By Gregory K. Hollifield
Since Schleiermacher, students of biblical hermeneutics have been aware of their need to account for the emotional dimension of their text. James I. Packer pointed out that "a genealogical line runs from Schleiermacher to the new hermeneutic." 9 Although a sharp critic of the new hermeneutic, Packer suggested that one of the few positive contributions of the philosophy has been to draw attention to the more dynamic elements of the biblical text. 10
Grant Osborne argued for the importance of an emotionally sensitive hermeneutic in his acclaimed textbook on hermeneutics. He wrote, "[W]e must also recognize the important place of emotive or expressive speech in the Bible. Certainly the emotional feeling within an epistle is an important aspect of its total meaning. In fact, it could be argued that the true meaning is lost without the portrayal of the emotions to guide the interpreter. There is no depth without the personal element, no grasp or feel for a passage without the underlying tone. This is especially essential for the preacher, who wants to lead first himself and then the congregation into the intensity of the text, to awaken those slumbering passions for God and his will that were so essential to early Christian experience but often have been set aside by the pressures of modern life." 11
Advertisement
Not all passages are suited to feel, of course, but many are. 12 Where does one look for the feelings of a text? How are emotions triggered by and developed within a biblical text?
Text Selection
The greater the affinity of the circumstances of the text to those of the contemporary audience, the greater the emotional response will be. Hearers with whom some element of the text resonates will need little inducement to listen and react. Conversely, a lack of personal connection places the text in an abstract realm. The preacher who perceives that his text fails to connect emotionally with his audience will likely attempt to develop a principle out of the text and then relate that to his hearers' situation.
Preachers should cultivate a sensitivity to the general emotional aura of their preaching texts. Those who skip from one text to another each week will have an easier time matching biblical texts to congregational concerns and feelings. Those who preach consecutively through an extended text week after week will need to dig deeper in order to connect emotionally the Bible and the audience.
Grammatical Construction
In passages such as 1 Corinthians 11 the author uses highly emotive language, words like "dishonor" (v. 5), "shame" (v. 6), and "contentious" (v. 16). 13 Paul made an unabashed play on Philemon's sense of pity in Philemon 9. Passages like these that wear their emotions on their sleeves indicate more clearly the mood in which they should be preached.
Historical Context