24 December 2011

The Magic Roundabout

F.F. Bruce:

"Let biblical inspiration or any other aspect of biblical authority be stated in the most emphatic and all-embracing fashion: any such statement is devoid of real content unless we discover, by critical and exegetical study, what the biblical text says and means. Our theology must depend on our exegesis, not vice versa. And if we allow our exegesis to be controlled by theologoumena, we shall quickly find ourselves involved in circular reasoning. I have friends who say, 'Well, yes; but all theological reasoning is circular; let us simply make sure that we get into the right circle'. I cannot accompany them on their magic roundabout."

["Primary Sense and Plenary Sense", Epworth Review, 4, 1977, pp.94-109]

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