The thesis of this book is that the person and work of Jesus Christ provide not only the single focal point for proper hermeneutics but for all of reality. Therefore, an evangelical hermeneutic is gospel-driven in that it envisions Christ as the focal point of interpretation—not the theological idea of Christ, but Christ himself. Any hermeneutic that rejects, or otherwise forsakes, this central feature has ceased to be evangelical.
The fundamental issue in evangelical hermeneutics, then, is not technique but submission to Christ and his Word. This claim does not eschew the need for extra-biblical disciplines or evidences, but it makes these things secondary to the miracle of new birth that comes by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
In the light of this supposition, Goldsworthy devotes section two of his work to demonstrating the ease with which potential or real crises can occur in the life of the church when the Christological center is forgotten or forsaken. He surveys “the eclipse of the gospel” in eight different epochs or disciplines, for example, in the early church and in literary criticism. Although this section is by and large a treatment of secondary literature, it is a helpful and insightful summary of issues that impacted hermeneutics in times past and present.
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