Sometimes people can be annoying. You ask a simple question and get a convoluted answer.
Sometimes people can be so concerned to protect their credentials or to avoid being caught out that they do much the same thing.
"it all depends what you mean by...."
Theologians are particularly good/bad at this...
It all depends what you mean by...
- vicarious
- sacrament
- punishment
- god/God
- sin
- evangelical
- liberal
- charismatic
- eternal
- penal
- substitution
- ordinance
- grace - or means thereof
- theology
- infallible/fallible
- hermeneutic
- interpretation
- mission
- Christian
- Baptist
To name but a few that I've heard recently.
I seem to remember a time when words were less slippery, when objectivity was permitted and I knew what I meant... but of course it all depends what I mean/meant by 'objecitivity' 'permitted' 'knew' and 'meant'.
And all this prompted by reading a couple of pages of an introduction to philosophical hermeneutics which talks about the interpretation of the word interpretation in different contexts and a different times... Aaaaargh!
Comments
Haiku 'n hermeneutics
Thae hermenyootiks
provoke semantic migraines
in ma poor wee heid!
"Depends whit ye mean";
the hair-splitters get out clause.
Ban hermeneutics!
"I knew what I meant"
But did you mean what you meant,
or mean what you said?
Catriona, sometimes I think Scottish Common Sense Realism should be allowed to make a comeback in a world where it's really difficult to know what's really real! Blessings on your continuing studies.
But we don't just get this in the rarified atmosphere of debate in theological faculties. The debates takes place in our churches as well. I've been asked what I mean by
faith
prayer
church/Church
healing/health
heaven and hell
worship
peace
the body/blood of Christ
guidance
as well as some of those you mention, such as mission, or evangelical, or charismatic.
Thanks both. Made my smile, feel reassured and want to defend/affirm macro-hermeneutics (as distinct from micro-pedantic-semantic-twaddle) all at once.