Hermeneutics and Homiletics: Introduction

In the spring of 2011, I took a Doctor of Ministry course at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School entitled, “Hermeneutics and Homiletics,” that is, the science and art of interpreting and preaching the Bible. One of the required course readings was Dennis Johnson’s fine work, Him We Proclaim: Preaching Christ from all the Scriptures. Part one of this book, and particularly chapter four, provides an overview of the history of hermeneutics and homiletics which both aided my understanding of the subject and exposed a significant gap in my knowledge.

Specifically, Johnson helped me to see how little I knew about the interpretation and proclamation of the Bible over the last twenty centuries, and how significant a bearing this history has on current issues and debates. Since my Doctor of Ministry concentration was preaching, I thought this gap unacceptable and thus requested an independent reading course which was eventually entitled, “Historical Survey of Hermeneutics and Homiletics.”

I set two objectives for the course. First, I aimed to develop a broad and general understanding of the history of the relationship between hermeneutics and homiletics in the Christian church. By God’s grace, I fulfilled this aim by reading a little over five-thousand pages of primary and secondary material, and by building a basic mental framework which is still in the process of being clarified, strengthened, and built out. Indeed, the course along with my continued studies since then have exposed more gaps in my knowledge than they have filled.

Second, I aimed to gain a basic familiarity with the relevant literature in and about each historical epoch. To some extent I achieved this aim via my reading and a couple of tools I began to develop then and am still working on now, namely, a summary chart of the most influential people in the history of hermeneutics and homiletics along with their primary works and a bibliography that includes the major works on the subject epoch by epoch.

Over the next several weeks, or perhaps even months, I plan to post my summary statements about the seven major epochs in the history of hermeneutics and homiletics, namely, (1) the Old and New Testament era, (2) the early church, (3) the early middle ages, (4) the late middle ages, (5) the Reformation, (6) early modernism, and (7) late modernism and postmodernism. I may also post my bibliography at some point along the way, however, it’s still so incomplete that I’m not sure how helpful it will be to others!

For now, please join me in celebrating the faithfulness of God in guiding his people for several millennia now in the skill and practice of interpreting and proclaiming his Word for the glory of his name, the upbuilding of his people, and the salvation of the nations! And join me in celebrating this eternal promise from the God who speaks: “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (I 55:10-11).