Phenomenologies of Scripture

Phenomenologies of Scripture addresses two increasingly convergent disciplines: philosophy and biblical studies. On the one hand, the recent “theological turn” in phenomenology has established religion as a legitimate area of phenomenological inquiry. If that turn is to be enduringly successful, phenomenology must pay attention to the scriptures on which religious life, practice, and thought are based. On the other hand, biblical studies finds itself in a methodological morass. Contemporary approaches to scripture have raised important questions about the meaning and function of scriptural texts that phenomenology is uniquely positioned to answer: How is the meaning of a text constructed or gleaned? How can the divine be present in human words? Is a scientific approach to the Bible still possible? Bringing together essays by eight of today’s most prominent philosophers of religion with responses by two leading biblical scholars, Phenomenologies of Scripture reestablishes the possibility of fruitful, dialectical exchange between fields that demand to be read together. Cover 1 Phenomenologies of Scripture 2 Title 6 Copyright 7 Contents 8 Biblical Criticism and the Phenomenology of Scripture 12 God’s Word and Human Speech 31 Sketch of a Phenomenological Concept of Sacrifice 55 To Exist without Enemies 76 The Manifestation of the Father: On Luke 15:11–32 99 Phenomenology as Lectio Divina: Jesus and the Woman Caught in Adultery 125 Split Interpretations of a Split I: Romans 7:7–25 136 Love and Law according to Paul and Some Philosophers 155 The Affects of Unity: Ephesians 4:1–4 170 Response: Dwelling in the Thickness 190 Response: Interpretation and Agency 200 Acknowledgments 210 List of Contributors 212 Index 216