Course Syllabus for Hermeneutics class: Venue: AIIS-FTS: Graduate Class

students
By Esckinder Taddesse, PhD,ThD
Contact Information
Tel 0927 956870
E.MAIL [email protected]
Jan-Aug 2024 c

Course Introduction
This course is designed as an input towards fulfilling the mission, program and
goals of AIIS: to generate theologically equipped, morally transformed,
ministerially competent servant leaders, reaching their church and society, in
Africa and beyond.

Hermeneutics was largely understood to be the art or science of interpretation.

Old Hermeneutics simply reads the text where the reader gets closer to the text,
with no consideration to background matters, such as; culture, context, language,
geography, intention etc etc… . (Ps read the book “Hebrew for the Goyim”)

It is obvious that this is a little bit in contrast to the new method of Hermeneutics
which avoids the subject-object disjunction (Refer to Descartesian Methods).
Pamler has given us six definitions:

As IT HAS EVOLVED in modern times, the field of hermeneutics has been defined in at least
six fairly distinct ways. From the beginning the word has denoted the science of
interpretation, especially the principles of proper textual exegesis, but the field of
hermeneutics has been interpreted (in roughly chronological order) as:

(1) the theory of biblical exegesis; (2) general philological methodology; (3) the science of
all linguistic understanding; (4) the methodological foundation of Geisteswissenschaften:
(meaning in Dilthy pts them as all disciplines focused on understanding man's art,
actions, and writings). (5) phenomenology of existence and of existential understanding;
 and (6) the systems of interpretation, both recollective and iconoclastic, used by man to
reach the meaning behind myths and symbols.1

As far as the main intent of Hermeneutics, let’s borrow a paragraph from Berkhof
concerning general and special hermeneutics. Berkhof said;
We must distinguish between general and special Hermeneutics. The former applies
to the interpretation of all kinds of writings; the latter to that of certain definite kinds of
literary productions, such as laws, history, prophecy, poetry. Hermeneutica Sacra has
a very special character, because it deals with a book that is unique in the realm of
literature, viz., with the Bible as the inspired Word of God. It is only when we
recognize the principle of the divine inspiration of the Bible that we can maintain the
theological character of Hermeneutica Sacra.2

Similarly Ramm set the divisions saying;

Most books follow at least the two-fold division of general and special hermeneutics.
General hermeneutics refers to those rules which pertain to the interpretation of the
entire Bible.

Special hermeneutics refers to those rules which are developed

special parts of Scripture, e.g., parables, prophecy, apocalypse and poetry.3

Fee in the beginning of his book also said, “ everything is hermeneutics.” Indeed,
the broad definition of “hermeneutics” would be something like the whole process
of understanding from philosophical underpinnings/assumptions through
exegesis to application. Hermeneutics, in this sense, is everything. It is the
whole interpretative task of understanding (Refer to Paul Ricoeur’s
phenomenological approach).

Philosophical hermeneutics from Pre-modern, Modern and postmodern,

perspective is also a necessary discipline. It reflects on our pre-understandings,
cultural heritages and presuppositions, in order to provide some means of
critiquing our own vantage-points.

While there is much to discuss in this arena; in this class, I am more concerned

1
Palmer, Richard E. 1969.Hermeneutics Interpretation Theory in Schleiermacher, Dilthey,
Heidegger, and Gadamer.( USA: North Western University, Press),33
2
L. Berkhof., 1950 Principles of Biblical Interpretation (Sacred Hermeneutics), ( Baker
Book House Grand Rapids: Michigan) ,11
3
Ramm. Bernard. 1970 Protestant Biblical Interpretation. 3rd Edition (Baker Book House:
Grand Rapids Michigan,),11
with theological hermeneutics. So, I will assume some things about text,
hermeneutics and readers that would have to be more fully developed, stated
and defended.

How do we move from Then to Now? Hermeneutics involves the bringing

together of two horizons: the ancient textual horizon (its original meaning) and
the contemporary “hearer” horizon (the modern significance) (Refer to Gademer
“Truth and Method). It is the move from “then” to “now.” With a conviction of
biblical authority, how do we make this move so that the normativity of the
principle is rooted in the text rather than in the experience of the
hearer/interpreter?

Leaving the issue of Old hermeneutics and New Hermeneutics, the definitions as
well: we will just pass to the issue of “where to start”; and “what matters to
include” in our discussion, to make the study very relevant.

Having this in mind, selection of relevant, matured and up-to-date textbooks is

the primary task of this discussion. Making an assessment from most standard
interpretation text books, a lecture note/power point presentation/; with the right
flow will be compiled to each student. Yet, steps helpful to grasp the main intent
of hermeneutics and reshape our way of interpretation should also be
considered.

In this series, a little bit of ‘Special hermeneutics’, ‘General Hermeneutics’ and

‘Contemporary developments of Language games’ will be delivered through the
class lectures.

Course Objectives
At the conclusion of this course the student should be able to:
- Get acquainted with the subject well.
- Grasp the historical development of the science of Hermeneutics.
 - Be able to apply proper exegesis in reading and applying the Bible to
his/her ministry.
- Reshape his / her way of interpretation accordingly.
Reference Lists
1. A History Biblical Interpretation Vol. 1 The Ancient Period Edited by Alan
J. Hauser & Duane F. Watson William m B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company G r a n d R a p i d s , M i c h i g a n / C a m b r i d g e , U . K.
(Main Text)

2. Exegetical Fallacies, by Carson D.A, Second Edition, 1996

3. Biblical Hermeneutics, by Bruce Corley, Steve W.Lemke, Grant I. Love
Joy
4. How to understand your Bible, by Norton Sterrett. T
5. Historical Handbook of major Biblical Interpreters,(Donald K.Mchkim,
Editor).
6. How To Read The Bible For All its worth…, by, Fee Gordon D, and Stuart
Dauglas.,
7. The Hermeneutics Reader- E-reader Texts of the German Tradition
from the Enlightenment to the Present Edited, with an introduction and
notes, by Kurt Mueller-Vollmer;
8. Principles of Biblical Interpretation (SACRED HERMENEUTICS)by L.
BERKHOF, B. D.; See more under the following box…
9.
Achtemeier, P. An Introduction to the New Hermeneutic. Philadelphia:
Westminster, 1969.
Anscombe, G. E. M. Intention. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press,
1963.
Atler, Mortimer J. How to Read a Book. New York: Simon and Schuster,
1940.
Bleicher, Josef. Contemporary Hermeneutics: Hermeneutics as Method,
Philosophy and Critique. Boston: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1980.
Collini, Stephan, ed. Interpretation and Overinterpretation. Cambridge:
Cambrige University Press, 1992.
Culler, Jonathan. On Deconstruction: Theory and Criticism after
Structuralism. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1982.
Derrida, Jacques. Of Grammatology. Trans. by G. Chakrovorty.
Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1976.
. Margins of Philosophy. Trans. Alan Bass. Chicago: University of
Chicago Press, 1982.
Detweiler, Robert, ed. "Derrida and Biblical Studies." Semeia 23.
 Dilthey, W. The Essence of Philosophy. Trans. S. A. Emery and W. T.
Emery. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1954.
. Pattern and Meaning in History. Edited by H. P. Rickman. New
York: Harper & Row, 1962.
Fish, Stanley. Is There a Text in This Class? The Authority of
Interpretative Communities. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press,
1980.
Freund, Elizabeth. The Return of the Reader: Reader-response Criticism.
London: Methuen, 1987.
Funk, Robert W. Language, Hermeneutic and Word of God. New York:
Harper and Row, 1966.
Funk, Robert W., ed. The Bultmann School of Biblical Interpretation: New
Directions? New York: Harper & Row, 1965.
Gadamer, Hans-Georg. Philosophical Hermeneutics. Trans. and ed. by
David E. Linge. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976.
Gadamer, Hans-Georg. Truth and Method. Trans. by Garret Broden and
John Cumming. 2nd ed. New York: Crossroad, 1982.

Course Requirements
- Attend all class sessions;
- Complete class tests and the final exam with any research work at a given
time;
- Get the Exegetical background, exegetical meanings of the following texts
with their Significance.
Gen 6:1-4 (3) ; Gen 38: 6-10; Ex 15:22-27; Liv 13:1-59; Liv 20:22-27(20);Liv
18:1-18; Liv 20:13; Ps 51:5; Jn 1:1; Jn 1:14; Jn 1:18; Jn 3:16; one and only?)
with Deut 6:4;(14) Jn 4:23-24; Jn 21:25;Mk 15:34;Matt 5:31-32; Matt 19:3-9;
Eph 2:20; Eph 3:5; Rom 5: 12-17; Eph 4:11; 1 Cor 3:15; Gal 3:10-14…..

****Key for exegesis: Background-Author; Authority; Date;….. Establishing the

text; Boundary Analysis; Exegetical Meanings/Syntax, word analysis, history,
culture, textual analysis etc etc …Significance- Relevance of the text to
today’s world and the context of the student.

Good luck!