But biblical hermeneutics is not informed by scientific data. It is informed
by rules of textual approach and logic.
"Biblical heremeneutics is the study of those principles which pertain to the
interpretation of Holy Scripture....Hermeneutics is both an art and a science.
It is a science in that it can reduce interpretation within limits to a set of
rules; it is an art in that not infrequently elements in the text escape easy
treatment....Heremeneutics studies the theory of interpretation and refers to
exegesis to illustrate its points." [Bernard Ramm, "Hermeneutics," Baker, 1976
pp 8-9]
Now, as regards the starting point for biblical interpretation, it is very
interesting what Ramm has to say is the FIRST rule:
"Literary genre. In the interpretation of a literay text the first matter to
be settled is its literary genre. It is the literary genre of the text which
determines the frame of reference in which the words are used, and therefore
*the frame of reference is logically prior to the words.* Some of Scripture is
poetry, some proverbs, some history, some sermonic, some parables, etc. The
determination of the literary genre of the text determines the interpreter's
mood and stance." [Id. at 13-14]
This last statement is well worth reading again. Unless one rightly approaches
the text's form, one has violated the first rule of hermeneutics.
What happens is a "monolithic" approach to Scripture, that denies its
richness. As R. A. Finlayson writes:
"Reverence for the text of Scripture as inspired does not mean that
evangelicals are bound to a literal interpretation of it. The science of
heremeneutics developed freely within the premises of verbal inspiration, and
principles of interpretation--whether literal, allegorical or
typological--were determined on grounds *proper to the mode of revelation in
each case.*" ["Contemporary Ideas of Inspiration" in "Revelation and the
Bible," Carl Henry, ed., Baker, 1958]
In a passage a geologist should love, Bloesch says:
"In the hermeneutical task we should focus on what Scripture intends to teach
us. What Scripture intends to teach is what the Spirit intended to say to the
people of that time in this text and what he intends to say to us today in a
different period of history. The Bible is not a systematic set of rules that
are more or less self-evident; it is closer to a uranium mine that yields its
precious metal only after a careful and painstaking search. Our task is to
penetrate below the surface meaning on Scripture in order to dig out the
treasure of the divine wisdom that resides within its depths (cf. Prov.
2:4-5)." [Bloesh, "Holy Scripture," at 172-73]
So, to repeat, hermeneutics has NOTHING to do with natural science. Nothing.
Any mixing of the two will only lead to confusion.
Jim