Abstract

BUITENDAG, Johan. "God with us": faithfully reflected on Scripture. Herv. teol. stud. [online]. 2008, vol.64, n.3, pp.1131-1154. ISSN 2072-8050.

The theme of the article is a revisiting of the understanding of Holy Scripture from a dogmatic viewpoint. It is the author's conviction that the point of departure for such an exposition is revelation, which, of course, has to be deconstructed. The epistemological dilemma is that although revelation has ontological priority, it is only noetically accessible. Therefore, it is evident that Scripture has to be regarded as testimony, which puts it on the same level as tradition, except for the accord of the faith community. The application of the thesis is dedicated to the reception of revelation. Scripture then, is the accorded sediment of the reciprocity of the speaking God and a responding people. The conclusion is that the Bible does not have an intrinsic principle, but that referential meaning is given to it by the faith community. This ectopic center can only be ascribed to the work of the Spirit. This creates space for a scientific theology where an extra-systemic understanding of reality corresponds with an intra-systemic coherence.

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