Exclusivity and Variety: Perspectives on Multidimensional Exegesis

The present state of the exegetical discipline is characterized in this book by the exploration of the concepts exclusivity and variety. There is variety not only in the numerous methods and approaches, but also in variants in methodological application, hermeneutical presuppositions, confessional and dogmatic specialization areas and the increasingly volume of scholarly literature. To escape the abyss of variety, exegetes often resort to exclusivistic claims, sometimes deliberately.
The main interest of this book is methodological, with the implication that the discussion is limited to the variety of exegetical methodologies. The working hypothesis is that a multidimensional and/or integrational aproach to exegesis can evade the dangers of exclusivity and variety.
Various theoretical guidelines, which should be taken into consideration in this discussion, are filtered out from previous attempsts in this regard. Two methodologies, namely a historical-critical one and a narrative one, are used as examples in this investigation. In order to investigate the practical implementation of these methodologies, the Samson Cycle (Judges 13-16) is analyzed. Subsequently, both methodologies are evaluated to the theoretical guidelines formulated earlier. The multidimensional and/or integrational possibilities of these methodologies are then scrutinized.
The investigation leads to the formulation of three models which may serve as guidelines for further discussion on this topic. Preference is given to an adapted communication model which serves as a hermeneutical 'map' on which exegetical methodologies can be 'plotted'. It is proposed that the operative factor of such a communication model is a reading strategy which consists of two components, namely (I) a specialized component and (II) a competence component.

Dr. Louis C. Jonker is a part-time lecturer at the Department of Old Testament at the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa), and a fulltime minister of religion in the Dutch Reformed Church.