LECTURE 2

METHODS IN THE STUDY AND INTERPRETATION OF SACRED SCRIPTURES

Introduction
In the previous lecture we learnt what is meant by the term ‘scripture’, the development
of the concept of scripture, why it is problematic to define the concept of scripture and
some of the main functional roles of scripture in world religions.

In this lecture, you will advance your learning on Scriptures of World Religions by
specifically focusing on the methods in the study and interpretation of religious
scriptures. Basically, the lecture will give an exposition of the principle approaches in
the study and interpretation of scripture. It will also show the difference between
interpretation and translation of scripture.

Objectives
After reading through these notes you should be able to:
1. Possess adequate understanding of the different approaches to the study and
interpretation of sacred texts.
2. Explain the difference between the scientific and confessional approaches to the
study and interpretation of sacred texts.
3. Explain the difference between interpretation and translation of scripture.

Methods in the Study and Interpretation of Scripture

To begin with, it can be stated that the interpretation of sacred texts includes a number
of approaches. However, despite there being a number of approaches in interpretation
of sacred texts generally, there are two principle approaches in the study or
interpretation of sacred texts. These are the Scientific and Confessional approaches
respectively.

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The scientific approach can also be referred to as the academic or scholarly approach
whereas the confessional approach can also be referred to as the theological approach.
The Scientific/Scholarly Approach
This approach recognises the diversity of traditions in which scriptures are composed.
Hence, this is a very satisfactory approach. This recognition of the diversity of traditions
where scriptures are composed helps to avoid misinterpretation of the text. The
scientific/scholarly approach also acknowledges the complexity of the context and
composition of sacred texts.

The aim of studying religion scientifically or in a scholarly manner is not to become

religious or deepen one’s faith. Instead the aim is to be critical in our pursuit for the
truth. In a scientific/scholarly approach to the study of scripture, people need to do away
with a notoriously dogmatic and narrow minded approach to the study of scriptures.

In the scientific/scholarly approach to the study of scripture any pre-conceived ideas

should be suspended in order to have a balanced judgement of exactly what a piece of
scripture is saying. Scholars argue that religious commitment negates open academic
enquiries of religious texts. This is because believers blindly accept as true the very
assertions that a critical scholarly study is obliged to test.

The Confessional/Theological Approach

The confessional or theological approach is basically a religious approach to the study
of scriptures. Usually a religious approach uses a literal approach where scriptures are
interpreted absolutely literally. This is sometimes referred to as absolute interpretation.
This approach fails to recognise the diversity of traditions and is thus unsatisfactory,
often misinterpreting the text.

As pointed out earlier, the confessional approach is also referred to as the theological
approach. The question here therefore is ‘what is theology?’ In its simple terms,
theology entails the study of God or the holy. It can also be viewed as an intellectual
defence of any religious belief system. Usually the aim in theology is to analyse and

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interpret the religious beliefs of a particular religion. The principle aim in theology is to
defend the orthodox beliefs and practices of a particular religion. Finally, one of the
fundamental aspects worth noting about theology is that it is transformational as well as
informational. Theology is transformational in the sense that after theological studies of
a particular religion (e.g. Christianity, Islam, Confucianism etc.) there is a high chance
for the theologian to be transformed or converted. It is informational in the sense that
as one studies a particular religion theologically, one is likely to be more knowledgeable
about that religion than before.

Important Aspects to Consider under the Scientific Approach

In this course (RES 3020) you will not follow the path of the confessional approach.
Instead, you will approach the scriptures from an academic perspective (scientific or
scholarly perspective). This is partly because your context of scriptural analysis is
academic or scholarly and not religious. The other reason is that you are a teacher (an
academician or scholar) and not a pastor or a priest etc.

a. The Four Rules of Interpretation

As pointed out earlier in this unit, the academic approach acknowledges the complexity
of the context and composition of sacred texts. When this is done, there are a number
of rules which help one’s interpretation. The following are the rules that one needs to
follow in interpreting scriptures under the scientific approach;

 Textual criticism: under this rule one establishes that the text is the most
original – that it has not been altered.

 Source criticism: under this rule one tries to find the source of the writing in
question. For instance, as Matthew and Luke follow much of Marks’s Gospel,
Mark is considered to be the source.

 Form criticism: this is examination of the kind of writing used. The interpreter
tries to find out if the text being interpreted is poetic, story, doctrinal, apocalyptic,

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 hymn, mythical etc. In other words, under this rule the interpreter tries to
establish the kind of literally device or literary genre used in the piece of text
being scrutinised.

 Reduction criticism: under this rule the interpreter’s intention is to find-out

whether the text being interpreted was edited for specific purposes over its
history.

b. The Human Sciences

Moving away from the four rules of interpretation in the scientific or academic approach
it is also important to mention here that human sciences also play an important role in
interpreting or understanding texts. The human sciences also fall under the scientific
approach to the study and interpretation of sacred scriptures. Human sciences are also
a category that can be used to interpret texts within the academic approach. Among the
helpful human sciences are sciences such as Psychology, sociology and anthropology.
In terms of Psychology, it is evident that when the interpreter acquaints himself/herself
with the religious thought patterns of a people, he/she is much more likely to make
accurate interpretations of their sacred scriptures. In terms of sociology, the premise of
the argument is that the interpreter needs to be knowledgeable about the society from
which the scripture being interpreted originates. This enables the interpreter to fully the
religion of the society as it is a cardinal aspect of the culture of the society. This
background social information enhances the interpreter to make an accurate
interpretation of scripture. Finally, in terms of anthropology the focus is on the culture
from which the scripture under analysis/exegesis originates from as knowledge of such
helps the interpreter to make an accurate interpretation of scripture.

c. Contemporary Movements
Other aspects under the scientific approach to the study and interpretation of sacred
scriptures worth mentioning are Contemporary movements like liberation theology and
feminism. This is because they also provide new perspectives for approaching sacred
texts in a scientific manner.

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 d. Phenomenology
Still under the academic approach is yet another important scientific approach known
as phenomenology. What is phenomenology? Different scholars have perceived
phenomenology from different perspectives. However, it is important to note that in this
course, our operational definition will be the definition provided by Edmund Husserl.
Husserl was a German philosopher who lived from 1859-1938.

Husserl defined phenomenology as “a descriptive theory which begins from within the
person, the subject and seeks to move outside the person into an objective description
of the world” (Kramer, 1986). Moreover, a twentieth century French phenomenologist by
the name of Merleau Ponty described phenomenology as ‘a style of thinking’.

Phenomenology helps to describe the true nature of reality. It also provides an ideal
method for knowing or investigating phenomena. In other words, phenomenology is an
effort to describe the actual state of affairs as portrayed by the phenomena of the world.
Phenomena can be anything inclusive of religious sacred scriptures.

In phenomenology one comes to the phenomena under scrutiny with an open-mind

ready to accept phenomena exactly the way they present themselves. Open
mindedness entails the interpreter avoiding all sorts of assumptions and
presuppositions when approaching phenomena.

It is also important to state that a phenomenologist needs to be critical in his/her pursuit

for the truth. The truth being exactly how phenomena present themselves, nothing more
or less. In other words, the phenomenologist should not put there (into the phenomena)
what is not there. Instead, he/she needs to allow the phenomena to speak for
themselves. Therefore, in phenomenology the principle aim is to arrive at an objective
description of phenomena. The point is to understand that which is manifested from the
phenomena.

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Some Key Activities in Phenomenology
 EPOCHE (meaning to stop or hold back)
Here the phenomenologist needs to suspend or bracket all preconceived ideas,
beliefs and biases etc.

Bracketing or suspending all the preconceived ideas or assumptions enables the

phenomenologist to allow the pure phenomena to speak for themselves. For
example, a Christian studying African Traditional Religion (ATR) has to bracket
out the Christian influence in order to look at ATR as it is and not with Christian
lenses.

 EIDETIC INTUITION
Here the phenomenologist seeks to discover the essential structures of the
phenomena under scrutiny.

The eidetic intuition enables the observer to discover the true meaning of the
phenomena.

It is important to state that the combination of the two key activities of ‘epoche’ and
‘eidetic intuition’ helps to arrive at an objective picture of the phenomena being studied.

By engaging in the activity of ‘epoche’, the observer calls into question his/her own
presuppositions, unchallenged assumptions and biases. This also helps the observer to
question any prior-judgments about what is true or false. This enables the observer to
have a more complete understanding of reality.

The Three Basic Steps in the Application of Phenomenology

a) NAMING OF OBJECTS

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In studying phenomena (or scriptures in this case), the observer perceives a variety of
things. These different things need to be named in order to distinguish them from one
another.

b) NOTING RELATIONS
Apart from naming the objects of the phenomena, the observer also needs to
understand the relations between them. These relations can range from simple to
complex.

The building of relations between the named objects helps us to arrive at the true reality
of things based on the observations of the phenomena themselves.

c) DESCRIBING PROCESSES
Here the observer describes processes within the phenomena. These include
processes of development as in when for instance one sees a plant grow in response to
proper amounts of sunlight and water. An example can also be drawn from the world of
history in that process in history can be observed as each event creates or influences
later events. Under psychological processes we see that people go through stages from
fear, anger and finally remorse.

e. Hermeneutics
This is the theory and practice of interpretation. Hermeneutics is the art and science of
biblical interpretation. It is art because it calls for nuance and craft. It is a science
because it demands technique and skill. There are accepted academic rules to follow
that protect students from falling into the subjective trap of saying, "It seems to me.…"

During the Reformation hermeneutics came into being as a special discipline concerned
with biblical criticism. The Protestant theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher expanded the
discipline from one concerned with removing obstacles preventing readers from gaining

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the proper understanding of a text to one concerned with analyzing the necessary
conditions needed for readers coming to a proper understanding of a text.

The philosopher Wilhelm Dilthey expanded the discipline still further by conceiving of
the entire human and social sciences as hermeneutical enterprises and trying to
construct a method uniquely for them, instead of borrowing one from the natural
sciences. In the 20th century hermeneutics has been developed by the philosophers
Hans-Georg Gadamer and Paul Ricoeur.

Interpretation and Translation of Scripture

According to the Collins English Dictionary (2006:286) the word ‘interpret’ entails “to
explain the meaning of something” or “to translate orally from one language to another”.
On the other hand the word ‘translate’ entails to turn from one language into another
(Ibid: 580).

Therefore the word ‘interpret’ basically concerns explaining the meaning of something
and to a less extent means to translate but only orally from one language to another. On
the other hand, the word ‘translate’ implies to turn (change) from one language into
another.

To interpret scripture means to explain the true meaning of scripture whereas to

translate scripture is to turn or change scripture from one language to another. For
instance changing a Bible written in Tonga to Ichibemba.

Attitudes of Some World Religions on Translation of Scripture

Many religious traditions do not support the idea of translating their scriptures for fear of
distorting their actual inspired meaning. Because of this, most religious traditions want
their religious texts to remain in their original forms. They want their religious texts to
retain their actual inspired meaning. Therefore translation of scripture from the original
text to something else is usually a discouraged idea altogether.

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The following are religious traditions that have preserved their religious texts in their
original forms;

 Hinduism- the Vedic scriptures of Hinduism cannot be translated because it is

unheard of to subject them to translation.

 Judaism- the Jews have retained their original Hebrew text for a very long period
of time.

It is important to mention at this point that although most world religious traditions resist
translation owing to the fear that the inspired text can lose its original meaning,
nowadays, they accept translation equally regarding it as divinely inspired.
Interpretation of Scripture
As pointed out earlier in the unit, to ‘interpret’ is to explain the meaning of something.
Since here the topic is ‘scripture’ to interpret scriptures entails to explain the true
meaning of scripture.

It is important to note that every text that achieves scriptural status in any religious
community elicits extensive popular and scholarly exegesis. Scholarly scriptural
exegesis involves an extensive study of the contents of scripture. Scriptural exegesis is
important because it helps to show the communities relationship to its sacred book or
scriptures.

Interpretation has two main functions. Firstly, Interpretation provides a bridge between
the text and its application to life. Secondly, it provides a bridge between a text and the
original context in which it was written.
Exercise
1. Explain the difference between the scientific and confessional approaches to the
study and interpretation of sacred scriptures.
2. State and explain some techniques an interpreter of scriptures can use to make an
accurate interpretation of scripture under the scientific approach.

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Lecture Summary
This lecture outlined and discussed the methods in the study and interpretation of
scripture. It was mentioned that there are many approaches to the study and
interpretation of scripture but the two (2) approaches were the scientific and
confessional approaches. It was stated that the confessional approach is usually used
by religious adherents whose main preoccupation is to interpret texts or scripture
absolutely literally. It was also pointed out that the confessional approach fails to
recognise the diversity of traditions in which scriptures are composed and thus was
unsatisfactory, often misinterpreting the text. The scientific/academic approach
acknowledges the complexity of the context and composition of sacred texts making it
much more accurate vis-à-vis interpretation of sacred texts.

A number of aspects were raised in the unit regarding the techniques or tools of
analysis a scientific or scholarly interpreter of scriptures needs in order to make an
accurate interpretation of scripture. It worth stating here that it is such scientific
techniques or tools of analysis which help to differentiate the scientific approach from
the confessional approach to the study and interpretation of scripture.

References and suggested Readings

Cox, J.L. (1992) Expressing the Sacred: An Introduction to the Phenomenology of
Religion. Harare: University of Zimbabwe Publishers.
Crozier, J. et al (2006) Collins English Dictionary. Glasgow: HarperCollins
Muelle, K. (1985) The Hermeneutics Reader. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Kenneth, K. (1986) World Scriptures: An Introduction to Comparative Religions. New
Jersey: Paulist Press.
Gibbs, J. (2001). Techniques of Scriptural Analysis. Luton: Stevenson and Sons.

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