Sermoneutics
My wife is quite the theologian. She asked, "What do mean by ‘sermoneutics’?’. I laughed, but realized she was on to something. "Sermoneutics" establishes the aim of Scriptural interpretation in the proclamation of the living Christ. A sermon proclaims the Incarnate Christ as a call to discipleship. When hermeneutical study intersects with real, postmodern people outside the university, three issues are raised: struggle, authenticity, and mutual accountability.
The presuppositions for my study of the Scripture are both private and public. I am a Christian man and a called Minister of the Word. As a Christian I have claimed the Reality that Jesus Christ is the Incarnate Word and the Resurrected Presence of God in my daily life. My public vocation is particular to the parish. I have affirmed a role to lead others in discipleship. The work and prayer of Scriptural study must have purpose within our faith community and bear witness to our Claimed Reality. Grounded in my personal relationship with the Christ of Faith and as a called Minister of the Word, I am free to employ the various tools and strategies of biblical interpretation toward the end of proclaiming the Incarnate Christ.
That proclamation is challenged today. People want to know where this Christ encounters their daily struggle, yet they have no standard for truth. The historical critic operated with a suspicion of the biblical texts. Today the people operate with a suspicion of truth itself. Where do we begin our study when our exploration is without boundaries, our conversations are without limitations, and our reality is centered on the individual? This is the hermeneutical playing field. Real life with real struggles. Where is Jesus?
Jesus can be found in the encounter with other people. For the average postmodern person, experience is the test for reality and truth. In order to serve others, the study of Scripture must shape my personal life such that others see Jesus in me. It is a matter of authentic discipleship. My life itself is the proclamation of Christ. The study of Scripture is a source of formation. This is a lived hermeneutic. In a cluttered, untrustworthy world, people need authenticity. The interpretation of Scripture must have enough significance and importance for the present that it shapes the way we live.
Having visited the context of the postmodern struggle and the role of individual authenticity as part of contemporary Scriptural interpretation and proclamation, it is necessary to firmly root "sermoneutics" in the accountability of community. This community is local, timeless, and international. Study of the Scriptures devoid of the Liturgy loses richness. A search for the Creator without the voice of all created people is incomplete. Meaning derived by the individual alone may go unsharpened. John Levison & Priscilla Pope-Levison write,
"…Deepest insight and relevance lie neither in the original meaning of the Bible alone nor in the contemporary context but in the to-and-fro of question and answer between them…This model is that of conversation" (p.330).
Conversations with openness, honesty, and respect for individuals appeal to postmodern tendencies. These conversations help interpret the Christian experience. Each local community has a unique conversation. Couple that conversation with the timeless Church and the dialogue becomes multi-dimensional and mysterious. Yet, our conversation still is limited if we do not affirm the present reality of a global market of thought and interpretation. The mystery of Christ’s Gospel is claimed and appreciated uniquely by every nation and tradition. Together we explore the Scriptures, revealing the intricacies of a God we cannot fully comprehend. Such accountability protects the possibilities of reading and applying the texts.
"Sermoneutics" will not cut the mustard for most academics. However, I am primarily responsible for discipling people who are not academics. My postmodern struggle is to find meaning for academic Scriptural interpretation in my personal and professional life. I must somehow translate a Bobertz lecture into sustenance for a widow, a 3M executive, a single mother, an adolescent with ADD, or a child in worship. The bridge between Scripture and people is often me. I study the Scriptures to become an authentic disciple and a trustworthy figure with whom people encounter Jesus. Under this burden and with this joy, I embrace the accountability that comes from the many possibilities of interpretation. Together we proclaim and embody the living Christ who is transforming, reconciling, and redeeming life in this world to himself.