Reading with transforming effects

From Anthony Thiselton: "New Horizons in Hermeutics"

"Texts, first, we argue, open new horizons for readers. Because of their capacity to bring about change, texts and especially biblical texts engage with readers in ways which can productively transform horizons, attitudes, criteria of relevance, or even communities and inter-personal situations. In this sense we may speak of transforming biblical reading. The very process of reading may lead to a re-ranking of expectations, assumptions, and goals which readers initially bring to texts.

Gadamer points out, however, that such a process does not occur inevitably or automatically. Only if we respect the distinctiveness of the horizons of the text as against the distinctiveness of our 0wn reader-horizon can a creative and productive interaction of horizons occur. The distance between the reader and the text performs a positive hermeneutical function. Premature assimilation into the perspectives projected by the horizons of readers leaves the reader trapped within his or her own prior horizons. Worse, in such a case the reader may stand under the illusion that the texts have fully addressed him or her. Still more significanctly, interaction between the two horizons of text and readers will, if premature assimilation has taken place, appear uneventful, bland, routine, and entirely unremarkable.

Within the Christian community the reading of biblical texts often takes this uneventful and bland form. For the nature of the reading-process is governed by the horizons of expectation already pre-formed by the community of readers or by the individual. Preachers often draw from texts what they had already decided to say; congregations sometimes look to biblical readings only to affirm the community-identity and life-style which they already enjoy. The biblical writings, in such a situation become assimilated into the function of creeds: they become primarily institutional mechanisms to ensure continuity of corporate belief and identity.

This is not to deny that prior understanding of biblical texts can become corporately embodied in the tradition which shapes our horizons....Nevertheless interpretations of texts and of earlier traditions can also become institutionalized and fossilized into forms which defeat the original vision which they emerged to serve. Traditions can absorb error, and be overtaken by new understandings and contexts." (Taken from the Introduction P.8-9)

I love this insight into how reading the Bible can simply be a bland reaffirmation of everything we believe before we start to read or a creative confrontation with our own pre-understanding. I am fascinated by the very real danger of our seducing the text of the Bible into speaking our own truth back to us. Perhaps one of the most important signals that this is what is happening is when our reading becomes "uneventful, bland, routine, and entirely unremarkable." What a delicate balancing act it is to listen with benefit to the voice of the living God.