Constructive biblical hermeneutics: history and its afterlife
Files
Accepted manuscript
Date
2020-10-29
DOI
Authors
Rambo, Shelly
Version
Accepted manuscript
Embargo Date
2021-05-29
OA Version
Citation
Shelly Rambo. 2020. "Constructive Biblical Hermeneutics: History and its Afterlife." What is Constructive Theology: Histories Methodologies, and Perspectives. pp. 103 - 122.
Abstract
Constructive theologians wrestle with the Bible’s authority in the life of faith and in their own work. While holding onto a central role for the Bible as a source for theology, they embrace the complexities of biblical interpretation, particularly attentive to the violence and exclusions such interpretations can yield. This article maps the history of constructive theological work with biblical texts in three modes—authority, liberation, and testimony. I suggest that there is a need for constructive theologians to register the ongoing presence of biblical authority with its decreasing visibility. I posit that future work lies in acknowledging the Bible’s formational power, approaching it as a repository of body memories, and conceiving of interpretation as postmemory work.