My former BUGB colleague Simon Perry has published a revised version of his doctoral thesis on theology and hermeneutics:
Resurrecting Interpretation: Technology, Hermeneutics, and the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Wipf and Stock, 2012)Hermeneutics is the work of Hermes, the Greek demigod, a messenger from the gods and from the dead. Simon Perry sets out to explore the contemporary face of Hermes through a reading of Jesus' parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). This parable has one distinguishing feature that marks it out from other ancient stories following the same basic storyline: that a visitor from the dead is not granted leave to return with a message to the land of the living. In order for Scripture to be heard, Hermes is not necessary.
Where does this leave the role of hermeneutics? Perry looks to philosophers, ethicists, and theologians for an answer.
I wrote an endorsement for the book, which I enjoyed reading and wrestling with:
"Simon Perry offers a sustained and strong account of the difference that the resurrection of Jesus Christ makes to theological hermeneutics. Biblical interpretation and the practice of discipleship, the world of the text and the real world of human striving and suffering, are inextricably linked in Perry's vision of the interpretative task. Elegantly structured and demanding both intellectually and existentially, Perry's work offers a new voice into the conversation about biblical interpretation today."
Other endorsements and details can be found here.
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