Modern Technology and Biblical Interpretation
The title ‘modern technology and biblical interpretation,’ literary means what it says. ‘Modern technology’ means the digital media available in the twenty-first century, including hypertext, links, frames, multimedia etc. The term ‘biblical interpretation’ on the other hand means the process in trying to reveal a meaning within a particular biblical passage. The title, however, raised questions like, what is the effect of modern technology has on our biblical interpretation? But after reading A. K. M. Adam’s article called ‘This is not a Bible: Dispelling the Mystique of Words for the Future of Biblical Interpretation’ in an edited book called "New Paradigms for Bible Study" edited by Robert M. Fowler, Edith Blumhofer, and Fernando F. Segovia, it got me thinking about whether modern technology can improve our biblical interpretation?
Adam talks about two propaedeutic recuperations in relation of biblical interpretation to cybermedia (or hypertext). The first is what he called ‘Demystifying the Word(s)’ where Adam explains that working with word(s) alone will not satisfy your needs in terms of interpretation. He stated that ‘a hermeneutics that works only for words is itself incomplete and insufficient’ (pg. 7). He also reminds us that we need to be aware of other medium like pictures, animations and videos then he ends this sub-topic by saying that ‘Pictures, animations and videos will not supplant words but they will become ever more prominent as supplement, as context’ (pg. 14). Although we cannot replace word(s) we still need to be aware of other medium of meanings.
The second is what Adam called ‘Relaxing hostility to allegory.’ Adam explains that new media is introduced and as a result new criteria are in need to learned. The old media for interpretation is the printed word(s), now, we are being introduced to modern technology and Adam is warning us that out of this new media we need to learn new criteria. Historical criticism is one of the criteria use to evaluate texts and interpretations. But what Adam is suggesting that:
The contributors to ancient and medieval theology found in allegorical interpretation a device for expounding the Bible in the light of what they understood to be its plain sense, its more refined theological sense, its moral import, and its adumbration of things to come … (not only that) but their practice of the quadriga did not permit them to make Scripture say whatever then wanted, but brought to their consciousness the pertinent constraints on the range of permissible meaning (pg. 17)
The criteria Adam is suggesting is allegorical interpretation and we need to learned it because it provides a guideline for interpretive imagination.
Adam talks about two propaedeutic recuperations in relation of biblical interpretation to cybermedia (or hypertext). The first is what he called ‘Demystifying the Word(s)’ where Adam explains that working with word(s) alone will not satisfy your needs in terms of interpretation. He stated that ‘a hermeneutics that works only for words is itself incomplete and insufficient’ (pg. 7). He also reminds us that we need to be aware of other medium like pictures, animations and videos then he ends this sub-topic by saying that ‘Pictures, animations and videos will not supplant words but they will become ever more prominent as supplement, as context’ (pg. 14). Although we cannot replace word(s) we still need to be aware of other medium of meanings.
The second is what Adam called ‘Relaxing hostility to allegory.’ Adam explains that new media is introduced and as a result new criteria are in need to learned. The old media for interpretation is the printed word(s), now, we are being introduced to modern technology and Adam is warning us that out of this new media we need to learn new criteria. Historical criticism is one of the criteria use to evaluate texts and interpretations. But what Adam is suggesting that:
The contributors to ancient and medieval theology found in allegorical interpretation a device for expounding the Bible in the light of what they understood to be its plain sense, its more refined theological sense, its moral import, and its adumbration of things to come … (not only that) but their practice of the quadriga did not permit them to make Scripture say whatever then wanted, but brought to their consciousness the pertinent constraints on the range of permissible meaning (pg. 17)
The criteria Adam is suggesting is allegorical interpretation and we need to learned it because it provides a guideline for interpretive imagination.
posted by sea at 11:51 AM
1 Comments:
I do like the idea of allegory as an aid to interpretive imagination. I think that many bible stories seen as allegory can provide really useful interpretative lenses for bringing them into current context - and reframing the story to give the moral. The wise and foolish virgins/maidens for example - it wasn't really about a mean group of girls who wouldnt share their oil was it - nor about a prissy lot of selfrighteous goodygoods was it! So allegory allows us to play with meanings.
As for Adams 'demystifying the words' type of thing - I do think we have to be careful that we don't demystify scripture so much it loses any sense of revelatory message or the sense that it is part of sacred text. Also, when animation and pictures come into it we tend to become passive whereas reading is active involvement.
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