Daniel Treier on the Theological Interpretation of Scripture

Daniel Treier's stimulating book Introducing Theological Interpretation of Scripture serves as a kind of companion to the Dictionary of Theological Interpretation of the Bible. Treier's claim is that there has been in the past two decades a movement towards the recovery of a hermeneutics that is properly theological. This movement, which is fascinating in its ecumenical breadth, respects the unity of the Scriptures and the wisdom of the great interpreters of the past. I say ecumenical breadth because it appears that Roman Catholic, Lutheran, conservative evangelical and reformed thinkers have simultaneously made a discovery/recovery of this kind of interpretation.

Some samples from Treier:

From the ancient masters we can recover a way of integrating Scripture study with piety that has been virtually lost in much of late modern Western culture. We can also learn to read the Bible as Christ-centred in a way that makes possible spiritual participation in the realities of which Scripture speaks. Moreover, we can imitate reading for application with theological, not just narrowly exegetical, guidance and restraint. p. 54

Theology is the practice of all Christian people growing in their knowledge of God amidst their various life activities and church practices. The academic discipline of theology is not entirely separate from, or more important than, ordinary Christian growth in biblical discernment. Rather, professional theologians ought to pursue the same practices as lay Christians but with different intensities of inquiry, amounts of time and levels of expertise. p. 188