Each living person draws upon two quite distinct sources
of meaning. The current 'vulgate' or common
understanding. This is that which enables us to
communicate with one another. Hidden beneath this is a 'private
thesaurus'. What any two people mean when they speak or hear will overlap
only to a certain extent by virtue of their sharing the
'vulgate' of a particular human group.
The above is myth. No person ever receives
revelation from God through "cultural or common vulgate/understanding" and
the Bible is a closed book to those who possess that alone.
No reader comes to a text as a
'cultural virgin'. Our readings are affected at the outset by
pre-understanding and private thesaurus.The meaning which we retrieve from a
text will never be absolutely identical with the meaning which it had for
its author or, for any other reader.
Thoughts of a "natural man" Lance. Doesn't
matter how many cultures one understands the issue is natural vs spiritual
when it comes to understanding God's Word.
One is life the other is death. Oh and BTW this is not just a "story"
it is life vs death.
Meaning is something which 'happens' when we read the text
and which is like the knowledge of the Lord in which the Psalmist rejoiced,
new every morning. This is not a transparent text
through which we view something else. It is like a stained glass window
depicting a story. It is 'the story we find ourselves in'.
Sure Lance, it's just like Lord of the
Rings....
