Current issues in the hermeneutical debate

Abstract

The present hermeneutical debate is dominated by questions relating to the interaction between text and reader. An introductory section contends that this is the result of a gradual shift of focus i?½ first from text production to text mediation and finally to text reception. In the second section diverse examples illustrating the characteristics of this trend are discussed, ranging from speech act theory to materialistic exegesis. The following section deals with the renewed interest in the sociological aspects of the text and the return of the historical problem, with reference to the contribution of sociolinguistics and the work of Theissen towards a 'sociology' of the New Testament. The main features of reception theory are briefly introduced in the fourth section, as this development represents the most consistent attempt so far to provide a theoretical framework for handling reader-oriented problems. In a concluding section some of the implications for theological hermeneutics are summarized.

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