Instead, they embrace an approach known as death of the author, which comes from literary critic Roland Barthes’ essay La mort de l’auteur - The Death of the Author which argues against understanding the text through the life of the author.
This goal of understanding authorial intent is one of the primary examples of where exegesis and modern close-reading are different from New Criticism, as those academic movements tend to shy away from authorial intention. One of the primary purposes of exegesis is to read the text with the author’s intent in mind. Anachronism is defined by as, “something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, especially a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time.” Taking virtues and behaviors from one time period and applying them to the wrong one can lead to a misunderstanding of important concepts. It also should help with anachronistic readings. What Is the Purpose of Exegesis?īecause exegetical interpretation is done by drawing from the text in its original context, it informs an understanding of the work that is not based on personal ideas or beliefs. Researching the answers to these questions can provide important insights into what God wants the reader to understand. How does this passage, and this book of the Bible, fit in with the rest of God’s Word?.What is going on in the chapters around this passage?.What is the genre of this book of the Bible?.These questions include, but are not limited to: It involves a strict study of the passage of scripture, reading and re-reading it several times to glean as much information as one can.Īfter this reading, one has to ask certain questions about the text. Many faiths have exegetical commentary on them including Judaism, Islam, Zoroastrianism, and Christianity. Examples of these types of studies on theological texts go as far back as ancient Mesopotamia. Exegesis is similar in execution, but applied to a religious work. In many ways, it is the precedence for the 20th century academic concept of close-reading that came from the New Criticism movement.Ĭlose-reading is the practice of a careful and sustained look at a passage of a text. Where Did This Concept Originate?Įxegesis is, in many respects, a close-reading of a religious text. A key element is understanding what the verse, chapter, and book of the Bible meant in its original context. One way of gaining a better understanding of the Bible is a critical reading technique called exegesis, “critical explanation or interpretation of a text or portion of a text, especially of the Bible.” It is analyzing the text in such a way that one draws out the information, morals, and messaging from the Bible.
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