From: Mark O'Brien (Mark_O'Brien@dts.edu)
Date: Wed Nov 29 1995 - 10:13:55 EST
Original message sent on Tue, Nov 28 6:33 PM by cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu (Carl
W. Conrad) :
>At 5:05 PM 11/28/95, Mark O'Brien wrote:
>>However, it strikes me that very few of us are able to approach the
>>exegesis of the text without some reference to our presuppositions
>>concerning the reliability or veracity of the text. I know that we
>>would like to let ourselves think that our exegesis fully drives our
>>theology, but I have a strong feeling that this is not reality! (Take, for
>>example, the recent discussion regarding 1Co 13.)
>This is unquestionably true, but it is another thing altogether to start
>talking about biblical inerrancy. Some of us hold to such a doctrine
>while others do not. To start a discussion on that topic is most likely
>to bring us to start flaming each other rather than helping each other
>out in matters where we CAN be helpful to each other. Theology
>cannot help but intrude into discussions of the Greek text, but it is
>the Greek text that is our primary focus, as was clearly indicated in
>the description of the list sent out to all of us, and I think it is only at
>great risk that we embark upon direct discussion of theological issues
>themselves. That sort of discussion--which focuses precisely on
>those issues upon which we disagree, and perhaps very intensely--is
>precisely what is most likely to disrupt the sort of community we
>have carefully tried to build on this list.
I agree entirely with your comments... I certainly have no desire to
see this become a theology list. I guess my basic comment was to
note that at some point our theological views of the text will impact
our exegesis and interpretation, but this is not something y'all don't
know already. (Perhaps I was just reminding myself!) Anyway, I
agree that there are other forums for dealing directly with these
types of theological questions. I appreciate your desire to see this
list profit through what we all have in common (a love of the Greek
text of the NT), rather than become a dull exchange of salvos centred
around what we disagree upon.
Mark O'Brien
Grad. student
Dallas Theological Seminary
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