I see what you're saying here, but my typical understanding of the problems in interpreting John 14:6 are that they are cultural problems: that is, not so much associated with a universal style of interpretation, as with the associations to a given word or phrasing which most readily come to the reader's mind depending on that reader's culture and experience.
For example, the Christological notion of hypostatic union (of Man and God) is the first thing that comes to my mind when I read this passage, because of the cultural elements I have been exposed to. Reading the passage in this light is in no sense a 'soft' interpretation from my point of view. To me, this hypostatic union is a very specific idea which is very explicitly associated with the language and phrasing being used here.
As we know all too well, the first associations of people approaching this text with different backgrounds will be quite different.
I think where your idea of interpretive styles may come in is perhaps before this -- in opening up the reader's mind to the idea that their mental associations to a text are not intrinsic to it, but rather functions of their cultural experience; and thus encouraging them to explore other such experiences in the pursuit of understanding the text.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2005-11-06 10:17 am (UTC)For example, the Christological notion of hypostatic union (of Man and God) is the first thing that comes to my mind when I read this passage, because of the cultural elements I have been exposed to. Reading the passage in this light is in no sense a 'soft' interpretation from my point of view. To me, this hypostatic union is a very specific idea which is very explicitly associated with the language and phrasing being used here.
As we know all too well, the first associations of people approaching this text with different backgrounds will be quite different.
I think where your idea of interpretive styles may come in is perhaps before this -- in opening up the reader's mind to the idea that their mental associations to a text are not intrinsic to it, but rather functions of their cultural experience; and thus encouraging them to explore other such experiences in the pursuit of understanding the text.