No, this is not something that requires a shot.
Hermeneutics is essentially the study of how we interpret the bible.
For example:
- What determines whether something was meant literally or figuratively?
- How do we choose whether to read a passage as a story or as history?
- Which parts of the bible were meant for a specific time, and which are timeless?
Everyone has their own hermeneutic, or underlying set of beliefs that dictate how we read the bible. It is influenced by our childhood, the church(es) we’ve attended, our friends, our culture, and numerous other factors. It likely changes as we age as well.
Scot McKnight has an interesting book on this topic called “The Blue Parakeet“. He has also written a quiz to help you determine where you fall in the spectrum. Before you get too critical, this quiz is not scientific, and it is not perfect. However, I believe that the result it presents is a pretty good picture of where you stand. Perhaps even more interesting is the actual taking of the test, where you see some of the other possible interpretations.
Take the test! It’s only 20 questions. Post your score here when you’re done.
Click here for the test
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