- Library Home /
- Search Collections /
- Open Collections /
- Browse Collections /
- UBC Theses and Dissertations /
- English puritans and german pietists : a re-examination...
Open Collections
UBC Theses and Dissertations
UBC Theses and Dissertations
English puritans and german pietists : a re-examination of precritical interpretation in light of the anthropocentric turn in hermeneutics Zimmermann, Jens
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to integrate the hermeneutics of English Puritanism and German Pietism into the current hermeneutical debate. Opposing a pre-critical worldview to Charles Taylor's concept of a "silent" universe, this study argues that pre-critical hermeneutics derives from its biblical framework a moral strength and confidence which is lacking in modern philosophical hermeneutics. By analyzing the writings of Matthias Flacius (Illycrius), William Perkins, John Owen, Philipp Jacob Spener, August Hermann Francke, Friedrich Schleiermacher, Hans-Georg Gadamer and Charles Taylor, this study sketches an increasing slide into subjectivism within the field of hermeneutics. This anthropocentric turn is accompanied by an increasingly secular reinterpretation of precritical concepts. Philosophical hermeneutics tries to overcome radical subjectivism, but does so by appealing to secularized versions of pre-critical assumptions whose foundations it no longer acknowledges. This development lies at the root of philosophical hermeneutics' unsuccessful effort to overcome subjectivism and derive an applicatory ethical dimension from a non-theistic hermeneutic. This study also aims to expose common misconceptions about pre-critical hermeneutics. One common claim is that precritical hermeneutics did not problematize understanding itself, an insight attributed to Schleiermacher and Heideggerian ontological hermeneutics. Yet a close reading of Puritan and Pietist works shows that precritical hermeneutics went beyond merely devising technical rules for the removal of lexical and grammatical difficulties. Contrary to the claims of philosophical hermeneutics the Puritans and Pietists did perceive the difficulty of understanding ontologically. Their hermeneutics makes a claim to universal validity on the basis of a created universe and human depravity. Secondly, an assessment of the Puritan faith conceived as trust in a credible testimony dispels the common misconception of faith as irrational. The pre-critical idea of experiential knowledge as relational allows for a balance between propositional ('objective') and experiential (subjective) epistemological elements which is lacking in modern hermeneutics. Finally, the study shows that pre-critical hermeneuts were as aware of the perspectivism of all human knowledge, and of its conditioning by tradition, as the current hermeneutics of facticity. By re-admitting a neglected and misrepresented group of precritical writers this study attempts to renew the dialogue between theological and philosophical hermeneutics.
Item Metadata
Title |
English puritans and german pietists : a re-examination of precritical interpretation in light of the anthropocentric turn in hermeneutics
|
Creator | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
|
Date Issued |
1996
|
Description |
The purpose of this study is to integrate the hermeneutics of English Puritanism
and German Pietism into the current hermeneutical debate. Opposing a pre-critical worldview
to Charles Taylor's concept of a "silent" universe, this study argues that pre-critical
hermeneutics derives from its biblical framework a moral strength and confidence which is
lacking in modern philosophical hermeneutics. By analyzing the writings of Matthias
Flacius (Illycrius), William Perkins, John Owen, Philipp Jacob Spener, August Hermann
Francke, Friedrich Schleiermacher, Hans-Georg Gadamer and Charles Taylor, this study
sketches an increasing slide into subjectivism within the field of hermeneutics. This
anthropocentric turn is accompanied by an increasingly secular reinterpretation of precritical
concepts. Philosophical hermeneutics tries to overcome radical subjectivism, but
does so by appealing to secularized versions of pre-critical assumptions whose foundations
it no longer acknowledges. This development lies at the root of philosophical
hermeneutics' unsuccessful effort to overcome subjectivism and derive an applicatory
ethical dimension from a non-theistic hermeneutic.
This study also aims to expose common misconceptions about pre-critical
hermeneutics. One common claim is that precritical hermeneutics did not problematize
understanding itself, an insight attributed to Schleiermacher and Heideggerian ontological
hermeneutics. Yet a close reading of Puritan and Pietist works shows that precritical
hermeneutics went beyond merely devising technical rules for the removal of lexical and
grammatical difficulties. Contrary to the claims of philosophical hermeneutics the Puritans
and Pietists did perceive the difficulty of understanding ontologically. Their hermeneutics
makes a claim to universal validity on the basis of a created universe and human depravity.
Secondly, an assessment of the Puritan faith conceived as trust in a credible testimony
dispels the common misconception of faith as irrational. The pre-critical idea of experiential knowledge as relational allows for a balance between propositional
('objective') and experiential (subjective) epistemological elements which is lacking in
modern hermeneutics.
Finally, the study shows that pre-critical hermeneuts were as aware of the
perspectivism of all human knowledge, and of its conditioning by tradition, as the current
hermeneutics of facticity. By re-admitting a neglected and misrepresented group of
precritical writers this study attempts to renew the dialogue between theological and
philosophical hermeneutics.
|
Extent |
21658986 bytes
|
Genre | |
Type | |
File Format |
application/pdf
|
Language |
eng
|
Date Available |
2009-04-07
|
Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
|
Rights |
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
|
DOI |
10.14288/1.0088145
|
URI | |
Degree | |
Program | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
|
Graduation Date |
1997-05
|
Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
|
Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
|
Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.