"(1) the world of the text, (2) the world behind the text, (3) the world before the text"
When I was reading this article this struck me because often time we read a story, an article, or even the bible for that matter, it is often that we do not stop to think about the society from which text is developed. I find that sometimes, when I am reading, I am reading without any notion of thinking about cultural norms and origin of that text. While I was reading this article it just really made me think how much I truly have been missing because I have neglected to pay attention to those factors. A lot of times we read things and can’t understand them because we have connected with the time that the text was written.
In thinking about the world of a text, especially in relations to Scripture, sometimes when reading the Word it is hard to grasp some of the things that are going on because we are approaching it with a 21st century mind when it was written so long ago. In order to understand it in certain areas you have to understand all three of these factors.
This does not just hold true for Scripture but for all literature, whether current or not. In order to truly engage in the literature you have to put yourself in the place and time of the author because through their words they are trying to get you to see what they saw and feel what they felt.
We can always apply it to today’s situation and imagine the way someone felt or what they saw but until you see or hear the story through their eyes then you truly take away from what the text is supposed to mean.
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I agree with all of this. I read the bible often times and think it means one thing but then realize that the context that they wrote it in may be totally different from what it means. This happens a lot in the bible because of the translations of the text through out the years and the different versions written. Through doing the research and disecting the text we get a better understanding of the text that we read.
ReplyDeleteThis is so true. I loved applying this to my devotions. So often we read the bible and think we're taking in the context but when we truly meditate and reflect on the scriptures we learn so much more. I love getting a better understanding of what I read and think this is very applicable to our lives.
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