Hermeneutical Audit assessment

Hermeneutic Audit Assessment
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Hermeneutic Audit Assessment
Introduction
The word hermeneutics have come to represent many different definitions since its inception as a philosophical interpretative method that even predates Christianity. From that perspective, hermeneutics have been used by Christian and non-Christian religious traditions and religious scholars as a form of dispelling the obscurity from passages of the scripture that are not only to be interpreted in a literal form. According to the Harper’s Bible Dictionary, hermeneutics “encompasses both the study of the principles of biblical interpretation of written texts in accordance with scientifically formulated rules and principles” (Achtemeier, 1985). However, in a practical setting, hermeneutics come to mean the way believers put questions to the Scriptures.
While hermeneutics can be perceived as harsh and philosophical by the regular believer, the ordinary hermeneutics are, in fact, a capital reflection of the Church and Congregational use of the Holy Scriptures. From that perspective, the Charismatic Christian denomination has a rich corpus of congregational hermeneutics. Thus, hermeneutics, under this light, describes the implicit and explicit means lay people have to interpret and understand the Scriptures. It describes the practices of those who have limited or no Bible-related theological education of an academic or systematic kind” (Astley, 2013).

The intuition of believers, then, is important, as they adapt theological concerns to everyday practices.
Discussion
Public Bible Use
For most congregation members, there are three main settings for biblical hermeneutics: congregational services, encompassed by liturgy, songs, and sermons; small group Bible studies, and personal Bible studies. These settings differ in their scope, as some are more passive than the others. For instance, scriptural songs and, in general, liturgy has a much more passive intake from the congregation as they receive what is said to digest it later on. On the other hand, Bible and Scriptural studies require a much greater engagement from the congregation. This is particularly important because it is almost impossible for different individuals within the congregation to have the same experience of the text, even though they share the same core beliefs. This calls for the myriad of different understandings of the Scriptures among the same congregation.
From the beginning, the most defining characteristic of the Charismatic churches is the fact they follow a hermeneutic tradition based on Christ and his teachings. The answers to the questions posed by the Bible lie in Jesus and his words, in his own inspiring journey. Jesus hermeneutics is based on ministry rather than the so-called wisdom of the theologians. Thus, Charismatic denominations emphasize the value of the example set by Jesus more than the authority of the conventional Bible interpretations. Similarly, they seek to follow the authority of the words, rather than the authority of the interpreters, like Jesus did in Matthew 7:28-89 “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law” (New International Version, Mt. 7:28-28). From that perspective, the main hermeneutical tool of the Charismatic Church lies in Christ itself, not in the interpretations theologians do.
Hence, Charismatics use the bible as a form of understanding the gifts they have received from God and for Christ in itself. For the Charismatic believers, every individual possesses the divine grace, and is capable of using those gifts. However, it is only with the aid of the Bible and a careful exegesis regarding those gifs, that they can use them accordingly, understanding their potentialities and using them correctly, avoiding been seen as fanatics, particularly from other Christians
Small Group Use
Thus, other important part of the Charismatic tradition is the small group Bible studies led by the pastor. Most of these study groups work through the Scriptures, session by session. The session’s agenda includes a series of activities that discuss the structure of the Revelation, references to the original Greek text, cultural context, and authorship. The study emphasizes exegesis and then moves into practice, where practical application of the revelation is sought, looking to find in the Christology a modern approach that can be useful in the current world. This approach is called a two-step approach, since it emphasizes the elements of the biblical world, translating them into the modern world as a form of keeping the Bible alive as a document that is not only historical but also an ethical code that will never fade into oblivion. Similarly, prayer is a crucial element in the Charismatic hermeneutical tradition, since it is the form believers have to take the teachings into their lives, internalizing them from the spiritual reality into their lives. Hence, small Biblical group studies attempt both to communicate and to establish a direct communication between the text and the readership. Rather than attempting to distance themselves from the text to achieve objectivity, believers attempt to exercise a direct connection between the Scriptures and them, leading, sometimes, to literal interpretations of the scriptures.
On the other hand, despite the reverence for the sacred text, Charismatic denominations have a remarkable freedom to raise questions regarding the Bible text. For instance, in a small group, the pastor might even go against a particular book, contemplating it under the light of the rest of the Biblical literature, particularly if the book is prone to obscure passages or lack of useful definitions for the Christian practices. Thus, while several denominations emphasize obedience above all, Charismatic Christians can pose questions above belief, thinking things through, rather than accepting the Revelation as a monolithic belief incapable of criticism. Hence, freedom is one of the most prized characteristics of the Charismatic Biblical hermeneutics, allowing the believers to exercise their free will in relation to the text. Similarly, the small group biblical study is a particularly valued study tool, as it makes learning from different individuals possible, exchanging perspectives and interpretations. Nevertheless, since the Charismatic Christians take a non-authoritarian approach to both belief and ministry, the small study groups never try to ascertain a single vision or interpretation. Conversely, rather than shaping a congregational interpretation, the Charismatics shape their own, particular beliefs under the light of the hermeneusis and the revealed text. Therefore, it seems that Charismatic Christianity emphasizes the individual nature of the revelation against the group reading, or a “one size fits all” Bible. On the contrary, the text has an individual interpretative key, which bolsters a personal reading.
Another important part of Charismatic hermeneutics can be seen in their congregational, worship songs. The songs highlight individual experience and individual worship. The songs speak to the congregation, but are, in essence, personal, as faith is not something that can be shared. It can be recounted, but never shared as a commodity, due to its intangible nature. Thus, worship songs speak to the believer personally, attempting to link with it in a deeper, personal way that cannot be experienced as a group. From that standpoint, the experience of faith is inner and deeper, because God speaks to the believers directly without hindrance and burdens of another’s interpretation. Thus, it seems that, indeed, “to be is to have experienced the power of God in Jesus” (Clark and Lederle, 1989). In their eyes, the Word is God, but the Bible is not. The Bible is a witness of God: a road the humans can follow to understand God and his will; since each road is different, each experience differs from the next and so on. The Scriptures are a primary point of reference and should lead to effective transformation.
Conclusion
Reflection
Ultimately, hermeneutics subvert the stereotypes against the evangelical traditions and their hermeneutic traditions. Similarly, following the Charismatic concept of the Spiritual gifts, it is possible seeing in Ephesians 4:11-13 the purpose of hermeneutics in the body of Christ. If the light of Christ illuminates every individual, it is possible that every member in the congregation can become exegetes in their own right, teaching their congregation during the group Bible study. That way, the perceptions of the Charismatic congregations as inconsistent when it comes to their Bible hermeneutics could change. However, without proper assessment, these conceptions can distort the belief, as it is possible that without proper guidance, believers might get misguided, changing the degree of emphasis, depending on their particular situation.
Thus, the question this study poses is “how a person can read the Scriptures and change through the transformative power of God’s word and how it resonates within the souls of the believers?” The fact that ordinary theology and believers’ hermeneutics is capable of transforming the congregation. Hence, the congregation serves as a place where the individual can transform itself through the scriptures, executing a thorough exegesis that exerts a hermeneutical self-consciousness.
Hence, from the Charismatic perspective, God speaks through the Revelation. The revelation inspires men and women; they become inspired when they read and understand the Scripture, bringing words into life. Every individual can be an example, and with the proper guidance from both the pastor and the rest of the congregation, they can become exegetes of the sacred text. Everybody can be an example for practice. Hence, it is not a matter of being a theologian, like other traditions might consider. On the contrary, every believer is capable of understanding the revelation in their own way, extracting their knowledge from the Scriptures without the hindrance of another individual, not even the pastor. The pastor is a guide, as it should; it is a participant, not an adjudicator. It might have things to say, but his words are not ultimate.
References
Achtemeier, P.J., 1985. Harper’s Bible dictionary. Harper & Row, San Francisco.
Astley, J., 2013. Exploring ordinary theology: everyday Christian believing and the church. Ashgate, Farnham, Surrey, UK.
Clark, M.S., Lederle, H.I., 1989. What is distinctive about Pentecostal theology? University of South Africa, Pretoria.
Holy Bible: New International Version, 2011. Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI.