This introduction to the interpretation of the Bible begins by asking why the Christian faith has been so variously understood over the centuries by so many well-meaning and scholarly people; why we do not understand the Bible more clearly and how it may be possible to read its books with a better chance of discerning, their meaning.
The book is divided into three major sections. The first seeks to establish some starting points, including a definition of the task of hermeneutics, a clarification of current issues in the debate and a discussion of the critical assumptions which must be clear to the interpreter from the start. The second tries to provide some hermeneutical guidelines and practical approaches for contemporary interpreters of the Christian faith who use the Bible as their primary resource. The third applies the theme to various interpreters of the Christian faith across the centuries of church history. A final chapter suggests some ways in which the Bible might be used to guide the church. No other book combines in a simple volume all the main issues involved in this complex yet vitally important area.