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Hermeneutical Spiral: The concept of the hermeneutic spiral was popularized by

Grant R. Osborne (1942-2018; American Theologian and New
Testament scholar). The hermeneutical spiral serves as a response to
hermeneutical circle in which the reader can never understand the true meaning
nor intent of the author. According to this hermeneutical tool, Biblical
interpretation entails a “spiral” from text to context, from original meaning to
significance for today’s church. The hermeneutical enterprise has three levels: 1)
what it meant (exegesis), 2) what it means for me (devotional), and 3) how to
share what it means to me (sermonic). The reader traverses back and forth down
various pathways during the three processes as he or she navigates personal
viewpoint or understanding with text, context and experience to acquire a
scripturally coherent message. The text, context and experience must align with
biblical truth.
The sacred author’s intended meaning is the critical starting-point, but not an end
in itself. The task of hermeneutics must begin with exegesis, but is not complete
until one notes the contextualization of that meaning for today. As one wrestles
with biblical interpretation, he/she is spiralling nearer and nearer to the text’s
intended meaning for contemporary significance.

Compare and Contrast Between Hermeneutic Circle and Hermeneutic

Spiral
HERMENEUTIC CIRCLE HERMENEUTIC SPIRAL
Martin Heidegger and Hans-Georg Grant R. Osborne
Gadamer
The key insight upon which the The key insight upon which the
hermeneutical circle is based is the hermeneutical circle is based on the
understanding that meaning is holistic. It understanding that Biblical interpretation
means that meaning is determined by the entails a “spiral” from text to context, from
whole as the whole not by the parts original meaning to significance for today’s
individually. In fact, the parts do not even church.
really have meanings if they are not part of
the whole. Smaller units of meaning have
their meaning only by virtue of being part of
a larger unit of meaning. And of course, those
large units have their meaning only by virtue
of the smaller parts of which they do in fact
consist.
Definition: The hermeneutical circle is a Definition: The hermeneutical spiral is a
process of interpretation in which we process of interpretation in which
continually move between smaller (a word in interpretation is done in a spiral movement
a verse, a verse, etc) and larger units (a from text to context--a movement between

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passage or a chapter or a book) of meaning in the horizon of the text and the horizon of the
order to determine the meaning of both.
The hermeneutic circle in a nutshell: To
understand the parts (e.g., a verse of the
Bible), you look to the whole (the entire
Bible); to understand the whole (Bible), you
look to the parts (verse, passage, chapter,
book, etc).
reader that spirals nearer and nearer toward
the intended meaning of the text and its
significance for today.
The hermeneutic spiral in a nutshell: The
hermeneutical enterprise begins with
exegesis, but is not complete until one notes
the contextualization of that meaning for
today. As one wrestles with biblical
interpretation, he/she is spiralling nearer and
nearer to the text’s intended meaning for
contemporary significance.