When the reader approaches the Biblical text, he carries with him a “backpack” of both “presuppositions” and “preunderstandings” that interplay with the text impacting his derived interpretation. Whether consciously or unconsciously, each person brings certain predetermined elements to the interpretative process that partially colors the picture that develops from reading the text. These pre-determinative factors can bias the reader’s interpretation though these biases may or may not be correct or valid in arriving at an authentic understanding of the meaning of Scripture.
Presuppositions are those foundational beliefs that the interpreter starts with on his journey to understanding. They are the first item that the interpreter uses from his “backpack” as he unpacks the text. In a sense, the reader cannot start the journey unless they first identify and acknowledge these core beliefs. William W. Klein, Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard, Jr. in their book Introduction to Biblical Interpretation state, “We argue that interpreters should discover, state, and consciously adopt those assumptions they agree with and can defend, or else they will uncritically retain those they already have, whether or not they are adequate and valid.”[1] These presuppositions include how the reader views the Scriptures and his openness to and utilization of various interpretive methodologies during the journey. Once identified, these interpretive beliefs validate within a diverse community of faith and scholarship. Only within the context of a community can the reader discern potential erroneous “foundational beliefs” and apply corrective measures to change them. The writer of the ancient Proverb defines it well, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety” (Prov. 11:14, ESV).[2] Besides communal validation, the reader should allow the Holy Spirit to guide and challenge their presuppositions. Jesus declares in the Gospel of John, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:13). When the interpreter allows the Spirit to influence his interpretive journey, the resulting direction provides a more accurate, authentic understanding of the ancient texts.
Additionally, readers bring not only “presuppositions” to their process but also “preunderstandings.” These are ideas derived from various cultural factors that influence the reading of the Scriptures. The elements can vary but most often derive from life circumstances that partially fill the picture of the life that preconceives the interpreter’s viewpoints. In their work, Klein et al. state, “D. S. Ferguson provides a succinct definition: “Preunderstanding may be defined as a body of assumptions and attitudes which a person brings to the perception and interpretation of reality or any aspect of it.”[3] These assumptions are in some way like a rudder directionally guiding a ship toward a destination. The endpoint of revelation can be dramatically impacted by “preunderstandings.” Klein et al. state, “Preunderstanding consists of the total framework of being and understanding that we bring to the task of living including such things as our language, social conditioning, gender, intelligence, cultural values, physical environment, political allegiances, and even our emotional state at a given time.”[4]
As a white American male, I bring certain preunderstandings to Scripture tainted by my gender, cultural and historical contexts to my reading. My “backpack” of life experiences allows me to misread the text because of my westernized view of the world. To counter my biases seeking to educate myself on others’ worldviews from a more eastern mindset or from a person of color’s western perspective guards against misapplication and misunderstanding. I must continuously challenge my “white-privileged” assumptions to understand and relate Scripture across cultural differences effectively. In their work Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes, E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien state “… to understand a culture, you must be aware of ethnicity and especially the prejudices that may exist within a particular culture.”[5] Consistent cultural, intellectual development, and spiritual immersion or key to evaluating Scripture through a culturally varied lens.
Finally, to approach objectivity, an interpreter must allow his intellectual development to progress by educating himself to the most effective, modern interpretive methodologies and increasing his understanding of cultural differences and the biases he brings to the text. Though pure objectivity is not possible since we all carry our “backpacks” to our study of Scripture, we can minimize subjectivity by continuous growth in knowledge and immersion in the Holy Spirit.
Bibliography
Klein, William W., Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard. Introduction to Biblical Interpretation. third ed. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2017.
Richards, E Randolph, and Brandon O’Brien. Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible. Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Books, 2012.
[1] William W. Klein, Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard, Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, third ed. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2017), 210.
[2] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced employ the English Standard Version.
[3] Klein, Bloomberg, and Hubbard, Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, 226.
[4] Ibid.
[5] E Randolph Richards and Brandon O’Brien, Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible (Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Books, 2012), 55.
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