Living the Biblical Text in a Postmodern Context

I and we and Dwelling in the Word

I am delighted with the range of comments appearing - showing good thinking and reading and integration. Good stuff. There is a sense that you as a learning community are continuing, through the blogs, to be a learning community. Thankyou.

Now that the due date for 5 student comments has passed, I will start to mark your work. I hope to complete it within 2 weeks.

There has been a bit of discussion on some of the blogs about interpretation and the Bible. If we were still in ‘real’ class, rather than ‘cyber class.’ I would suggest a helpful self-learning exercise would be to ponder the Dwelling in the Word; to consider ways that it allows a complex I/we interaction. Since we are not, can I point out the following;

1. It is helpful to understand that the invitation to individual interpretation was within an interpretive community. The community (you as a class, I as a lecturer, even a church community) come together with shared assumptions about the authority of the Bible and the power of the Spirit. This is a “we” dynamic that, if you believe in the power of the Spirit, must surely shape individual interpretation.

2. You were invited to listen to the Word of the Lord. And thus the Bible is the catalyst for the interpretive activity. To me, there is more submission to the Word of God in Dwelling in the Word than in most preaching, because the Word of God is read as honoured and as the primary shaper of the community.

3. Individual interpretive comment is filtered through a number of processes. All interpretations heard required the blessing of the "friendly stranger." This is a level of discernment. I would be surprised if a friendly stranger would pass on a widely heretical reading to the entire group.

4. I, as leader, had a continual right of reply. At one time in the course someone articulated what I considered a limited reading of a text. As leader, I suggested another way of reading that text. Thus in Dwelling in the Word, the leader continues to exercise an interpretive role.

I don’t see Dwelling in the Word as an interpretive free for all. The I/we relationship is complex and multi-faceted and I think these factors are worth considering. I hope this is useful for your ongoing reflection and if you want to "push back" at me, feel free to leave a comment here.

Peace to you all, I have very fond memories of our class together.

posted by spirit2go team @ 8:17 PM