An e-Conference hosted by the South African Theological Seminary on the 11–13th of March 2025
An interpreter’s hermeneutical approach flows from their posture towards the biblical text. Following the surge of higher critical methodologies in the 20th century, the hermeneutical landscape has been marked by a recent rise in ideological criticisms, cultural relativism, and reader-response approaches. Such reading strategies have resulted in biblical analyses that place the reader at the center of interpretation thereby giving them authority over the sacred text. The so-called hermeneutic of suspicion, which seeks to read against the grain of Scripture, has been eroding the conviction that Scripture is God-breathed, useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16). The rise of perilous hermeneutical approaches and their erosion of a hermeneutic of trust calls for a return to the text and a critical reconsideration of the reading strategies we adopt. In response to these dangers and opportunities for engagement, the 2025 SATS e-Conference is themed: “Back to the Bible: Biblical Hermeneutics in the Global South.” Celebrating the beauty, trustworthiness, and efficacy of Scripture, we aim to foster a dialogue around theories of interpretation and their application. We will explore the relationship between text and context, the centrality of Christ in the Bible, and the transformative power of the Scriptures to shape faith communities.
Contact Person:
Please direct any questions to Dr Sarah Churchill ([email protected]).