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Would anyone please simply tell me what is "after" hermeneutics? In other words, I am wondering once a person has finished studying the area of hermeneutics, what is the second or upper level that comes after it?

ThaddeusB
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nima
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1 Answers1

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Hermeneutics is the science and art of interpretation. So "after" one studies the principles of how to interpret (of which there are varying philosophies about what these principles are, hence various hermeneutics), then comes the application of actually doing interpretation of texts.

One never really "finishes" learning about hermeneutics, and one never really "finishes" interpretation of the texts. They both tend to be ongoing processes in life for the serious student of Scripture.

Of course, we all actually tend to "do" interpretation long before we actually study the principles. As we learn language as children, we are learning how to "interpret" the words of others. Yet we are not studying the principles behind that process while we are 2-3 year old toddlers first learning to speak, or even young children in grade school. In fact, most people never actually study the principles of communication at all. Only those interested deeply in language itself, or specifically in understanding particular texts (such as the Bible), tend to think about and actually learn the principles behind communication.

The latter do so in order to be more precise in knowing what a text says, generally in a language not native to them (though hermeneutics can be applied to native language as well). Having studied the principles, and then applying them, allows for giving a better reason as to why a text should be understood one way versus perhaps another way.

So in life:

  1. People do interpretation first.
  2. Some people then study interpretation (herementuics) to understand what it is they have been doing.
  3. Then of those, some go back and do interpretation, with more precision and thought behind it.
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ScottS
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  • In terms of the Bible, there are related disciplines however, including (but not limited to): Theology, Biblical Studies, Archaeology, Textual Criticism, Biblical Greek and Biblical Hebrew. – James Shewey Nov 08 '15 at 00:35
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    @JamesShewey: Indeed, though none of those necessarily (nor in practice) come "after" studying hermeneutics. Often they are in conjunction with, but sometimes they are done apart from having studied how to interpret (whether for good or ill). – ScottS Nov 08 '15 at 00:38