Scholars of the Biblical text approach the New Testament with a variety of different concerns, sometimes downplaying the theological meaning in order to draw out information about its writing or editing, cultural influences or historical context. In this excerpt from a volume of essays written in honor of Kent Richards, former executive director of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL),1 Harold W. Attridge, the Reverend Henry L. Slack Dean of Yale Divinity School and Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament, discusses the resurgence of theological considerations in Biblical studies of the 21st century.
The field of New Testament has become complex—no, compound complex—and lively conversations about the meaning of these ancient texts abound. Amidst all of this complexity, an ancient and central concern associated with reading the Bible has resurfaced. Where once [in the decades at the end of the 20th century] theological concerns were muted to a secondary hermeneutical level, or assigned to the tasks of practical theologians, they now have returned to the business of New Testament interpretation with new insistence.
What next, then, for the study of the New Testament? New discoveries may well change the landscape in unexpected ways, but absent new data to analyze, scholars, particularly those who engage the text from the perspective of religious commitment, will continue to be concerned with the ways in which the New Testament affects the lives of those who read it today. Some challenges to that kind of theologically committed reading will mirror those that have surfaced in the last several decades. Conservative and reactionary moves within some religious communities, such as the shift toward fundamentalism within the Southern Baptist Convention of the late 20th century, or the general growth of evangelicalism that is a worldwide Christian phenomenon, will ensure that old issues of historical credibility and ethical relevance will continue to engage those who teach the New Testament in both religious and secular environments.
Scholars of the Biblical text approach the New Testament with a variety of different concerns, sometimes downplaying the theological meaning in order to draw out information about its writing or editing, cultural influences or historical context. In this excerpt from a volume of essays written in honor of Kent Richards, former executive director of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL),1 Harold W. Attridge, the Reverend Henry L. Slack Dean of Yale Divinity School and Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament, discusses the resurgence of theological considerations in Biblical studies of the 21st century. The field of New Testament has […]
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