The Clarity of Scripture
History, Theology, & Contemporary Literary Studies
- Biblical Studies & Commentaries
- Theology
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Published: 2020
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Publisher's Description
IS SCRIPTURE CLEAR? IF IT IS, WHY DO PORTIONS OF IT SEEM SO OBSCURE? IF IT ISN'T, WHY HAVE THEOLOGIANS SPENT SO MUCH TIME DEFENDING THE NOTION OF ITS CLARITY? AND MORE IMPORTANT, ARE CHRISTIANS ENGAGED IN A FUTILE EFFORT IN TRYING TO READ AND UNDERSTAND IT? JAMES CALLAHAN OFFERS VALUABLE INSIGHT INTO THE COMPLEX NOTION of biblical perspicuity. He sets the issues within the history of the church and traces how the Bible's clarity has been understood practically and theologically over time. With precision and care he clarifies the role of historical context, authorial intent and reader response in a constructive articulation of how we come to understand Scripture's meaning. Contemporary literary studies inform his discussion and suggest the importance of intertextuality and intratextuality in the reading of Scripture. Ultimately, Callahan argues, Scripture must be viewed as a privileged text within a privileged community. Nevertheless, it must be read, not arrogantly, but with humility under the searching glance of the God who caused it to be written.
Endorsements (2)
“A new statement on biblical clarity that merits careful study.”
“Anyone who desires to understand current debates concerning how Scripture is read is indebted to James Callahan for this remarkable book, which at once combines extraordinary erudition with equally extraordinary common sense. I hope this book will be widely read, as Callahan has avoided the pitfalls so often associated with these discussions and has brought remarkable clarity to the question of the clarity of Scripture.”
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