What is Your Hermeneutic Perspective?

It is a shame that the name for the study of how we read and understand a text is so difficult: hermeneutics. I can imagine anyone’s first encounter with the word, trying to use phonetics to pronounce it, then deciding to watch TV instead. If you want a definition I think the one in Wikipedia is a good start.

Rather than trying to explain it in great detail, I suggest you take a short twenty question Hermeneutic Quiz, sponsored by Christianity Today and Leadership Journal. This quiz will let you experience the range of decisions that people make, rather than try to think it all through. As you take the test, you may wonder why the questions are worded the way they are and if there is something you are missing. Just go ahead, and answer with what seems to make sense to you

There is nothing neutral and accurately quantifiable about the quiz. The questions clearly reflect the bias of the person developing it, and reflect one view of the issues of interpretation. It is thought provoking and may open your eyes to what choices you make as you encounter the more difficult passages of the Bible.

Try it and let me know how you scored, and what you learned in the process.

Let me note that several members of my family have taken it, and the scores ranged from a conservative 49 to mine as the most progressive at 83. Several of the test takers noted that the categories of conservative or progressive for some of the questions seemed strange, and that they were surprised with their ranking.

More importantly, a family as diverse as mine on this scale of biblical hermeneutics still comes together as a family, laughing and crying together, knowing our common bond. We have had our clashes and struggles over the years, but we never called each other names or questioned each other’s Christianity. We are all active in the ministry of our various churches, and know that each one is living a life of faith true to that person’s understanding of the Bible. Someday I hope to be able to say that about my Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion.