Theological Hermeneutics of the Language of Faith Cover Image

Teologiczna hermeneutyka języka wiary
Theological Hermeneutics of the Language of Faith

Author(s): Krzysztof Góźdź
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, Theology and Religion, Systematic Theology
Published by: Towarzystwo Naukowe KUL & Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II
Keywords: religious language; theological hermeneutics of the language of faith; religious language studies; „Interpretandum”; „Interpretans”; A. Grabner- Haider

Summary/Abstract: The theological hermeneutics of the language of faith proposed by A. Grabner-Haider is a theological method of explaining, understanding and interpreting the entirety of the language of faith. This Austrian methodologist of religion distinguishes in a programmatic way between the scientific and the pre-scientific, pragmatic type of interpretation and argumentation. Grabner-Haider is exactly right in observing that this primary divide leads to another one: between two canonical logical languages (Orthosprache). The former is the canonical language of an interpreter, which is used indirectly to talk about the subject matter of the text, while the latter is the canonical language of the transposed text. Both these languages can interact by reciprocal corrections, critical approaches and modifications. It is possible to move past the canonical language of the text’s author towards the canonical language of its interpreter. In this case, the canonical language of the author can be labelled “Interpretandum.” This means the text that is subject to interpretation, understanding or translation. The canonical language of the interpreter, on the other hand, can be labelled “Interpretans,” that is the one utilized for interpretation, understanding or translation. Consequently, it makes sense to believe that theology allows space for hermeneutics proper. The scientific type of hermeneutics, which as such assumes a need for language analysis, marks a passage from the canonical language of the analysed text to the canonical language of the interpreter. One can also say that scientific hermeneutics is a kind of understanding of a systematically ordered text via a systematically ordered language.

  • Issue Year: 65/2018
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 29-46
  • Page Count: 18
  • Language: Polish