Can someone please explain the bible methods of interpretation please?

Question

Hi
Please could I have the meanings of interpreting the bible:
conservative
fundamentalist
literalist
liberal

Answer 1

Conservative: "If it is mentioned in church, it must be true."
Fundamentalist: "If it's obscure and goes against logic, it must be true."
Literalist: "It's not a metaphor, and it's all true."
Liberal: "We should take into account the customs and traditions of Biblical times in order to get an idea of what the story is trying to convey. We should try and apply the spirit of the verses to our life."

Answer 2

I don't want to over-answer when you might reject my initial statements anyway.. so I'll just give a starter answer.
"in essentials, unity; in doubtful matters, liberty; in all things, charity." -- Some things are part of the faith, and some have several acceptable and unacceptable answers and no authority has decided. Jesus is true God is part of the faith, whether pets go to heaven isn't (St Augustine thought they might).
Now 'authority' is the key. Pretend you are present for St Paul's preaching. You could say 'I accept and believe' because you have the authority to speak on this. Or 'I don't accept' -- what you couldn't do but many many do nowadays is say : Paul, yeah I buy that there is a judgement but I don't buy that Jesus will come again, and I buy that we are supposed to pray but I reject what you say about what is acceptable behavior, etc.
Faith is faith in something. It means dogma and it means a teaching authority instituted by Jesus. It means a Church. And I leave you with a thought: The Catholic Church says x is wrong and y is wrong. Baptists say x is right but y is wrong, and the AME church says they are both right. And another denomination agrees that x is wrong and y is wrong. -- They can't all be right. Who has authority.

Answer 3

Hermeneutics methodology

conservative- Most of the interpretation of Evangelical Protestants is based on their presuppositions of sola scriptura, sola fide and sola gratia which often results in eisegesis instead of exegesis. Evangelical conservatives use an allegorical approach to biblical understanding which in the early Church was called Judaism, while conservative Catholics strive to preserve the integrity of history and the natural sense of the Scriptural passage without Judaism.

Fundamentalist- They use a proof text methodology where they choose texts to suit their presuppositions translated in a painfully literal way with no regards to context, grammar, biblical culture or historical precepts. Often they deny and/or ignore the original language of Scriptures basing their beliefs on English translations instead of he original texts.


Literalist- this is a sub group of fundamentalists who usually interpret Scriptures based on a particular English translation such as the King James English translation only.

Liberal- A rejection of historical principals of interpretation being critical of the biblical texts and questioning accepted historical and cultural precepts. Interpretation tends to be allegorical to the point of losing the meaning of texts entirely searching for a more humanistic approach to morals and to the relationship of God to man. They have a fondness to a God who serves man rather than a approach of seeking how one can be more in God's will.

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

Answer 4

Hi yourself :-)

Regardless of what "theological position" taken - most biblical interpetors acknowledge that there are certain guidelines that help us determine the meaning of the passages. The difference isn't so much in the hermeneutics (methods of interpretation) but in the position regarding inspiration - the underlying premise that governs how a text is "seen" - which then governs how it is interpreted according to those guidelines.

Answer 5

conservative: if it's about money or state power, ignore it. If it's about sex, underline it. God's point in the Bible is that everything should stay the same always, except that destroying the environment is ok.

fundamentalist: the interpretation of a bible verse with the most inhumane consequences is always the right one.

don't really know about the other two.

Answer 6

If you know what those words mean then read the bible and you can figure out their interpretation. Do the thinking yourself don't expect us to do it for you.

Answer 7

Have you ever read Revelations? The words there are meaningless and so are the terms you want explained. Common sense is very uncommon but, if you have some, you already know that these are just terms for people to fight with.

Focus on the words of Christ. Forget the rest.

Answer 8

Yes.

Conservative: I'm right, you're wrong.
Fundamentalist: I'm right, you're wrong.
Literalist: I'm right, you're wrong.
Liberal: St. Ann Coulter is right, the liberals are wrong.

Answer 9

different denominations do different things..
even some are legalistic which i dislike alot..
conservative...no leeway
liberal is new age..