The Bible is a book belonging to all mankind with universal significance. However, due to the differences in race, region, and culture among humans, there are many variations in the understanding and application of the Bible, with localized practices. These two aspects intertwine, displaying both charm and tension.
Recently, Dr. Wu Dongri, a theological researcher who holds Ph.D. from Yonsei University, South Korea and a postdoctoral degree from Tsinghua University called for Chinese people to consider interpreting the Bible with an Eastern way of thinking.
In a lecture titled “Interpreting the Bible and the Significance of Hermeneutics With an Eastern Mindset,” Dr. Wu shared that Western interpretation is universal and objective, influenced by rationalism, which believes that human rationality can objectively grasp objects. However, there are different ways of thinking between the East and the West. Therefore, when Easterners seem to be learning their methods of interpreting the Bible, they are actually learning their way of thinking.
Hermeneutics is more developed in the West and has a history and transformation there. The reseracher explained that we generally believe that the most important law of biblical hermeneutics is to read the original meaning of the Bible. Schleiermacher, Ricoeur, Heidegger, Nietzsche, and Gadamer are just a few of the figures who have influenced hermeneutics in the West since Kant.
"Among them, Ricoeur emphasizes the 'empirical distance,' which is the distance between the world of the text and ‘me’ as the reader." He said, "There is a sense of distance first, and then integration. When integrating, some changes occur in ‘me’, and communication takes place through and in the distance."
Dr. Wu believes that the problem of textual interpretation lies in the key issue of hermeneutics. "When the interpreter's subjective world and the world of the text are not in close proximity to one another, the interpreter's subjective world can easily dominate the text world. Ricoeur’s greatest effort is to make the world of the text clearer and relatively independent, which can bring ‘me’ some new cognition, perception, and breakthroughs. In addition, Ricoeur argues that the text (the Bible) is a medium through which we interpret ourselves. Understanding is to understand oneself in front of the text, to change ourselves as readers, and to put it into practice. That is to say, it should finally be implemented in practice."
“Biblical hermeneutics has reached the highest level today, reaching the level of Ricoeur. My efforts are to clarify the thinking structure of Chinese readers based on Ricoeur’s work and further explore the methodology of interpreting texts,” he added.
“I want to use Eastern thinking, that is, Eastern cognitive methods, to interpret the Bible. Cognitive methods are logic, ways of thinking, and how to treat others. There are not only cognitive issues but also issues of values, which are all included in ways of thinking.”
According to Heidegger's concept, it is completely demonstrable that, whether or not we criticize Chinese culture, it still influences us. “We look at the principle of incarnation, divine words (the words of God), and human words—human words are not abstract. Human words are either English, German, or Chinese; all are specific languages, and there is no universal language. After Heidegger, every issue discussed is specific. There are no abstract humans; only Chinese, Americans, Koreans, and Japanese are specific humans. There are no abstract humans, but the West has always emphasized the concept of abstract humans, which is fictional. This discussion is meaningful, but we also need to know its limitations.”
At the same time, he emphasized that when talking about Chinese culture, we cannot only discuss it in isolation, but recognize our own characteristics in comparison with other different types of cultures. “In this process, we must overcome ‘Orientalism.’”
Orientalism refers to the general term for the study of the history, literature, culture, and other disciplines of Eastern countries, but it also refers to some conclusions and judgments drawn by Westerners in their study of Easterners. “So Edward W. Said believes that it (Orientalism) is a biased way of thinking or cognitive system in which Westerners disdain Eastern culture and arbitrarily invent ‘Eastern culture’,” he argued.
Therefore, Dr. Wu called on Christians to overcome Orientalism as it is a way for Western culture to control Easterners.
- Translated by Charlie Li
圣经是属于全人类的一本书，有普世意义，但因为人类有种族、地域、文化之分，所以在理解和应用圣经时也出现许多差异，有本土化实践，这两者之间交织，魅力和张力并存。
日前，一位神学研究者吴东日博士呼吁中国人需要思考用东方思维解释圣经。
在一场题为《用东方思维解释圣经及其诠释学意义》讲座中，吴博士分享了西方的解释就是普遍的、客观的，受理性主义的影响，认为人的理性可以客观地把握对象，但是东方和西方有不同的思维方式。所以，东方人看上去学他们解释圣经的方法，但其实学的是他们的思维方式。
诠释学在西方比较发达，又被称为解释学，在西方有一段历史，也有转型。我们普遍认为，圣经诠释学最重要的定律是读出圣经本来的意思。自西方康德之后，诠释学进程受到施莱尔马赫、利科尔、海德格尔、尼采、加达默尔等人的影响。
其中，利科尔强调“实证的距离”，就是文本的世界和作为读者我的距离，首先有个距离感然后再融合，融合的时候在我这里产生一些变化，在距离中并通过距离进行交流。
他认为，文本的注释问题才是解释学的关键问题。解经者的主观世界和文本的世界拉开之后，文本世界很容易被我主观的世界所吞没，利科尔最大的努力是把文本的世界更明确，让文本相对有独立性，才能带给我一些新的认知、感知和突破。并且，利科尔论证说，文本（圣经）是我们通过它来解释我们自己的中介，理解就是在文本面前理解自我，是要改变我们读者，并且付诸行动。就是说要最后落实于实践。
“圣经诠释学发展到今天，最高的就是达到利科尔的程度。我的努力方向是在利科尔的基础上，更加明晰作为读者的中国人的思维结构，进一步探索解读文本的方法论。”他说道。
“我是要用东方的思维方式即东方的认知方式来解释圣经。认知方式是逻辑、思维方式，怎么对待对方，不仅有一个认知的问题，还有价值观的问题，这个都是包含在思维方式中的。”
他解释道，我们对中国文化不管批判与否，我们就是中国文化熏陶出来的——这个按海德格尔的概念完全是可以论证的。“我们看道成肉身的原理、神言（神的话语）和人言——人言不是抽象的，人言要么是英语、要么是德语、要么是汉语......都是具体的语言，没有一个普遍的语言。到海德格尔之后谈什么问题都是具体的，没有抽象的人，只有中国人、美国人、韩国人、日本人......都是具体的人，没有具体的人的人是不存在的，但西方一直强调没有具体的人的人，这个概念是虚构的，这个讨论有意义，但我们也要知道它的局限性。”
同时，他强调，讲中国文化也不能单拿中国文化来论中国文化，是和其他不同类型的文化的比较中重新认识自己的特点。“在这个过程中，首先要克服‘东方主义’。”
东方主义原是研究东方各国的历史、文学、文化等学科的总称，但是西方人研究东方人得出的一些结论和判断。“所以萨义德认为，它（东方主义）是一种西方人藐视东方文化；并任意虚构‘东方文化’的一种偏见性的思维方式或认识体系。”
所以，他呼吁基督徒要克服东方主义，因为它是西方人文化上对东方人控制的一种方式。
一神学研究者谈：用东方思维解释圣经及其诠释学的意义 （上）
The Bible is a book belonging to all mankind with universal significance. However, due to the differences in race, region, and culture among humans, there are many variations in the understanding and application of the Bible, with localized practices. These two aspects intertwine, displaying both charm and tension.
Recently, Dr. Wu Dongri, a theological researcher who holds Ph.D. from Yonsei University, South Korea and a postdoctoral degree from Tsinghua University called for Chinese people to consider interpreting the Bible with an Eastern way of thinking.
In a lecture titled “Interpreting the Bible and the Significance of Hermeneutics With an Eastern Mindset,” Dr. Wu shared that Western interpretation is universal and objective, influenced by rationalism, which believes that human rationality can objectively grasp objects. However, there are different ways of thinking between the East and the West. Therefore, when Easterners seem to be learning their methods of interpreting the Bible, they are actually learning their way of thinking.
Hermeneutics is more developed in the West and has a history and transformation there. The reseracher explained that we generally believe that the most important law of biblical hermeneutics is to read the original meaning of the Bible. Schleiermacher, Ricoeur, Heidegger, Nietzsche, and Gadamer are just a few of the figures who have influenced hermeneutics in the West since Kant.
"Among them, Ricoeur emphasizes the 'empirical distance,' which is the distance between the world of the text and ‘me’ as the reader." He said, "There is a sense of distance first, and then integration. When integrating, some changes occur in ‘me’, and communication takes place through and in the distance."
Dr. Wu believes that the problem of textual interpretation lies in the key issue of hermeneutics. "When the interpreter's subjective world and the world of the text are not in close proximity to one another, the interpreter's subjective world can easily dominate the text world. Ricoeur’s greatest effort is to make the world of the text clearer and relatively independent, which can bring ‘me’ some new cognition, perception, and breakthroughs. In addition, Ricoeur argues that the text (the Bible) is a medium through which we interpret ourselves. Understanding is to understand oneself in front of the text, to change ourselves as readers, and to put it into practice. That is to say, it should finally be implemented in practice."
“Biblical hermeneutics has reached the highest level today, reaching the level of Ricoeur. My efforts are to clarify the thinking structure of Chinese readers based on Ricoeur’s work and further explore the methodology of interpreting texts,” he added.
“I want to use Eastern thinking, that is, Eastern cognitive methods, to interpret the Bible. Cognitive methods are logic, ways of thinking, and how to treat others. There are not only cognitive issues but also issues of values, which are all included in ways of thinking.”
According to Heidegger's concept, it is completely demonstrable that, whether or not we criticize Chinese culture, it still influences us. “We look at the principle of incarnation, divine words (the words of God), and human words—human words are not abstract. Human words are either English, German, or Chinese; all are specific languages, and there is no universal language. After Heidegger, every issue discussed is specific. There are no abstract humans; only Chinese, Americans, Koreans, and Japanese are specific humans. There are no abstract humans, but the West has always emphasized the concept of abstract humans, which is fictional. This discussion is meaningful, but we also need to know its limitations.”
At the same time, he emphasized that when talking about Chinese culture, we cannot only discuss it in isolation, but recognize our own characteristics in comparison with other different types of cultures. “In this process, we must overcome ‘Orientalism.’”
Orientalism refers to the general term for the study of the history, literature, culture, and other disciplines of Eastern countries, but it also refers to some conclusions and judgments drawn by Westerners in their study of Easterners. “So Edward W. Said believes that it (Orientalism) is a biased way of thinking or cognitive system in which Westerners disdain Eastern culture and arbitrarily invent ‘Eastern culture’,” he argued.
Therefore, Dr. Wu called on Christians to overcome Orientalism as it is a way for Western culture to control Easterners.
- Translated by Charlie Li
Theological Researcher Urgues Chinese Christians to Interpret the Bible With Eastern Mindset
