Reading Scripture through a mystical lens

Scripture Reconceived

Paul’s interpretation of scripture and the question of its relationship to rabbinic midrash have greatly occupied scholars both of New Testament and of rabbinics. Many previous studies have focused on the relationship between Paul and midrash, and almost all of them have assumed or reified a genealogical connection between these literatures, most often seeking to reconstruct Paul’s Jewish background from tannaitic sources. The present study criticizes and deconstructs this genealogical connection, while arguing that a critique of the genealogical assumption is no reason to abandon the effort to read Qumran, Paul, and the Tannaim together. The introduction explains why studying these literatures comparatively is both compelling and fruitful, and also lays out the methodological constraints on such an inquiry. The comparative approach taken in this study considers Qumran, Paul, and the Tannaim as part of a complex matrix in which scripture was instated as a fundamental source for legal and normative guidance in late antiquity over-against traditions independent of scripture (paradosis). It contributes to our understanding of Paul’s interpretation of scripture, which can be better understood in light of its parallels in tannaitic and Qumranic literature, with all their similarities and differences. The study of midrash also benefits from the comparative approach, which allows us (1) to trace a new history of midrashic exegesis, against existing descriptions that present it as teleologically stemming from Qumran exegesis; (2) to redefine and explain hermeneutic methods shared by these literatures; and (3) to reconsider a common understanding of midrashic hermeneutics as having developed under Alexandrian Hellenistic influence. The present study shows that, at least with regard to allegory, a different Hellenistic trajectory should be preferred. Qumran literature, Paul, and the Tannaim travail to build sacred communities based on a reworking of scriptural constructs, such as “Israel” or the “seed of Abraham.” The goal of Qumran literature is to define and negotiate membership in the yahad, an attempt to redefine the “seed of Israel” as an elite minority within the Jewish ethnos. The redefinition of community is based on eschatological convictions, argued and maintained by the reading of scripture as presented by the Teacher of Righteousness. Tannaitic hermeneutics can also be understood as an exegetical endeavor undertaken with a view to found and maintain a community on the basis of scripture, demarcating on scriptural grounds the true members of the community from those outside it and those on its borders. Paul interprets scripture with view to incorporate gentiles into a community by generating reading practices that allow them to see themselves as being addressed directly by Jewish scriptures and to understand how they must live in order to be included in eschatological redemption. Formulated as such, the comparative approach this study takes allows us to step beyond the misconstrued assumptions of “influence” or “shared heritage” that dominated Paul and midrash studies in the past. Focusing on scriptural hermeneutics as a fundamental facet of community building places two of Paul’s contemporaries—Philo and Josephus (who like Paul claimed a connection to the Pharisees)—on the margins of our study. Josephus does not work to build communities, but rather, mediates Jewish history to his Roman readership. (Josephus presents his motivation to write Antiquities, so as to provide “all of the Greeks” with the possibility to study the history of the Jews, their origins, form of government, laws and customs. Josephus especially notes that the book is meant communicate the antiquities of the Jews to “others”, see Ant. 1.1–9.) Though his rewriting of scripture in the first eleven books of Antiquities could also be studied comparatively with Paul’s interpretation of scripture, his work is of marginal relevance to the current study as he is not driven by the communal motivations central to it. Philo, similarly does not share the communal goals of Qumran, Paul, and the Tannaim, and so his work will be discussed only when immediately pertinent to the matter at hand, most prominently in our study of allegorical interpretations. The present work features three case studies. The first (Chapter 1) undertakes a comprehensive mapping of the midrash-pesher technique (also known as the “pronominal pesher”). It argues that the sectarian sources in the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS), Romans 10:5–13, and rabbinic literature have in common this technique, which is unknown to us from other sources. The chapter analyzes the different uses of this exegetical tool, and shows how a common method of interpretation is utilized toward different ends by these different literatures. The study of Romans 10:5–13 brings up another exegetical question: Paul constructs in Romans a contradiction between two passages (Lev 18:5 and Deut 30:12–14) which he ultimately does not resolve. This places Paul outside common exegetical practices in Jewish antiquity that display a thorough commitment to solving scriptural contradictions. Chapter 1 offers a new reading of Romans 3, which like Romans 10, also constructs the difference between righteousness by trust (pistis) and righteousness by deeds as a scriptural difference, and shows it may be used to explain Paul’s choice to leave the contradiction unresolved in Romans 10. The chapter argues that Paul has an idea of scripture as consisting of two nomoi: a nomos of trust (pistis) and a nomos of deeds. These two nomoi coexist in scripture, but they are not without contradictions, which are for Paul a scriptural fact. Paul’s notion of Torah as two Torot is then compared to other notions of double revelation. Only in tannaitic literature do we find the notion of two Torot, and Paul is the first source to mention a similar terminology, though in different form and for a different end. I use Paul’s notion of double-Nomos to reconsider and problematize the history of the terms Oral Torah and Written Torah as current scholarship conceives of it. Chapter 2 also addresses hermeneutic method, and analyzes Paul’s allegory of Hagar/Sarah in Galatians 4. Paul’s allegory has often been presented as the binary opposite of midrash. The chapter presents a close reading of Paul’s exegetical work in Galatians 4, retraces a history of allegory in Jewish antiquity (in both Hebrew and Greek literatures), and finally returns to analyze the homilies of Dorshei Rashumot in tannaitic literature. The analysis shows that the homilies of Dorshei Rashumot—identified in the early twentieth century by Jacob Z. Lauterbach as allegories, a reading that was ultimately rejected by Daniel Boyarin—are indeed midrashic-allegories. Paul’s interpretation in Galatians, which we may call “genealogical allegory,” resembles that of Dorshei Rashumot on several counts and differs significantly from Alexandrian allegories. The chapter concludes that allegory should be thought of not as a hermeneutic in and of itself, but rather as a shift to a new denotation that is established and argued for on the basis of other exegetical arguments or assumptions. Midrash and allegory are thus not binary opposites but exist instead along a continuum. Chapter 3 shifts from hermeneutic method to a consideration of hermeneutic narrative: Paul’s hermeneutics of “unveiling” in 2 Corinthians 3. Paul brings together hermeneutics and eschatology, and claims that reading “in Christ” allows (for the first time) a full and complete understanding of scripture. This he presents through the depiction of the Christ community as (reading) with unveiled faces: “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory” (3:18). The chapter compares Paul’s interpretation of the Veil of Moses (Exodus 34, the main text that Paul interprets in 2 Corinthians 3) with other interpretations of the text in Jewish antiquity. It then considers Paul’s image of “unveiled faces” in the context of a parallel term that appears in tannaitic literature: “revelation of the face” (גילוי פנים). The term occurs several times in tannaitic literature in the context of scriptural interpretation, where it denotes a shameless reading of scripture. The chapter traces a counter-hermeneutics in tannaitic (and perhaps also earlier) sources, promoting a “veiled” reading of the scriptures. The possibility that the Tannaim are directly responding to Paul’s usage in 2 Corinthians 3 is raised, and then complexified. The final chapter presents the conclusions of this study, and synthesizes its implications for our understanding of Pauline hermeneutics as well as tannaitic midrash. It demonstrates the benefits of studying Paul’s letters, Qumran literature, and tannaitic midrash together, despite the lack of literary dependence between them.

Conclusion

Introduction

Since the sixteenth-century Reformation, literal interpretation of the Bible has been deemed the best hermeneutical method to unearth the biblical writers’ original meaning. For the Reformers, allegorical interpretation was denigrated for reading an extraneous, or spiritual, meaning into any text. Although Augustine was among the first who champions a literal interpretation of the Scripture—as he outlined in his De doctrina christiana—until recent decades, Augustine is still being perceived as inconsistent in following his hermeneutical method as it is attested in his interpretation of the Good Samaritan. In his interpretation, Augustine seems to have allegorized the parable, thus his method was accused of being inconsistent. Is it really the case? This article attempts to contest such an accusation by showing that Augustine’s method of interpretation cannot simply be categorized as either entirely literal or allegorical. Augustine never professes as a literalist, an exegete who only applies what is now known as a historical-critical method. On the other hand, he did not recklessly legitimate the application of allegorical reading to any text. Taken as a whole, Augustine’s hermeneutics revolves around a complex dialectic of regula dilectionis (the rule of love) and regula fidei (the rule of faith) that allows both interpretations to be considered to be true.

As a consequence of section 39 of the Constitution literal interpretation, which prevailed under the previous legal and constitutional dispensation, has been replaced by a purposive/value-based method and theory of interpretation. A new and creative method of legal reasoning has emerged that facilitates social justice. This involves a deontic element, which incorporates ethical and moral evaluation. A far more holistic approach is now adopted, and legal interpretation is now applied in a manner that is allied to the discipline of hermeneutics as found in literature and philosophy. Interpretation has become holistic in this process. The theory of holism has a South African connection since the term has its genesis in Smuts’s book, Holism and Evolution, first published in 1926. Semantic holism is a doctrine in the philosophy of language to the “effect that a certain part of language can only be understood through its relations to a larger segment of language, possibly the entire language”.This note is intended to show how the application of the presumption relating to retrospectivity reflects the new approach, which is creative and supersedes the old mechanical approach that had its origin in the sovereignty of parliament that gave rise to literal or textual interpretation. There has been a paradigmatic shift in the process of interpretation of statutes in South Africa, from a methodology that tended to be rule-bound to one that requires that the use of rules or canons must give expression to the cardinal values found in the Constitution and its Bill of Rights. This requires a semantic holism as explained above. This should emerge from a deontic method of legal reasoning, which must complement deductive and inductive reasoning, by taking into account principles of morality and the values found in the Constitution as explained by Devenish. Such interpretation was in exceptional cases used before the advent of the new constitutional dispensation such as that found in the meritorious majority judgment of Innes CJ in Dadoo Ltd v Krugersdorp Municipal Council (1920 AD 530). Such holistic interpretation is now the rule and not merely an exception.

Creating a psychological paradigm shift in students’ demand and enrolment for various academic disciplines in the tertiary education in Sri Lanka is important since it is vital for not only for students but also for other stakeholders explicitly employers, community, and government as this paradigm shift provides creative and adoptable graduate. However, those who enter to government universities after a very competitive selection process in Sri Lanka are compelled to be unemployed mainly due to mismatch of employers’ perspectives in the modern world against the skills and competence they developed in the tertiary education. It is therefore timely, to develop a mechanism that leads to a psychological paradigm shift in students’ demand and enrolment for various academic disciplines in the tertiary education in Sri Lanka. Objectives of the study are to explore the student demand side aspects for various academic disciplines and to explore the student supply side expectations for various academic disciplines in Sri Lanka. This qualitative study applied purposeful sampling technique and employers, executives and academics in state and non-state higher education institutes participated in the study and data collection techniques were interviews and other secondary documents. Study revealed that new graduates have issues with the practical skills, attitude problems and soft skills. Many employers, neither possess a mechanism to match graduates’ skills and background to their job and responsibilities nor participation in curriculum revision in institutes. Consequently, a few employers involve with curriculum revision, and this might lead to mismatch of curriculum with demands of existing labour market demands. Only some parents have a clear understanding of their child about selecting the best pathway that suits their strengths and weaknesses. Study concluded that for the improvement of the tertiary education, students’ needs to gain and focus more on practical aspects of education, purposeful learning experience and experiential learning. Moreover, not only knowledge but also attitudes and skills of the graduates should be developed.

Between Paradigm Shift Judaism and Neo-Hasidism

The ways in which epistemic foundations of academic disciplines shape policy paradigms have been an understudied area. We illustrate such dynamics by focusing on paradigm shifts between economics and legal scholarship. Our case study focuses on the evolution of the Finnish corporate tax policy between 1991 and 2014 to illuminate complex policy diffusion through professions. First, in 1993, Finnish corporate tax policy was aligned with the neoclassical ideas of the time in a lawyer-driven process. Second, in the early 2000s, initiatives from the EU and the OECD provided these lawyers a new epistemic source for broadening their argumentation. Third, in the 2010s, the disciplinary base shifted from legal studies to economics, which coincided with administrative reforms emphasizing quantitative impact assessments. These transformations completed the shift from legal scholarship to economics in tax policy design, paving way to the entrance of economic theoretical arguments to tax policy discussions. Our findings highlight five overlapping and mutually reinforcing factors that shape knowledge production in expert groups that influence economic policy: (1) the extent to which politicians rely on expertise; (2) the balance of power between academic disciplines in evidence-based policy-making; (3) the disciplinary base to which the dominant expert groups rely on; (4) the shifts in the epistemological, ontological and methodological mainstream within particular disciplines; and, (5) the extent to which international organizations are seen as epistemic versus policy-driven authorities.

The integration and usage of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in academic research writing has ushered in a paradigm shift, fundamentally transforming traditional research methods. AI tools have reshaped scholarly writing by enhancing accuracy, efficiency, and productivity. This study investigated the level of awareness, adoption, challenges, perceived benefits, and effectiveness of AI tools among research scholars from India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), via a structured questionnaire administered to 174 research scholars across various academic disciplines in leading universities. The study identified various generative AI platforms used by scholars and explored key metrics, such as brainstorming, generation of ideas, grammar and style checking, literature discovery, paraphrasing, citation management, and plagiarism detection. The findings revealed a strong positive response related to awareness and adoption rates as well as significant differences based on geographic location, gender, academic discipline, and years of research experience. Despite acknowledging the perceived benefits and effectiveness of AI tools, concerns and challenges related to ethical usage, accuracy and bias, academic integrity, overdependence, and technical difficulties exist. The study provides various recommendations for AI use in academic writing, including the need for AI literacy training, institutional support, and policies related to ethical standards, and offers important implications for academic institutions, AI tools developers, research supervisors, and policy makers, fostering the effective integration of AI in academic research practices, following an ethical framework.

The presented article is aimed at elaborating the problem of specific stylistic coloring achieved by the employment of the Cockney dialect in English literature in the 19th century. The main objective of the paper consists in investigating the stylistic value of the Cockney rhymed dialect as the powerful expressive means in the English literature of realism as well as the possible ways of its rendering in artistic translation. The results of the carried-out research have proved that there exist common strategies and techniques of both employing Cockney in English literature of the given period and reproducing it in literary interpretations. The practical value of the research lies in the fact that the conclusions may be applied in the educational activity, namely in the course of English stylistics. The urgency of this paper arises from the need for all-sided review of difficulties of translating belles-lettres works in contemporary translation studies. The object of the work is a Cockney dialect viewed in the aspect of its translatability. The subject is the specific stylistic function of Cockney dialect in B. Shaw's play. The immediate tasks of the article have been predetermined by the above-mentioned objective and include respectively: the disclosure of the specifics of Cockney dialect; the outline of the strategies and tactics of translating Cockney in belles-lettres works. The methodology of this research involved the inductive and deductive methods, the method of contrastive analysis and ethnic methodological conversation analysis. In the course of the research it has been concluded and experimentally and statistically proved that there exist common strategies and tactics of translating Cockney. It has also been postulated that the pragmatic and the expressive potential of Cockney is rendered in translation. The perspective is seen in reviewing the peculiarities of rendering Cockney in literary interpretations in various Western and Oriental languages.

Partindo, por um lado, da existência da interpretação literal nas esferas jurídica e literária e, por outro lado, de seu diferente status nesses campos de estudo, surge a seguinte questão: como se pode estabelecer um ponto de encontro entre o status do método de interpretação literal nos campos da crítica literária e da interpretação jurídica? Para esse fim, propõe-se a adoção de uma perspectiva pragmática da argumentação em geral, a fim de tentar revelar um ponto de reencontro entre a interpretação literal nos espaços da argumentação jurídica e literária.

Southscapes: Geographies of Race, Region and Literature Thadious M. Davis. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2011.Inventive in its terms and specific in its conditions, Thadious Davis's Southscapes is a rethinking of (21). Intertwining discourses of geography, United States history, critical race theory, and literary criticism, Davis coins term southscape which calls attention to South as a social, political, cultural, and economic construct but one with 'fact of land' (2). She re-evaluates South under segregation and positions African American literary production as driving force of southern literature. For any explorer of American literature and culture, Southscapes is a literary cartography that maps social spaces black poets and writers in Unites States South have constructed over last fifty years.Following Homi Bhabha (The Location of Culture, 1994) and bell hooks (Belonging: A Culture of Place, 2009), Davis extends and particularizes current scholarship on race and place by elucidating the spatial aesthetics and spatial economies that emerge out of segregation in Mississippi and Louisiana (4). She argues that signposts of segregation in Deep South region are-both literally and metaphoricallyre-appropriated by African American writers who use spatial language of exclusion to produce inversely a rhetoric of empowerment and regional inclusion. Southscapes multifaceted literary survey is devoted to recognizable works of Richard Wright, Ernest Gaines, and Alice Walker as well as lesser known works of Olympia Vernon, Sterling Plumpp, Etheridge Knight, Endesha Ida Mae Holland, Shay Youngblood, and Randall Kenan. Davis's expert knowledge of Southern literature also allows for a dense, intertexual idiom that spans from William Faulkner to Harryette Mullen, to countless others.These authors' aesthetic sensitivity to demarcation of spaces spurs Davis into a reconfiguring of passage from modernism to postmodernism in South. She suggests that post-civil rights era is a transitional period in which the emergence of visible black artists, intellectuals, theorists, and philosophers to articulate changing state of African American life and to deconstruct controlling paradigms of power enabled iteration of postmodern blackness, as in cultural analysis of bell hooks and Cornell West (12). Although an underlying thread (11) of Southscapes, this re-configuration or paradigm shift is highlighted in both John W. …

Theoretical innovation in criminology This article starts off with an exposé of what ‘theoretical innovation’ means in the social sciences. The development of criminology is considered to be a result of (1) historical and cultural developments, (2) political-economic developments, (3) developments in other academic disciplines and (4) reactions to or specifications of other theoretical perspectives in criminology itself. Paradigm shifts in criminology are characterised by an individualistic and positivist aetiological turn in its early days; a sociological turn towards a ‘criminology of the lawmaker’ from the late 1950s on; and a return to positivism in the neoliberal and neoconservative turn of the 1990s. The new century ushers in a new epistemological break in criminology, in which globalisation, global warming, migration, human rights and the implications of cyberspace ‘force’ criminologists to overcome their anthropocentric and colonial character biases.

Al-Qur'an always fits in every time and place, in the development of human life it seems as if it challenges the Qur'an to remain the same and go together, so Hermeneutics is promoted to be one of the methods in interpreting it. This thesis study aims to answer two problems, namely how the Hermeneutics method in Jalalain's interpretation and the form of Hermeneutics analysis in Jalalain's interpretation. This research is a library research, and uses the hermeneutic-analytic method, namely by analyzing the data in the hermeneutic circle and then drawing various conclusions. The data to be obtained will be analyzed in accordance with scientific theories with the guidelines provided in the analysis guidelines and in accordance with the rules of writing scientific papers. The results showed that the hermeneutic method in Jalalain's Tafsir in interpretation cannot be separated from three elements, namely: text, author, and reader. So the form of interpretation that results does not only rely on the sound of the text but places more emphasis on the analysis of the verses of the Qur'an related to the use of hermeneutics in Jalalain's Tafsir.