Playing with Scripture: Reading Contested Biblical Texts with Gadamer and Genre Theory

This book explores the problem of Scripture by applying Hans-Georg Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics and literary genre theory to interpret texts as Scripture. It proposes a phenomenological model of hermeneutical experience as Spiel (play) to account for the dynamic, intersubjective nature of understanding, avoiding the subjective-objective dichotomy. Modern genre theory addresses criticisms of Gadamer by accounting for the different roles played by readers in different genres. Three case studies are used to demonstrate the application of ancient texts to contemporary situations, showing that the recontextualization of psalms in the book of Acts, the use of Hagar's story in nineteenth-century debates over slavery, and the troubling reception history of the rape and murder in Gibeah are neither arbitrary nor bound to tradition but rather playful.

Format: Hardback
Length: 228 pages
Publication date: 22 January 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This book offers a fresh and innovative interpretation of Hans-Georg Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics and literary genre theory, applying them to the study of Scripture. When reading texts as Scripture, two hermeneutical assumptions come into conflict: the idea that the text continually says something new and relevant to the present situation, and the belief that the text possesses stability and authority over readers. Given the contested nature of the Bible's meaning, how can we read it as authoritative and relevant? Gadamer's phenomenological model of hermeneutical experience as Spiel (play) provides a dynamic and intersubjective account of understanding, avoiding the dead end of the subjective-objective dichotomy.

Modern genre theory addresses some of Gadamer's criticisms by accounting for the different roles played by readers in different genres using the term Lesespiel (reading game). This concept is tested in three case studies of contested texts: the recontextualization of psalms in the book of Acts, the use of Hagar's story (Genesis 16) in nineteenth-century debates over slavery, and the troubling reception history of the rape and murder in Gibeah (Judges 19). In each study, the application of ancient text to contemporary situations is neither arbitrary nor slavishly bound to tradition, but rather playful and creative.

This book provides a valuable contribution to the study of Scripture by offering a new and dynamic perspective on hermeneutics and genre theory. It challenges traditional approaches and encourages readers to engage with the Bible in a more playful and creative way. By exploring the tensions between stability and authority, the book offers insights into how we can read Scripture as authoritative and relevant in the modern world.

Weight: 490g
Dimension: 163 x 245 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032623221