Emerging hermeneutics
Today I find myself with more and more thoughts geared toward this emerging age. For the past few weeks, I have processing several ideas for a book I'd like to write. I don't see myself writing this book until I have more time to research the topic. Whats the topic you ask? I aint telling you, you just might steal the idea. If only there was a way to copyright my thoughts. I knew I should have paid more attention in copyright law. As of now, graduate school is eating up my time, and I'm only taking one class. My mid-term is this Thursday and we'll be covering Huss, St. Benedict, Luther, Anabaptist, Wesley and a few others.
My mind has been running this quote around in my brain this morning: "Does part of being in a post-modern context mean that we're also in a post-methodological context and that all we can do is endless hermeneutics?" This came from Tony Jones via Andrew Zirschky's blog. I thought to myself how our culture is constantly evolving. If this is true, which I believe it is, then aren't we bound to the continuous study of our culture, an unending hermeneutic so to speak? Not only studying our culture, but the way we view the Bible will have to morph as well, won't it? And if this path continues, will methods that churches use ever be constant from year to year? If this postmodern shift is an emerging one, won't the methods along with the presentation of the gospel have to as well?
This may not make any sense to anybody (in fact, I don't know if I understand myself). I guess I'm trying to grapple with the continuous motion that seems to be evident in our ever-changing world. Granted, I'm not one to follow culture first and then see how we can make it relevant to the Bible. I'm in favor of asking, "Am I (we) relevant to the story of God?" Yes we do need to have a cultural hermeneutic, but doing what is hip or cool, or what church X is doing isn't the answer. Methods will have to change because the people that they're geared toward are in constant motion. I just hope that I am able to submit to what God is up to during this age and morph along side his will.
My mind has been running this quote around in my brain this morning: "Does part of being in a post-modern context mean that we're also in a post-methodological context and that all we can do is endless hermeneutics?" This came from Tony Jones via Andrew Zirschky's blog. I thought to myself how our culture is constantly evolving. If this is true, which I believe it is, then aren't we bound to the continuous study of our culture, an unending hermeneutic so to speak? Not only studying our culture, but the way we view the Bible will have to morph as well, won't it? And if this path continues, will methods that churches use ever be constant from year to year? If this postmodern shift is an emerging one, won't the methods along with the presentation of the gospel have to as well?
This may not make any sense to anybody (in fact, I don't know if I understand myself). I guess I'm trying to grapple with the continuous motion that seems to be evident in our ever-changing world. Granted, I'm not one to follow culture first and then see how we can make it relevant to the Bible. I'm in favor of asking, "Am I (we) relevant to the story of God?" Yes we do need to have a cultural hermeneutic, but doing what is hip or cool, or what church X is doing isn't the answer. Methods will have to change because the people that they're geared toward are in constant motion. I just hope that I am able to submit to what God is up to during this age and morph along side his will.
posted by c | 1:22 PM
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