Comparing Hermeneutics and Exegesis in Theology & Religious Studies

This essay delves into the critical distinction between hermeneutics and exegesis in the context of theology and religious studies. It elucidates that while exegesis involves the careful and critical analysis of a text to derive its meaning, hermeneutics encompasses the broader theory of interpretation, addressing questions of how and why exegesis is conducted. The essay highlights that proper hermeneutics begins with solid exegesis, emphasizing that one cannot arbitrarily assign meaning to the Bible. It further discusses how hermeneutics considers the role of church doctrine and theology, aspects deemed inappropriate for exegesis, thereby positioning hermeneutics as a field extending beyond the scope of exegesis. Desklib offers this and other solved assignments to aid students in their studies.

RUNNING HEAD: Theology and religious studies 0
Theology and religious studies

Theology and religious studies 1
A person is required to just read the Bible what it says and is not required to interpret it. The
people understand most of the things so well out of the Bible and put into practice.
Hermeneutics is the field of study and find the existing significance of the ancient texts. It is
all about asking questions regarding meaning of Bible in ‘here and now’. A person cannot
mean Bible the way he want it to mean and claim the Holy Spirit’s imprimatur1. On the other
side, exegesis is the act of critically understanding a text with the aim of drawing the meaning
out of the text. So, it covers all types of inquiries. ‘Proper “hermeneutics” begins with solid
“exegesis’’ as exegesis is the actual interpretation of the Bible whereas hermeneutics is the
way a person interprets the Bible2. It is simply identified as the theory vs. application. The
Hermeneutics also studies the protagonist of exegesis in the interpretation. It also deliberates
the role of church doctrine and theology in the interpretation and these are inappropriate to
exegesis. The focus of exegesis is just on the text whereas hermeneutics focuses on the
substance like exegesis and why a person does it? How is it done? How should it be done?
Exegesis is critical in nature and makes use of some scientific method and implies some prior
hermeneutic. Hermeneutics is way beyond then the exegesis.
1 Fee, Gordon D., and Douglas Stuart. How to read the Bible for all its worth. Zondervan, 2014.
2 Malcolm, Matthew. From Hermeneutics to Exegesis: The Trajectory of Biblical Interpretation. B&H
Publishing Group, 2018.