Under our resources I have posted a paper that is referenced in the 1st chapter of "Three Simple Rules." The paper is by Sondra Wheeler and is titled, "Wielding the Sword: John Wesley's Biblical Hermeneutics on Wealth." In this article she characterizes John Wesley as understanding the meaning of Scripture through its bearing on the people and communities with which he had direct interactions. She points out that his sermons and writings reflect the very real issues that people where presented with at the time he was writing, a time of profound economic change and crisis (see page 5). She discusses his attack on the rampant consumption that drives capitalist society (pp 5-6). Much of the anxiety and fear that people around the world are facing right now may have roots in placing trust in money instead of God (see p 11 in Wheelers' article, and Wesley's sermon 87 "On Riches". So, Wheeler asks some pretty compelling questions (pp 17-18):
* What resources does the thought and practice of our faith bring to the runaway train of rising consumption in the West?
* Given the "world of continuous distraction" in which we live, Do we even recognize an inner life? Have we rendered ourselves effectively deaf to...the inward promptings of the Holy Spirit?
* Are we prepared to read the Bible to and for our own society (as Wesley did for his), prepared to reclaim its insistence that the one who loses his/her life will save it? This also is relevant to this Sunday (March 8's) lectionary Gospel reading, Mark 8:31-38.
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Hermeneutics:
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Biblical hermeneutics is the study of the principles of interpretation concerning the books of the Bible. It is part of the more broad field of hermeneutics which involves not just the study of principles for the text, but includes all forms of communication: verbal, nonverbal and written
Thanks for including this definition! When I was first in grad school I remember someone joking about that guy "Herman Newticks". Hermeneutics is in other fields as well - it's about interpretation and "making meaning". Thanks again for including the definition! And say hi to Herman for me :-)
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