John Mark Hicks

It is time for another “Stone-Campbell Web Notes” post. [I actually have no schedule–it is my whim based on what I find interesting. And I am the sole determiner of what is interesting in terms of these Web Notes. 🙂 ] If you are interested in some spirited discussion on traditional issues among Churches of […]

Imbibing the theodrama by reading Scripture is critical to the development of our theological sensitivities. One of the more important dimensions of this maturing understanding of the theodrama is the concept of redemptive-historical movement within the drama itself. The theodrama is progressive; it is telos-oriented or goal-oriented. Watching the movement of the drama toward the […]

At this point I am tempted to reproduce an earlier post entitled An Increasingly Common Analogy.  Instead, I will simply ask those who are interested to read it. In summary, we are participating in a theodrama (to use Vanhoozer’s term in his Drama of Doctrine).  On the analogy of a five act (or six, depending […]

Assuming the existence of a metanarrative story embedded within the unfolding story of God with his people in Scripture (I will not take the time to defend that assumption at this point), it seems to me that we might identify the function of Scripture within the story itself in three ways. Three Functions 1. Scripture […]

Scripture comes to us as human literature. It is written by humans for humans in human language. Whatever it communicates, then, it communicates through the medium of finite, limiting, bounded human language. In this context, I raise only three points in this post. Much more, of course, could be said, but these points are significant […]

Eventually I will move beyond this philosophical and epistemological level to reading the Biblical text and thinking theologically as part of the Stone-Campbell tradition, but it is important to lay some foundations as these considerations will impact what is said down the line.  So, bear with me for another post or two. We are hermeneutical […]

In my previous post I noted that the human condition circumscribes the hermeneutical task in at least two ways: (1) our finitude–we are limited, situated and always in process, and (2) our fallenness–we are narcissistic, egocentric interpreters. Consequently, the hermeneutical process must be soaked in humility and prayer (seeking transformation). Drawing once again on Smith’s analysis […]

Over the next several posts, I will explore some dimensions of theological hermeneutics. I’m not sure where I will go with this or have sufficient time to devote to it, but I would like to lay some foundations as well as process some theological-biblical methodology. I begin with some insights from Christian postmodern philosophy/theology (see my previous post on […]