The Bible made impossible
Subtitle: why biblicism is not a truly evangelical reading of Scripture
By: Christian Smith
Publisher: Brazos
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Grand Rapids, Mich
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 234
ISBN-13: 9781587433030
Subjects: Evidences, authority; Evangelicalism; Bible; Hermeneutics
Description: Biblicism, an approach to the Bible common among some American evangelicals, emphasizes together the Bible's exclusive authority, infallibility, clarity, self-sufficiency, internal consistency, self-evident meaning, and universal applicability. Sociologist Christian Smith argues that this approach is misguided and unable to live up to its own claims. If evangelical biblicism worked as its proponents say it should, there would not be the vast variety of interpretive differences that biblicists themselves reach when they actually read and interpret the Bible. Smith describes the assumptions, beliefs, and practices of evangelical biblicism and sets it in historical, sociological, and philosophical context. He explains why it is an impossible approach to the Bible as an authority and provides constructive alternative approaches to help evangelicals be more honest and faithful in reading the Bible.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 179-211) and index.
Table of contents: title: Biblicism and the problem of pervasive interpretive pluralism; title: The extent and source of pervasive interpretive pluralism; title: Some relevant history, sociology, and psychology; title: Subsidiary problems with biblicism; title: The Christocentric hermeneutical key; title: Accepting complexity and ambiguity; title: Rethinking human knowledge, authority, and understanding.