Beyond Biblical Literalism and Inerrancy: Conservative Protestants and the Hermeneutic Interpretation of Scripture

Abstract

This study highlights the//mitations associated with sociolo~cal conceptualizations of "biblical literalism" and "biblical inerrancy," and proposes ah alternate theoretical model for illuminating conservative Protestant scriptural interpretaaons. In an effort to redress these conceptual limitations, I bring insights from the field of hermeneutics to bear on the literalism-inerrancy problem. Hermeneuticists maintain that a reader's Ÿ of a text may be explained (I) by examŸ the presuppositions (or "prejudices") which the reader brings to the text,.and (2) by evaluating the circular process by which a reader imparts meaning to the text ( i.e., the hermeneutic circle ). After outlining the contours of the hermeneutic model of textual interpretation, I apply this model to explain contradictory scriptural interpretations advanced by leading conservative Protestants conceming (I) the concept oŸ "submission" in conservative Christian marital relations, and (2) the tole of corporal punishment in conservative Protestant parenting ideology. I conclude by specifying avenues for future research. With the persistence of religious conservatism in the contemporary United States, social theorists, empirical researchers, theologians, and religious commentators alike have evinced an ongoing fascination with the nature and dynamics of conservative Protestant 1 scriptural interpretations (Jelen, Wilcox, and SmidtDirect corresponde.nce to ]ohn Bartkowski, Deparrment of Sociology, 336 Burdine Hall, The Universiry of Texas at Aman, Austin, Texas 78712-108. A previous version of das paper was presented at the I995 annual meetings of the Society for the Scientific Study of Relig, on, St. Louis, MO. I would like to thank Christopher EUison, Louis E. Fischer, ]oseph Forman, WiUiam Garrett, Joseph Tamney, and the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments on e~iier versions of das paper. However, I claim fuU responsibiliry for the anal~yses and interpretalions presented herein.

Evangelicals’ Sanctification of Marriage through the Metaphor of Jesus as a Husband

“…The text, reinterpreted through the lens of new experiences, takes on new meanings. In this way, a single text or phenomena is polysemous or capable of producing multiple interpretations [10]. These interpretations provide a lens for interpreting life experiences as well, and so interpretation of text and life experiences are continuous and reciprocating.…”

“…Evangelical authors consistently rely on the creation story and Christ-groom/Church-bride metaphor to discuss the meaning of marriage and proscribe behaviors, though interpretations are diverse. Analysis of Evangelical family manuals, commentators, and fiction reveal many gender ideologies based on the same scripture passages [10][11][12]. This variety of interpretations was even exemplified by the Promise Keepers, an evangelical men's movement popular in the 1990s [13].…”

“…Evangelical feminists tend to be more open to multiple interpretations that correspond to the beliefs and situation of the reader [15,18]. Hermeneutical processes of how Evangelicals interpret scripture have been used to study views on abusive marriages [32], gender negotiations [33], and Evangelical authors' approaches to wifely submission and corporal punishment [10].…”

“…are situated within the world of the person seeking to understand them. The individuals seeking to make meaning of any object bring with them presuppositions or "prejudices" based on former knowledge, experiences, and corresponding expectations [10,[29][30][31]. Furthermore, understanding is never complete or certain.…”

Abortion rhetoric in American news coverage of the human cloning debate

“…In general, these pro-science publications frame their news in a way that advocates for science and research without undue restrictions. "Christian fundamentalist" publications were selected based on whether they professed a commitment to the inerrancy of the Bible and its position as the fundamental source of all truth (Barr, 1978;Bartkowski, 1996;Lehmann, 1998 …”