The Exodus Motif in Scripture (Estelle)

 It's not a new insight for many students of Scripture when they hear that the exodus event is alluded to or referred to many times in the Bible.  From the Psalms to the Prophets to the NT authors, the exodus is an important theme in Scripture.  Bryan Estelle's book, Echoes of Exodus, is a nice survey…

Fundamentalism and Interpretation (Vanhoozer)

Vanhoozer I have always been skeptical and uneasy about a fundamentalist method of interpreting Scripture. Although I have several other reasons for my unease, one worth mentioning is Kevin Vanhoozer's helpful critique of the fundamentliast hermeneutic in Is There a Meaning in This Text? Below are a few excerpts. Though fundamentalists cry "back to the texts themselves!" In reality they tend…

OT/ANE Background Studies: Five Theses

Sometimes when Christians study the OT they are apprehensive about allowing ancient Near Eastern background studies to aid in interpretation.  Or, to state this apprehension in a question: “What do ANE studies have to do with OT interpretation?”  For some reason most Christians are more comfortable with NT background studies than OT ones.  I appreciate…

No Creeds! (Except What Celebrity Preacher Says)

  “The study of the religious convictions of self-taught Americans in the early years of the republic reveals how much weight was placed on private judgment and how little on the roles of history, theology, and the collective will of the church.” So writes Nathan Hatch in his assessment of American religion in his excellent…

One Text, One Meaning?

I’m often amazed and even edified when several different preachers or commentators preach or comment on the same text and emphasize different themes, points, and applications.  It’s good for us as Christians to realize that Scripture is quite deep and rich; it’s not like one sermon or one commentary can say all there is to…