Saint Augustine
R. P. H. Green (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780198263340
- eISBN:
- 9780191601125
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198263341.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This is a completely new translation of the work that Augustine wrote to guide the Christian on how to interpret Scripture and communicate it to others, a kind of do‐it‐yourself manual for ...
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This is a completely new translation of the work that Augustine wrote to guide the Christian on how to interpret Scripture and communicate it to others, a kind of do‐it‐yourself manual for discovering what the Bible teaches and passing it on. Begun at the same time as his famous Confessions, but not completed until some thirty years later, it gives fascinating insight into many sides of his thinking, not least on the value of the traditional education of which the Confessions gives such a poor impression. Augustine begins by relating his theme to the love (and enjoyment) of God and the love of one's neighbour, and then proceeds to develop a theory of signs with which he can analyse the nature of difficulties in scripture. In studying unknown signs, Augustine finds a place for some disciplines enshrined in traditional culture and the school curriculum but not all; as for ambiguous signs, he carefully explores various kinds of problems, such as that of distinguishing the figurative from the literal, and has recourse to the hermeneutic system of the Donatist Tyconius. In the fourth and last book, he discusses how to communicate scriptural teaching, drawing on a lifetime of experience but also making notable use of the writings on rhetoric of Cicero, the classical orator. The translation is equipped with an introduction that discusses the work's aims and circumstances, outlines its contents and significance, commenting briefly on the manuscripts from which the Latin text – which is also provided in this volume – is derived, and also brief explanatory notes. There is a select bibliography of useful and approachable modern criticism of this important work.Less
This is a completely new translation of the work that Augustine wrote to guide the Christian on how to interpret Scripture and communicate it to others, a kind of do‐it‐yourself manual for discovering what the Bible teaches and passing it on. Begun at the same time as his famous Confessions, but not completed until some thirty years later, it gives fascinating insight into many sides of his thinking, not least on the value of the traditional education of which the Confessions gives such a poor impression. Augustine begins by relating his theme to the love (and enjoyment) of God and the love of one's neighbour, and then proceeds to develop a theory of signs with which he can analyse the nature of difficulties in scripture. In studying unknown signs, Augustine finds a place for some disciplines enshrined in traditional culture and the school curriculum but not all; as for ambiguous signs, he carefully explores various kinds of problems, such as that of distinguishing the figurative from the literal, and has recourse to the hermeneutic system of the Donatist Tyconius. In the fourth and last book, he discusses how to communicate scriptural teaching, drawing on a lifetime of experience but also making notable use of the writings on rhetoric of Cicero, the classical orator. The translation is equipped with an introduction that discusses the work's aims and circumstances, outlines its contents and significance, commenting briefly on the manuscripts from which the Latin text – which is also provided in this volume – is derived, and also brief explanatory notes. There is a select bibliography of useful and approachable modern criticism of this important work.
Alexander Samely
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199296736
- eISBN:
- 9780191712067
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199296736.003.0011
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
The midrashic engagement with the biblical past, as it is represented in biblical words, is substantial and detailed. This chapter explains some major types and their literary formats, using a ...
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The midrashic engagement with the biblical past, as it is represented in biblical words, is substantial and detailed. This chapter explains some major types and their literary formats, using a chapter from Genesis Rabbah as illustration. Particular attention is given to the question of endings, both in stories and in history, as perceived by the rabbis. For the rabbis, their own past and present held little historical interest. This results from the fact that the midrashic practice intensifies the meaning of biblical events, reducing later events to the status of mere repetitions of biblical paradigms. This is seen as an expression of exile, that is, a state of waiting for redemption.Less
The midrashic engagement with the biblical past, as it is represented in biblical words, is substantial and detailed. This chapter explains some major types and their literary formats, using a chapter from Genesis Rabbah as illustration. Particular attention is given to the question of endings, both in stories and in history, as perceived by the rabbis. For the rabbis, their own past and present held little historical interest. This results from the fact that the midrashic practice intensifies the meaning of biblical events, reducing later events to the status of mere repetitions of biblical paradigms. This is seen as an expression of exile, that is, a state of waiting for redemption.
Andrew Vincent
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780199271252
- eISBN:
- 9780191601101
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199271259.003.0010
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
Deals with the hermeneutic work of Hans‐Georg Gadamer. It analyses the development of hermeneutic thinking, the focus on language, the critique of the Enlightenment and positivism, the role of ...
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Deals with the hermeneutic work of Hans‐Georg Gadamer. It analyses the development of hermeneutic thinking, the focus on language, the critique of the Enlightenment and positivism, the role of dialogue in ethics and politics, and finally reviews the critical debates between Gadamer and Habermas. It maintains that Gadamer's approach offers profound insights into how we might reconceive of political theory in the future.Less
Deals with the hermeneutic work of Hans‐Georg Gadamer. It analyses the development of hermeneutic thinking, the focus on language, the critique of the Enlightenment and positivism, the role of dialogue in ethics and politics, and finally reviews the critical debates between Gadamer and Habermas. It maintains that Gadamer's approach offers profound insights into how we might reconceive of political theory in the future.
Alexander Samely
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199296736
- eISBN:
- 9780191712067
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199296736.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter examines if and how rabbinic literature constitutes a unified historical phenomenon. A number of observations supporting such a unity are presented. A crucial role is ascribed to the ...
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This chapter examines if and how rabbinic literature constitutes a unified historical phenomenon. A number of observations supporting such a unity are presented. A crucial role is ascribed to the hermeneutic assumption of such a unity. This assumption is supported by the aggregate nature of rabbinic works. Some of the effects of the juxtaposition of individual statements are illustrated, and the unreliability of rabbinic general principles is emphasized. An account is given of the role which the assumption of an oral tradition might play in accounting for the aggregate nature of the texts.Less
This chapter examines if and how rabbinic literature constitutes a unified historical phenomenon. A number of observations supporting such a unity are presented. A crucial role is ascribed to the hermeneutic assumption of such a unity. This assumption is supported by the aggregate nature of rabbinic works. Some of the effects of the juxtaposition of individual statements are illustrated, and the unreliability of rabbinic general principles is emphasized. An account is given of the role which the assumption of an oral tradition might play in accounting for the aggregate nature of the texts.
Alexander Samely
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199296736
- eISBN:
- 9780191712067
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199296736.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
Rabbinic documents present themselves to some extent as having their root in the oral transmission of information. This chapter attempts to summarize some important aspects of the rabbis' own ...
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Rabbinic documents present themselves to some extent as having their root in the oral transmission of information. This chapter attempts to summarize some important aspects of the rabbis' own explanation of this, nowadays treated under the label ‘oral Torah’. It then explores the hermeneutic effect of oral contexts, as well as the constitution of ‘social texts’ in the interaction of several voices in conversation. For the latter, two scenarios are considered: the selective use of an existing text in a discussion setting; and a kind of ‘committee’ meeting in which a record of rabbinic information is created from scratch. The chapter concludes with a critique of the idea that rabbinic texts were shaped by or for oral performance.Less
Rabbinic documents present themselves to some extent as having their root in the oral transmission of information. This chapter attempts to summarize some important aspects of the rabbis' own explanation of this, nowadays treated under the label ‘oral Torah’. It then explores the hermeneutic effect of oral contexts, as well as the constitution of ‘social texts’ in the interaction of several voices in conversation. For the latter, two scenarios are considered: the selective use of an existing text in a discussion setting; and a kind of ‘committee’ meeting in which a record of rabbinic information is created from scratch. The chapter concludes with a critique of the idea that rabbinic texts were shaped by or for oral performance.
Barry Taylor
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199286690
- eISBN:
- 9780191604065
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199286698.003.0003
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Metaphysics/Epistemology
This chapter sets out the relevant core of Putnam’s case. Section 3.1 extracts three arguments from Putnam’s writings: the Arguments from Cardinality, Completeness, and Permutation. Of these, section ...
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This chapter sets out the relevant core of Putnam’s case. Section 3.1 extracts three arguments from Putnam’s writings: the Arguments from Cardinality, Completeness, and Permutation. Of these, section 3.2 argues that only the second is of direct relevance. Section 3.3 examines attempts to frame constraints based on causal and psycho-behavioural reductions of reference. Section 3.4 investigates the Translational Reference Constraint (TRC), a constraint on reference which does not rely on a reduction of reference but makes essential use of translation (from object language to metalanguage) to sort out the models which get reference right. The claims made in this section, however, require foundation in a theory of translation, sufficient to sustain the assumptions it makes about that controversial and opaque notion. This foundation is supplied in section 3.5, whose general tenor is Davidsonian, its key notion being that of a ‘hermeneutic theory’, i.e., a Davidsonian theory of interpretation cast into model-theoretic terms. With Translational Truth Constraint (TTC) now identified as the most fundamental constraint on intendedness, it remains to see if it will suffice to rule out as unintended all the models of ideal theory whose existence the Completeness Theorem guarantees. The issue is examined in section 3.6.Less
This chapter sets out the relevant core of Putnam’s case. Section 3.1 extracts three arguments from Putnam’s writings: the Arguments from Cardinality, Completeness, and Permutation. Of these, section 3.2 argues that only the second is of direct relevance. Section 3.3 examines attempts to frame constraints based on causal and psycho-behavioural reductions of reference. Section 3.4 investigates the Translational Reference Constraint (TRC), a constraint on reference which does not rely on a reduction of reference but makes essential use of translation (from object language to metalanguage) to sort out the models which get reference right. The claims made in this section, however, require foundation in a theory of translation, sufficient to sustain the assumptions it makes about that controversial and opaque notion. This foundation is supplied in section 3.5, whose general tenor is Davidsonian, its key notion being that of a ‘hermeneutic theory’, i.e., a Davidsonian theory of interpretation cast into model-theoretic terms. With Translational Truth Constraint (TTC) now identified as the most fundamental constraint on intendedness, it remains to see if it will suffice to rule out as unintended all the models of ideal theory whose existence the Completeness Theorem guarantees. The issue is examined in section 3.6.
John L. Thompson
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195137361
- eISBN:
- 9780199834730
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195137361.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
In using contemporary feminist questions and concerns as a lens with which to examine precritical commentators, one may argue that these traditional interpreters come off surprisingly well: they ...
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In using contemporary feminist questions and concerns as a lens with which to examine precritical commentators, one may argue that these traditional interpreters come off surprisingly well: they certainly do not neglect these stories; though prone to gender stereotypes, they can suspend their male bias when making ethical inquiries; they resist “blaming the victim” and do not categorically excuse the men, even when there is New Testament testimony on behalf of these Old Testament figures; and they frequently display signs of empathy and identification with the women of these narratives. Consequently, there is reason to consider that precritical commentators of the past and feminists today have both formal and material interests in common, including the use of various reading strategies to make problematic texts relevant, a desire to find edification in the biblical text, and an intense preoccupation with morality and justice. Even the feminist commitment to a hermeneutic of suspicion finds at least a partial corollary among precritical interpreters, though for the latter, the hermeneutic of suspicion is finally subordinate to a hermeneutic of charity and the presupposition that the Bible represents a coherent text.Less
In using contemporary feminist questions and concerns as a lens with which to examine precritical commentators, one may argue that these traditional interpreters come off surprisingly well: they certainly do not neglect these stories; though prone to gender stereotypes, they can suspend their male bias when making ethical inquiries; they resist “blaming the victim” and do not categorically excuse the men, even when there is New Testament testimony on behalf of these Old Testament figures; and they frequently display signs of empathy and identification with the women of these narratives. Consequently, there is reason to consider that precritical commentators of the past and feminists today have both formal and material interests in common, including the use of various reading strategies to make problematic texts relevant, a desire to find edification in the biblical text, and an intense preoccupation with morality and justice. Even the feminist commitment to a hermeneutic of suspicion finds at least a partial corollary among precritical interpreters, though for the latter, the hermeneutic of suspicion is finally subordinate to a hermeneutic of charity and the presupposition that the Bible represents a coherent text.
Gurpreet Mahajan
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198076971
- eISBN:
- 9780199080403
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198076971.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Indian Politics
Social scientists explain events by identifying reasons and causes. Occasionally they weave a series of events into a historical narrative. What is entailed in each kind of explanation? What form of ...
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Social scientists explain events by identifying reasons and causes. Occasionally they weave a series of events into a historical narrative. What is entailed in each kind of explanation? What form of explanation is adequate for the social sciences? This book surveys each of the major forms of inquiry—hermeneutic understanding, narrative, reason-action, and causal explanation—to examine how each method changes our perceptions of social reality. It shows why we need to nurture plurality of theoretical frameworks, disciplinary orientations along with plural modes of inquiry, and recognize that our engagement with the present is likely to be marked by differences and doubts rather than by certainty and consensus.Less
Social scientists explain events by identifying reasons and causes. Occasionally they weave a series of events into a historical narrative. What is entailed in each kind of explanation? What form of explanation is adequate for the social sciences? This book surveys each of the major forms of inquiry—hermeneutic understanding, narrative, reason-action, and causal explanation—to examine how each method changes our perceptions of social reality. It shows why we need to nurture plurality of theoretical frameworks, disciplinary orientations along with plural modes of inquiry, and recognize that our engagement with the present is likely to be marked by differences and doubts rather than by certainty and consensus.
Gregory A. Beeley
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195313970
- eISBN:
- 9780199871827
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195313970.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
The central chapter of the book evaluates Gregory's distinctive doctrine of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit's role in the work of Christian theology, focusing on the soteriological character of ...
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The central chapter of the book evaluates Gregory's distinctive doctrine of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit's role in the work of Christian theology, focusing on the soteriological character of Gregory's Pneumatology in distinction from that of his Christology. It traces the development of Gregory's doctrine of the Spirit from his early episcopal sermons to the climax of his work in Constantinople and provides a new reading of the structure and argumentation of his monumental Oration 31 On the Holy Spirit, which is aimed at both the Eunomians and Pneumatomachians. At the heart of the matter is Gregory's account of the full divinity of the Spirit in light of the Bible's silence at the literal level—an argument that involves tracing the sequence of Trinitarian revelation through the covenants and the age of the Church, the direct proof of the Spirit's divinity from baptismal divinization, and Gregory's subsequent exegesis of the Spirit “according to the Spirit.” In conclusion, the chapter identifies the Spirit's central epistemic function for all theology and Gregory's literary rhetoric of piety, which frames and unifies the Theological Orations as a series.Less
The central chapter of the book evaluates Gregory's distinctive doctrine of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit's role in the work of Christian theology, focusing on the soteriological character of Gregory's Pneumatology in distinction from that of his Christology. It traces the development of Gregory's doctrine of the Spirit from his early episcopal sermons to the climax of his work in Constantinople and provides a new reading of the structure and argumentation of his monumental Oration 31 On the Holy Spirit, which is aimed at both the Eunomians and Pneumatomachians. At the heart of the matter is Gregory's account of the full divinity of the Spirit in light of the Bible's silence at the literal level—an argument that involves tracing the sequence of Trinitarian revelation through the covenants and the age of the Church, the direct proof of the Spirit's divinity from baptismal divinization, and Gregory's subsequent exegesis of the Spirit “according to the Spirit.” In conclusion, the chapter identifies the Spirit's central epistemic function for all theology and Gregory's literary rhetoric of piety, which frames and unifies the Theological Orations as a series.
Roland Enmarch
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264331
- eISBN:
- 9780191734106
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264331.003.0004
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Religions
This chapter presents a continuous transliteration and translation of The Dialogue of Ipuwer and the Lord of All, approaching the poem through hermeneutic methods.
This chapter presents a continuous transliteration and translation of The Dialogue of Ipuwer and the Lord of All, approaching the poem through hermeneutic methods.
Margaret Notley
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195305470
- eISBN:
- 9780199866946
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195305470.003.0003
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
Acknowledging both the general aging of music that Adorno heard in Brahms and observations that most of his oeuvre sounds “twilit”, this chapter asserts “late style” as nonetheless meaningful. ...
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Acknowledging both the general aging of music that Adorno heard in Brahms and observations that most of his oeuvre sounds “twilit”, this chapter asserts “late style” as nonetheless meaningful. Rejecting cause and effect, it draws on Freud's concept of overdetermination to address the emergence of late-style features and proposes an addendum to late-style dialectics: late works are at once an expression of their time and alienated from the contemporary context. The significance of German nationalism to works from the mid-1880s and others from the 1890s is explored, as is the politicization of “late style”. Rather than simplifying late style, the chapter uses diverse manifestations — e.g., mannerism, blending of technical and expressive features — as hermeneutic points of entry. Special emphasis is placed on Brahms's mastery of ways and degrees of asserting a key in tonality's late period, and on moments of expressive complexity that model psychological process, evoking Freud's Vienna.Less
Acknowledging both the general aging of music that Adorno heard in Brahms and observations that most of his oeuvre sounds “twilit”, this chapter asserts “late style” as nonetheless meaningful. Rejecting cause and effect, it draws on Freud's concept of overdetermination to address the emergence of late-style features and proposes an addendum to late-style dialectics: late works are at once an expression of their time and alienated from the contemporary context. The significance of German nationalism to works from the mid-1880s and others from the 1890s is explored, as is the politicization of “late style”. Rather than simplifying late style, the chapter uses diverse manifestations — e.g., mannerism, blending of technical and expressive features — as hermeneutic points of entry. Special emphasis is placed on Brahms's mastery of ways and degrees of asserting a key in tonality's late period, and on moments of expressive complexity that model psychological process, evoking Freud's Vienna.
Daniel Rynhold
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- April 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780199274864
- eISBN:
- 9780191602450
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019927486X.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
The apparently contrasting method of rationalization of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik is subjected to a detailed critical analysis. Following a summary of Soloveitchik’s general method of descriptive ...
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The apparently contrasting method of rationalization of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik is subjected to a detailed critical analysis. Following a summary of Soloveitchik’s general method of descriptive reconstruction as presented in The Halakhic Mind, we first consider the scientific model of rationalization that Lawrence Kaplan finds within Soloveitchik’s reflections on halakhah. Despite humanistic and hermeneutic strands reminiscent of those found in the later thought of Wilhelm Dilthey, it is argued that ultimately this method remains a scientific explanatory method that attempts to subsume particular instances under general laws. There is, however, a contrasting model of rationalization found in The Halakhic Mind that is far more Gadamerian in tone, focusing on the meaning of the commandments rather than on their explanation. Some of the implications of the differences between the two models are discussed, though both models are argued to be highly conservative and lacking the capacity for objectivity.Less
The apparently contrasting method of rationalization of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik is subjected to a detailed critical analysis. Following a summary of Soloveitchik’s general method of descriptive reconstruction as presented in The Halakhic Mind, we first consider the scientific model of rationalization that Lawrence Kaplan finds within Soloveitchik’s reflections on halakhah. Despite humanistic and hermeneutic strands reminiscent of those found in the later thought of Wilhelm Dilthey, it is argued that ultimately this method remains a scientific explanatory method that attempts to subsume particular instances under general laws. There is, however, a contrasting model of rationalization found in The Halakhic Mind that is far more Gadamerian in tone, focusing on the meaning of the commandments rather than on their explanation. Some of the implications of the differences between the two models are discussed, though both models are argued to be highly conservative and lacking the capacity for objectivity.
Bas C. van Fraassen
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199278220
- eISBN:
- 9780191707926
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199278220.003.0006
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Science
The term ‘problem of coordination’ had appeared in Mach's writings on mechanics and thermodynamics; was salient in the discussion of the relation between mathematical and physical geometry that ...
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The term ‘problem of coordination’ had appeared in Mach's writings on mechanics and thermodynamics; was salient in the discussion of the relation between mathematical and physical geometry that extended from the 19th century into the 20th; and came to special prominence through the writings of Schlick and Reichenbach when logical empiricism was beginning to break with the neo-Kantian tradition. The questions What counts as a measurement of (physical quantity) X? and What is (that physical quantity) X? cannot be answered independently of each other, which brings up the famed ‘hermeneutic circle’. This chapter examines this apparent circularity by focusing on the one hand on its more abstract consideration by Reichenbach, and on the other hand the practical response in history examined by Mach and Poincaré, with the conclusion that pure or presuppositionless coordination is neither possible nor required.Less
The term ‘problem of coordination’ had appeared in Mach's writings on mechanics and thermodynamics; was salient in the discussion of the relation between mathematical and physical geometry that extended from the 19th century into the 20th; and came to special prominence through the writings of Schlick and Reichenbach when logical empiricism was beginning to break with the neo-Kantian tradition. The questions What counts as a measurement of (physical quantity) X? and What is (that physical quantity) X? cannot be answered independently of each other, which brings up the famed ‘hermeneutic circle’. This chapter examines this apparent circularity by focusing on the one hand on its more abstract consideration by Reichenbach, and on the other hand the practical response in history examined by Mach and Poincaré, with the conclusion that pure or presuppositionless coordination is neither possible nor required.
R. P. H. Green (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780198263340
- eISBN:
- 9780191601125
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198263341.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
There is a short but significant preface in which Augustine seeks to meet criticisms of his attempt to set out helpful rules for the interpretation of scripture. He insists that the teaching and ...
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There is a short but significant preface in which Augustine seeks to meet criticisms of his attempt to set out helpful rules for the interpretation of scripture. He insists that the teaching and learning of such rules are both useful and necessary, and compares his function to the teacher of the alphabet who enables people to read.Less
There is a short but significant preface in which Augustine seeks to meet criticisms of his attempt to set out helpful rules for the interpretation of scripture. He insists that the teaching and learning of such rules are both useful and necessary, and compares his function to the teacher of the alphabet who enables people to read.
R. P. H. Green (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780198263340
- eISBN:
- 9780191601125
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198263341.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
The interpretation of scripture depends on discovery and presentation; Augustine takes discovery first. All teaching is teaching of either things (including God, the supreme thing) or signs. Some ...
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The interpretation of scripture depends on discovery and presentation; Augustine takes discovery first. All teaching is teaching of either things (including God, the supreme thing) or signs. Some things are to be enjoyed, some used; and much of this book is concerned with matters of ethics as he attempts to map this distinction onto the commands to love God and one's neighbour, the purpose of scripture being to build up this ‘double love’.Less
The interpretation of scripture depends on discovery and presentation; Augustine takes discovery first. All teaching is teaching of either things (including God, the supreme thing) or signs. Some things are to be enjoyed, some used; and much of this book is concerned with matters of ethics as he attempts to map this distinction onto the commands to love God and one's neighbour, the purpose of scripture being to build up this ‘double love’.
R. P. H. Green (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780198263340
- eISBN:
- 9780191601125
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198263341.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
In this book, Augustine begins his discussion of signs, of which the greater part consists of words. After an interesting statement of the canon of scripture as he saw it, Augustine argues for the ...
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In this book, Augustine begins his discussion of signs, of which the greater part consists of words. After an interesting statement of the canon of scripture as he saw it, Augustine argues for the value of knowledge of languages, the utility of comparing different translations, and the importance of having at least some acquaintance with the subjects of traditional curriculum (music, history, logic, to name a few). To make clear, which of these may legitimately be studied by the Christian, he develops a distinction between disciplines instituted by humans, in some cases in concert with demons—and others, instituted by God, which are observed and developed by humans. This is made the basis for ‘spoiling the Egyptians’, in other words, the appropriation of pagan learning.Less
In this book, Augustine begins his discussion of signs, of which the greater part consists of words. After an interesting statement of the canon of scripture as he saw it, Augustine argues for the value of knowledge of languages, the utility of comparing different translations, and the importance of having at least some acquaintance with the subjects of traditional curriculum (music, history, logic, to name a few). To make clear, which of these may legitimately be studied by the Christian, he develops a distinction between disciplines instituted by humans, in some cases in concert with demons—and others, instituted by God, which are observed and developed by humans. This is made the basis for ‘spoiling the Egyptians’, in other words, the appropriation of pagan learning.
R. P. H. Green (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780198263340
- eISBN:
- 9780191601125
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198263341.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
Augustine turns from unknown signs to ambiguous signs. How can the Christian reader resolve uncertainty? This may be due to difficulties of punctuation, difficult words, unclear manuscript readings, ...
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Augustine turns from unknown signs to ambiguous signs. How can the Christian reader resolve uncertainty? This may be due to difficulties of punctuation, difficult words, unclear manuscript readings, or figures of speech. An even greater problem, especially in the Old Testament, is that of distinguishing between literal and metaphorical expressions. The book finishes with an attempt to approach such matters systematically using the hermeneutic rules of the Donatist Tyconius.Less
Augustine turns from unknown signs to ambiguous signs. How can the Christian reader resolve uncertainty? This may be due to difficulties of punctuation, difficult words, unclear manuscript readings, or figures of speech. An even greater problem, especially in the Old Testament, is that of distinguishing between literal and metaphorical expressions. The book finishes with an attempt to approach such matters systematically using the hermeneutic rules of the Donatist Tyconius.
R. P. H. Green (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780198263340
- eISBN:
- 9780191601125
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198263341.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
Here, Augustine takes up his promise to deal with the question of how to present one's Biblical knowledge. This involves rhetoric to which Augustine, in a ground‐breaking departure, gives a firm ...
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Here, Augustine takes up his promise to deal with the question of how to present one's Biblical knowledge. This involves rhetoric to which Augustine, in a ground‐breaking departure, gives a firm though qualified welcome. In this book, there is extensive discussion, to a great extent conducted in terms of Ciceronian rhetorical theory, of the aims and styles appropriate to the Christian orator. But the book is also remarkable for its defence of the often inscrutable wisdom of scripture, and detailed analyses of its style according to classical criteria.Less
Here, Augustine takes up his promise to deal with the question of how to present one's Biblical knowledge. This involves rhetoric to which Augustine, in a ground‐breaking departure, gives a firm though qualified welcome. In this book, there is extensive discussion, to a great extent conducted in terms of Ciceronian rhetorical theory, of the aims and styles appropriate to the Christian orator. But the book is also remarkable for its defence of the often inscrutable wisdom of scripture, and detailed analyses of its style according to classical criteria.
Alexander Samely
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198270317
- eISBN:
- 9780191683978
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198270317.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism, Biblical Studies
This chapter examines the hermeneutic situation, the resources of interpretation, the rabbinic hermeneutic rules, trends in the study of rabbinic hermeneutics, and the Mishnaic setting of the ...
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This chapter examines the hermeneutic situation, the resources of interpretation, the rabbinic hermeneutic rules, trends in the study of rabbinic hermeneutics, and the Mishnaic setting of the hermeneutic data. The systematic description of the explicit hermeneutics of early rabbinic Judaism has various characteristics, which are given in this chapter. It breaks down unified but internally complex operations into individual components. It provides explicit definitions for these individual components as hermeneutic procedures. It furnishes a catalogue of definitions based on the totality of the evidence of the rabbinic work under discussion. The last section of the chapter gives an outline of the topics presented in the chapters that follow.Less
This chapter examines the hermeneutic situation, the resources of interpretation, the rabbinic hermeneutic rules, trends in the study of rabbinic hermeneutics, and the Mishnaic setting of the hermeneutic data. The systematic description of the explicit hermeneutics of early rabbinic Judaism has various characteristics, which are given in this chapter. It breaks down unified but internally complex operations into individual components. It provides explicit definitions for these individual components as hermeneutic procedures. It furnishes a catalogue of definitions based on the totality of the evidence of the rabbinic work under discussion. The last section of the chapter gives an outline of the topics presented in the chapters that follow.
Bernard Cooke
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195174519
- eISBN:
- 9780199835119
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195174518.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
A paradigm shift has occurred in human knowing that places ‘power’ at the center of interpreting humans’ experience. This hermeneutic has found a distinctive expression in theological methodology ...
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A paradigm shift has occurred in human knowing that places ‘power’ at the center of interpreting humans’ experience. This hermeneutic has found a distinctive expression in theological methodology where it has coincided with the incorporation of historical consciousness and utilization of experience as a starting point. Within theology, this has produced renewed interest in pneumatology, the study of the Spirit of God. Since biblically the Spirit of God is identified as divine power, this volume relates the divine Spirit to various forms of power.Less
A paradigm shift has occurred in human knowing that places ‘power’ at the center of interpreting humans’ experience. This hermeneutic has found a distinctive expression in theological methodology where it has coincided with the incorporation of historical consciousness and utilization of experience as a starting point. Within theology, this has produced renewed interest in pneumatology, the study of the Spirit of God. Since biblically the Spirit of God is identified as divine power, this volume relates the divine Spirit to various forms of power.
