Literary Criticism and the Biblical Worldview

In an article that I wrote earlier in the year titled “Literary Criticism and Postmodernism”, I explored some of the ways that Postmodern theory undermines our ability to offer objective interpretations of literary texts. I showed that Postmodernism does this is by dismissing the importance of authorial intent, leaving the reader free to impose his or her own meaning onto a text. (Also see this humorous follow-up article I wrote.)

In “Literary Criticism and Postmodernism” I suggested that many Christians have unwittingly imbibed a postmodern approach to scripture through a failure to properly distinguish between interpretation and application. The question ‘What does this verse mean to me?’ often takes precedent over the prior question, ‘What did the author of this verse mean by it?”

I have recently broadened this discussion by suggesting some additional ways that we, as Christians, often unwittingly approach literary texts through a postmodernist lens. I have done this in my Colson Center article 'Literary Criticism and the Biblical Worldview part 1'. I show that the appropriate instinct to interpret everything through the lens of the Bible often misfires, resulting in an approach to texts which is little more than postmodernism with a Christian gloss. To read my article, click on the following link:

'Literary Criticism and the Biblical Worldview part 1

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