The Interpretation of Scripture. De problemate transpositionis

55300D0L060             March 26

J.D. Smart, The Interpretation of Scripture SCM London 1961

The problem of transposition (with an arrow to Smart)

 Transposition:      A_p ® A_q after Wendung zur Idee

                                    A_i                                 B_i        

                                                                                                Fij

                                                E_ijk

[RD: for arrows regarding the above, see the item itself]
 

irreducible oppositions  within A_i

                                    within B_i

                                within E_i, E_j, E_k

                                      within F_j

          where E = f(A_iB_i)

                   F = f(A_iB_iE_ijk)

(1) All are human beings.

(2) all hear, speak, do

          not only documents, monuments, of interpretation, history, doctrine, but also hearing, reading, inspecting, interpreting, narrating, teaching

(3) all interpretation, narration, doctrine proceeds proximately from experience, understanding, judgment, decision of the interpreter, narrator, teacher

(4) thus we distinguish exercite and signate. [lived and thematized]

          exercite: interpreting, narrating, teaching, qua experiencing, understanding, judging, deciding

          signate: interpretation, narration, doctrine

(5) transition from opposition between what is signified by authors, by Paul, Peter, John, Silvanus, etc., to a comparison between exercitum and signatum in individual authors.

(6) comparison is twofold: the same person (A) exercite, (B) signate: A and B agree = position; are opposed = counterposition.

(7) counterpositions are of two kinds:

          (a) insofar as exercite means natural operations, with determinate properties, in a determinate structure, there is had something normative, concrete, existing, real, which is signified in many ways depending on the diversity of place, time, culture, but in itself is the same because it is rooted in nature. Where signate is opposed to exercite normative, we have human inauthenticity. General method, philosophical crisis, Insight 14 ff., Coreth, transcendental method.

          (b) insofar as signate means the word of God, a member of Christ, to whom there is exercite opposed, the word of God judges such a person, interpreter, narrator, teacher, whence we conclude to what exercite is in accord with the word of God.

(8) Dialectical analysis

          (a) discerns authors and agents about whom authors write

          (b) leads to what is exercite normativum, erroneum, peccans

                   which is transcultural, for in itself it is not signified, but consciously lived

          (c) which grounds transpositions

                   regress to exercitum

                   there is revealed a likeness between positions and counterpositions in the first century,the fourth, etc.

          (d) this has transcendental implications: what is normative concerning experience, understanding, judgment, decision, also is normative concerning everything that is signified and happens.

          (e) this grounds progress: positions are to be advanced, counterpositions reversed.

          (f) this grounds practical transposition: Barth, Epistle to the Romans.