Lost in interpretation?

Abstract

"Biblical interpretation is the soul of theology. Truth is the ultimate accolade that we accord an interpretation. Christian theology therefore succeeds or fails in direct proportion to its ability to render true interpretations of the word of God written. They asked for a plenary paper on truth and interpretation. It took me some time to figure out what they meant. Only when I put it in canonical context—the ETS program book!—did I realize that I had to discuss the use of the Bible in theology, because systematic theology was not otherwise represented as such in the other plenaries. My focus is thus on doctrine, the main product of theology’s interpretation of Scripture, and hence the linchpin between biblical interpretation and theological truth"