Tag: hermeneutics
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Rejecting Infallibilism as a Hermeneutic
Psalm 145:8-9, 14-21 – 7/30/2026 The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. Psalm 145:14 (NRSVue) I often think about how I used to read the Bible, back when I was part of a culture and church community that believed that a literal interpretation of scripture was infallibly…
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We Know Nothing
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 – 7/26/2026 – The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost “Have you understood all [these parables about the kingdom of heaven]?” They answered, “Yes.” Matthew 13:51 (NRSVue) I laughed as I finished reading the Gospel for the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost. Jesus finishes telling a few brief, enigmatic parables about the kingdom of heaven…
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A Strange Deity
Isaiah 48:6-11 – 7/10/2026 For my name’s sake I defer my anger; for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, so that I may not cut you off. Isaiah 48:9 (NRSVue) The traditional understanding of the theistic God is that God is impassible. In other words, God is not affected by that…
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A Polyvocal Scripture
Jeremiah 18:1-11 – 7/1/2026 Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done? says the Lord. Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. Jeremiah 18:6 (NRSVue) Jeremiah’s words of prophecy indicate a God of will, a God…
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How Not to Read Scripture
Jeremiah 26:1-12 – 6/23/2026 It may be that they will listen and will turn from their evil way, that I may change my mind about the disaster that I intend to bring on them because of their evil doings. Jeremiah 26:3 (NRSVue) Though there are many ways to read scripture, some of those interpretive frameworks…
Dionysus on a Bike 