Barth and hypertext
Ooops this post should come after "behind the text and in the text" my postings are in confused state- bear with me,
I finished the last post "behind the text and in the text by writing that "electronic hypertext has the capacity to confront authors with the ability to bring the text to life..." so let me continue...
Let's face it, the intellectual approach to past Biblical texts is inadequate for the digital culture we are in. And like it or not new information technologies are beginning to transform the way we do Bible.
So decided to cite Kirsten Abbot and offers her ways of bringing the text to life... in her article "Wrestling texts"
using hypertextual media these include;
* using a different kind of writing
* non sequential writings branches out and allows choices to the readers
* the writing structure needs to be easily navigable
* Writing on the screen needs to be concise and scannable
* Use of text bites and bullet points, rather than traditional academci style of building an argument.
* glossaries and explanations for beginners and technical discussions for more advanced students
* include sound and images etc...
* shows how to succesfully navigate complexities of genre, texts, and contexts.
doing electronic hypertext allows and requires alterations in organizing material, writing style, quality/quantity and accessibility of supporting material.
Not too overwhelming I hope, after all these changes show some features with major ideas in literary theory such as reader response, theory, post structuralism and deconstruction.
Before I post, I want to quickly touch on Karl Barth not for the reason he is probably the greatest theologian, well, at least the greatest Protestant theologian of the 20th century,), but because, I want to show briefly how his thinking in the 20th century continually seeks to be understood in the 21st century digital culture.
For Barth,
human language is the vehicle that God chose to be the unique
witness to God's revelation,"
"in the Bible we meet with human words written in human
speech and in these words God unveils Godself by veiling Godself i
n human language, therefore the Bible is a genuine witness."
Barth also says scripture takes primacy because rather than we reading it , it reads us...
If this is true then it means we are not involved, so this kind of "scripture reading" means the reader is forever standing on the outside.
But using electronic hypertext means we (author/reader) can become fully involved to interpret the text.
However, in both the Barth and hypertext cases the interpretation shows it is is on-going and taht it can detach itself from its authors making itself new realtionships.
In a way this tells us why the Bible is constantly exposed to the life of the Church as it continually seeks to be understood afresh and hence exposed and interpreted.
What electronic hypertext offers is a quantum leap into a strange new world within the Bible.
What hermenutics will it use?
Hermeneutic of trust? faith? suspicion? prophecy?
I finished the last post "behind the text and in the text by writing that "electronic hypertext has the capacity to confront authors with the ability to bring the text to life..." so let me continue...
Let's face it, the intellectual approach to past Biblical texts is inadequate for the digital culture we are in. And like it or not new information technologies are beginning to transform the way we do Bible.
So decided to cite Kirsten Abbot and offers her ways of bringing the text to life... in her article "Wrestling texts"
using hypertextual media these include;
* using a different kind of writing
* non sequential writings branches out and allows choices to the readers
* the writing structure needs to be easily navigable
* Writing on the screen needs to be concise and scannable
* Use of text bites and bullet points, rather than traditional academci style of building an argument.
* glossaries and explanations for beginners and technical discussions for more advanced students
* include sound and images etc...
* shows how to succesfully navigate complexities of genre, texts, and contexts.
doing electronic hypertext allows and requires alterations in organizing material, writing style, quality/quantity and accessibility of supporting material.
Not too overwhelming I hope, after all these changes show some features with major ideas in literary theory such as reader response, theory, post structuralism and deconstruction.
Before I post, I want to quickly touch on Karl Barth not for the reason he is probably the greatest theologian, well, at least the greatest Protestant theologian of the 20th century,), but because, I want to show briefly how his thinking in the 20th century continually seeks to be understood in the 21st century digital culture.
For Barth,
human language is the vehicle that God chose to be the unique
witness to God's revelation,"
"in the Bible we meet with human words written in human
speech and in these words God unveils Godself by veiling Godself i
n human language, therefore the Bible is a genuine witness."
Barth also says scripture takes primacy because rather than we reading it , it reads us...
If this is true then it means we are not involved, so this kind of "scripture reading" means the reader is forever standing on the outside.
But using electronic hypertext means we (author/reader) can become fully involved to interpret the text.
However, in both the Barth and hypertext cases the interpretation shows it is is on-going and taht it can detach itself from its authors making itself new realtionships.
In a way this tells us why the Bible is constantly exposed to the life of the Church as it continually seeks to be understood afresh and hence exposed and interpreted.
What electronic hypertext offers is a quantum leap into a strange new world within the Bible.
What hermenutics will it use?
Hermeneutic of trust? faith? suspicion? prophecy?
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