SKU: 49382230545

Is There a Meaning in This Text?: The Bible, the Reader, and the Morality of Literary Knowledge

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Is There a Meaning in This Text?: The Bible, the Reader, and the Morality of Literary KnowledgeIs there a meaning in the Bible, or is meaning rather a matter of who is reading or of how one reads? Does Christian doctrine have anything to contribute to debates about interpretation, literary theory, and post modernity? These are questions of crucial importance for contemporary biblical studies and theology alike. Kevin Vanhoozer contends that the postmodern crisis in hermeneutics "incredulity towards meaning," a deep set skepticism concerning the

Is there a meaning in the Bible, or is meaning rather a matter of who is reading or of how one reads? Does Christian doctrine have anything to contribute to debates about interpretation, literary theory, and post modernity? These are questions of crucial importance for contemporary biblical studies and theology alike.

Kevin Vanhoozer contends that the postmodern crisis in hermeneutics--"incredulity towards meaning," a deep-set skepticism concerning the possibility of correct interpretation--is fundamentally a crisis in theology provoked by an inadequate view of God and by the announcement of God's "death."

Part 1 examines the ways in which deconstruction and radical reader-response criticism "undo" the traditional concepts of author, text, and reading. Dr. Vanhoozer engages critically with the work of Derrida, Rorty, and Fish, among others, and demonstrates the detrimental influence of the postmodern "suspicion of hermeneutics" on biblical studies.

In Part 2, Dr. Vanhoozer defends the concept of the author and the possibility of literary knowledge by drawing on the resources of Christian doctrine and by viewing meaning in terms of communicative action. He argues that there is a meaning in the text, that it can be known with relative adequacy, and that readers have a responsibility to do so by cultivating "interpretive virtues."

Successive chapters build on Trinitarian theology and speech act philosophy in order to treat the metaphysics, methodology, and morals of interpretation. From a Christian perspective, meaning and interpretation are ultimately grounded in God's own communicative action in creation, in the canon, and preeminently in Christ. Prominent features in Part 2 include a new account of the author's intention and of the literal sense, the reclaiming of the distinction between meaning and significance in terms of Word and Spirit, and the image of the reader as a disciple-martyr, whose vocation is to witness to something other than oneself.

Is There a Meaning in This Text? guides the student toward greater confidence in the authority, clarity, and relevance of Scripture, and a well-reasoned expectation to understand accurately the message of the Bible. Is There a Meaning in This Text? is a comprehensive and creative analysis of current debates over biblical hermeneutics that draws on interdisciplinary resources, all coordinated by Christian theology. It makes a significant contribution to biblical interpretation that will be of interest to readers in a number of fields. The intention of the book is to revitalize and enlarge the concept of author-oriented interpretation and to restore confidence that readers of the Bible can reach understanding. The result is a major challenge to the central assumptions of postmodern biblical scholarship and a constructive alternative proposal--an Augustinian hermeneutic--that reinvigorates the notion of biblical authority and finds a new exegetical practice that recognizes the importance of both the reader's situation and the literal sense.



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Zondervan
Published: 08/31/2009
ISBN: 9780310324690
Pages: 496
Weight: 1.32lbs
Size: 8.94h x 6.02w x 1.36d
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SKU: 49382230545

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Jose Genis
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 5
Great wall shelves!
Color: White, Size: 15.7 Inches
Great quality, and firmness. easy to set up. will need a drill to speed up process. White wood finish is really nice, not glossy so perfect for me. width is a little on the shorter side depending on what youre looking to place on them but true to sizing as described
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Beet
Phoenix, US
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Floating Shelves
Color: White, Size: 15.7 Inches, Color: White, Size: 15.7 Inches
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Patches
Houston, US
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Good Product
Color: White, Size: 15.7 Inches
Well designed and sturdy. Though not real wood I think they will last. It took me an hour to install the first shelf. That was all on me. I was slow measuring and placing the shelf bracket. I kept dropping the level and doing other crazy things. But the second and third shelves were easy after I learned what I was doing. Even though the screws, etc were provided I used Easy Anchor drywall anchors rated at 50 pounds. Just drill it in the sheet rock then screw the screw through the hole in the bracket until it clicks, (you have to listen). That means the ends of the plastic anchor flips out like a toggle bolt. Continue tightening the screw and that is it. Think I read somewhere that the board wobbles. These were tight as could be and no wobble. I did learn to only "tighten" just one end of the bracket sort of snug and let it hang. Then raise it to level and mark the other holes with a pencil. Don't put the other screws in until you are sure you can see the plastic anchors' holes though the bracket. Then place and tighten all the screws. The only negative I saw was that they could have sent the same or similar anchors that I have. But they didn't call me. Guess they didn't have my number.
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Nardalee
Lexington, US
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Gina
Carnegie, US
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Nice decorative shelves
Color: White, Size: 15.7 Inches, Color: White, Size: 15.7 Inches
Love these shelves! Nice, sturdy and decorative!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2026

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