

• What constitutes an "interpretation"?
• Who determines the meaning of a text?
• What aids in navigating competitions or conflicts of interpretation?
• What is the position of interpretation within the academy, in comparison to explanatory sciences and productive arts?

Numerous books have been dedicated to exploring historical developments in hermeneutics, examining key modern hermeneutic philosophers, or focusing specifically on sacred texts, such as biblical or Quranic hermeneutics. However, the unique approach taken in this book is rooted in the fundamental axiom of philosophical hermeneutics—the hermeneutic priority of questioning. Through this lens, the author argues for the critical significance of interpretation.

Each chapter of this book further refines a conceptual element that seamlessly integrates with others to form a comprehensive theory of interpretation that is both valuable in the classroom and in scholarly research on hermeneutics.

Weight: 236g
Dimension: 139 x 216 x 12 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781800503373