1. What is exegesis and why is it necessary?

The Christian Bible possesses importance for believers and non-believers alike. Non-believers can study the bible for its historical significance. That is, like other ancient writings, the bible when understood merely as a piece of secular literature, allows the reader glimpses into ancient worlds. The secular reader can gain insights into such things as:  how stories were told in the various ancient worlds; what traditions where important in the different cultures encompassed in the writings; how communities defined religious concepts (the secular reader would approach this topic from an anthropological/sociological point-of-view); the histories of the cultures found within the writings, etc. For the believer, however, the Bible has even more significance. The Bible is the inspired word of God, given to the faith-community of believers, in order to help the reader grow in faith and in their knowledge of God. It is for the believer that this Web-Based-Training (WBT) is written. Many of us (believers) know that the Bible is important, but it is one thing to understand the importance and another to be able to grow in our understanding of the Bible. Exegesis is a tool all believers can use in order to grow in understanding of the various texts within the Bible and of the various passages within each text.

Consider the very first book of the Bible, i.e. Genesis. Why are there two different creation stories? Many have claimed that Moses himself wrote the Torah (the first five books of the Shared Testament). Is it possible that within inspired works multiple authorship occurred? Will our understanding of the text (in this case the creation stories as found within Genesis) be impacted if we assume multiple authorship? Within the New Testament, why do three of the gospels seem somewhat similar to each other (Mark, Matthew, and Luke) and yet the Gospel of John seems so different? If they are all inspired, then should they be more similar? Even within the so-called synoptic gospels (Mark, Matthew, and Luke - synoptic is from the Greek meaning loosely "seen with the same eye"), some of the parables and descriptions of the events within the life of Jesus and  other historical events as addressed within the texts are treated differently, e.g.  some miracle accounts are given in some texts yet not in other texts; why does Jesus within the Gospel of Mark constantly demand that his performed miracles be kept a secret yet Jesus within the other Gospels does not demand that his miracles be kept secret, etc.  Perhaps one of the most pointed comments I can make in defense of the need for an increase in exegesis is in the allusion to the use of the phrase "the Jews" within the Gospel of John. For centuries, that gospel was used as the intellectual grounding for anti-semitism by the community of believers - both Catholic and Protestant alike. Does the meaning of a passage change when we withdraw that passage from its textual and historical context? Within the writings of John, were the gospel writer/writers, vis.  the inspired word of God, really advocating hatred? We can find answers to all of the above questions through the tool of exegesis. The answers we will receive are compatible with our faith and with our view of the Bible as "inspired."

Even for those believer who has a developed understanding of the Bible, exegesis can be a useful tool in uncovering new layers of meaning. The Bible is a wonderfully subtle and living document ( I would use the adjective "incarnate" when describing the Bible!). The Bible is able to provide us with guidance and unexpected messages of hope, strength, and compassion if we open our hearts and minds to the texts and to new tools used in interacting with the texts. Attempting to understand texts and passages, therefore, from the vantages that secular readers would employ is not a destructive action but an incredibly useful way to embrace even more layers of meaning.

In order for the post-modern reader to reap these advantages, however, we must step across time and attempt to interact with texts that are from different periods, different cultures, and were written in different languages. Perhaps the most significant hurdle we most overcome in order to engage these aforementioned layers of meaning is the so-called "third-party perspective" gap. (Hayes & Holladay, 8) Have you ever read a document  in which you were not the intended audience? It seems that the closer we are to the date when the letter was written and the closer we are to the writer and intended audience  (both in time and in culture) then the easier it is for us to understand that document. But the writer and the intended recipient can have a history of which we are not aware. They may allude to incidents of which we have no knowledge.  If the document  were written in a different language then understanding the document would require translation. If we did not speak the language used in the document then we would be at the mercy of a translator's understanding of the language. Further, the customs of the "old country"  could be very foreign to the third-party reader. Thus, not being a part of the original communication, and being a third-party to the communication, renders understanding difficult but not impossible. Successful exegesis rests upon a sensativity concerning the distance between us, the post-modern reader, and the ancient texts of the Bible.

 

2. A brief timeline of the history of exegesis.
(taken from pp. 18 - 22)

THE EARLY CHURCH THROUGH THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD	REFORMATION THROUGH THE ENLIGHTENMENT	MODERNITY THROUGH POST-MODERNITY
1st - 2nd centuries: The early churches believed that both their faith and their practices were identical to that of the teachings of the Bible 3rd - 4th centuries: Augustine looked for the hidden or  "figurative" meaning in scripture 11th century and forward: Exegesis consisted in reading out the following 4 levels from a text: a. the literal; b. the spiritual; c. the moral; d. the anagogical/eschatological	Reformation: Because of technological advances the Bible is more readily available and is available in the language of the reader. Exegetes attempted to understand the texts on their own terms (rather than in accordance with the opinions of previous thinkers and establishments). Diversity in understanding and diversity in faith-communities follows. Enlightenment: Reliance on reason alone and secular learning becomes central in exegesis. Historical and cultural criticism becomes possible.	Modernity: The Bible is studied as any other ancient text would be studied. Exegesis as we now understand the term is born. Protestant biblical scholarship develops and/or applies many forms of literary criticism to the study of the Bible. Catholic biblical studies follows suit in the 1930s. Post-Modernity: Although post-modern anything defies definition, the main point of post-modern biblical criticism seems to be the application of the meaning to the reader. That is, the reader and not the message becomes central. Issues like deconstructing the text in order to get at the real meaning or allowing the subjective experience to transform the reader become central.