| The history of modern biblical interpretation is checkered, calling forth a number of recent attempts to rethink and resituate readers theologically and ethically. At least two tendencies emerge in these remedial proposals, both of which animate this project: (1) many accounts privilege either divine action (theology) or human response (ethics); (2) few proposals have availed themselves of the potential hermeneutical resources of a more extensive biblical theology. This study offers a theological and ethical account of Christian readers of Scripture---one that brings together these two apparently divergent poles---through the deployment of a biblical theological motif: royal priesthood. The designation of the people of God as a royal priesthood, conditioned and informed by the offices of king and priest, carries with it themes that frame the hermeneutical situation in such a way that accounts well for both divine agency and human response.;Chapter 1 sets the context for this study by highlighting recent representative dogmatic and ethical proposals for depicting Scripture readers. Part I (chapters 2--4) explores biblically "royal priesthood," kingship, and priesthood as they relate to reading the Word of God, to discover the themes and practices that might inform an account of God's people as royal priestly readers. Part II (chapters 5--6) is a bridge between the biblical theology of Part I and the theological synthesis of the final chapters, highlighting Christ as the ideal royal priestly "reader" of God's Word and Luther's constructive, though underdeveloped, synthesis of the preceding material. Part III (chapters 7--8) sets forth a constructive account of readers, addressing the place of divine agency (specifically election and sanctification), covenant (as embodied by Christ), as well as human response (in the forms of particular interpretive virtues as well as ministerial and missionary reading practices) in depicting readers. |
