Originalism in Theology and Law

Comparing Perspectives on the Bible and the Constitution

Edited by Mark J. Boone and Mark D. Eckel - Contributions by Micah Allred; Mark J. Boone; Mark D. Eckel; John Ehrett; Nicholas Higgins; Jonathan Johnson; Menashe C. Roberts; Mark A. Snoeberger and Daniel Weissglass

In the study of American law, originalism is primarily a theory about the meaning of the Constitution—that its meaning can only change when its words change. Originalism also appears in biblical theology as a theory on the meaning of the Bible—that its meaning is that intended by the original authors. Originalism in Theology and Law: Comparing Perspectives on the Bible and the Constitution offers a study of originalism in both the Bible and the Constitution. While there are significant connections between originalism as a theory of biblical interpretation and as Constitutional interpretation, there are also differences in the type of text as well as its purpose, function, origins, or authority, which may affect which nuanced version of originalism best fits a particular text, or the best method of interpreting it.

Lexington Books

Pages: 240 • Trim: 6¼ x 9¼

978-1-66693-212-6 • Hardback • January 2024 • $110.00 • (£85.00)

Subjects: Religion / Theology, Religion / Biblical Criticism & Interpretation / General, Religion / Biblical Studies / History & Culture

Originalism in Theology and Law

Comparing Perspectives on the Bible and the Constitution

Hardback

Summary

In the study of American law, originalism is primarily a theory about the meaning of the Constitution—that its meaning can only change when its words change. Originalism also appears in biblical theology as a theory on the meaning of the Bible—that its meaning is that intended by the original authors. Originalism in Theology and Law: Comparing Perspectives on the Bible and the Constitution offers a study of originalism in both the Bible and the Constitution. While there are significant connections between originalism as a theory of biblical interpretation and as Constitutional interpretation, there are also differences in the type of text as well as its purpose, function, origins, or authority, which may affect which nuanced version of originalism best fits a particular text, or the best method of interpreting it.

Details

Lexington Books

Pages: 240 • Trim: 6¼ x 9¼

978-1-66693-212-6 • Hardback • January 2024 • $110.00 • (£85.00)

Subjects: Religion / Theology, Religion / Biblical Criticism & Interpretation / General, Religion / Biblical Studies / History & Culture

Author

Mark J. Boone is assistant professor in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Hong Kong Baptist University.
Mark D. Eckel is president of The Comenius Institute and associate faculty for various institutions, including Indiana University Indianapolis and Capital Seminary & Graduate School, Lancaster, PA.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Two Originalisms, Mark J. Boone
Chapter 1: Originalism: First Theology, First Things, Mark Eckel
Chapter 2: Reading Pictures: Comparing Aesthetic and Hermeneutic Discussions of Intention, Jonathan Johnson
Chapter 3: The Torah Is Not in Heaven: Living Originalism and Political Integrity in the Oven of Akhnai, Daniel Weissglass
Chapter 4: Sacred Scripture, Sacred Constitution: Individual Religious Hermeneutics and Constitutional Interpretation, Nicholas Higgins and Micah Allred
Chapter 5: Originalism and Judicial Restraint: Lessons from the Lutheran Reformation, John Ehrett
Chapter 6: The Originalist Hermeneutic in Biblical and Constitutional Context: Comparing and Contrasting the Notion of Originalism in Two Very Different Fields, Mark A. Snoeberger
Chapter 7: Originalism and the Sources of Authority, Mark J. Boone
Chapter 8: A Difference Between Biblical and Constitutional Originalism, Menashe C. Roberts
Chapter 9: First Theology and Last Things, Mark Eckel
About the Authors

Reviews

I didn’t know how much I needed Originalism in Theology and Law until I read it. Even in biblical hermeneutics, I find from this book that my so-called expertise is built upon unexamined presuppositions in need of philosophical reengineering. Theology and constitutional law both need a book which forces us to think through definitions, follow logical progressions of thought, examine evidence, and creatively apply ideas to authoritative texts like the American Constitution and the divine Word of God. How I wish that people of all positions, both legal and theological, could read this book and learn to think through their views more carefully.

— Robert K. Wetmore, Forman Christian College

The authority of both Holy Scripture and our Constitution depend on their conveying discernible truths which can be known through acts of interpretation. Originalists argue that these truths are bound up with the intentions of the authors of these works – God, in the case of Scripture, and the Framers, in the case of the Constitution. The essays in this masterful volume defend originalism and explore the similarities and differences between constitutional and Biblical originalism. A must read for anyone interested in the challenges to the originalist project.

— John Hill, Indiana University

Originalism in Theology and Law is a welcome salvo in an ecumenical and interdisciplinary conversation that has been too long dominated by originalism’s critics. A future volume could fruitfully explore perspectives from the Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions, which prioritize the role of tradition in biblical interpretation, and their relationship to legal interpretive methods that emphasize tradition as a guide to original meaning.

— Public Discourse