September 23, 2011

NAIROBI, Kenya/GENEVA – Biblical interpretation must be relevant to issues facing society, including HIV and AIDS, scholars urged during a global consultation of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) deliberating contemporary Lutheran understanding of Scripture.

"Our Lutheran tapestry is varied and vividly colored: in order to keep it whole and strong, we seek to find ways to recognize the integrity and authenticity of each strand in a spirit of mutual love," stated the consultation's final report titled, "Contemporary Lutheran Hermeneutics for the Life of the Church."

The first in a series of consultations organized by the LWF Department for Theology and Studies (DTS) in Nairobi, Kenya, 9-14 September, it focused on the Bible, especially on the Gospel of John.

The 35 theologians and church leaders explored ways in which Lutherans of different cultures, contexts and backgrounds read and interpret the Bible and look for ways to deepen the Lutheran communion as it approaches the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017. They called on the LWF to be "a liberating witness in affirming life and salvation."

Recalling Paul's statement "faith comes from hearing," the consultation recognized that honoring the biblical text "involves listening to it, asking questions of it and of ourselves. Honoring each other also involves listening to one another and asking questions of one another that will help us learn."

The theologians elaborated several important aspects of Lutheran hermeneutics and readings. They noted in the report that "Trained theologians, pastors and others should be aware of their leadership responsibility regarding issues related to power and agency by recognizing the importance of the priesthood of all believers as a guiding principle against the temptation of those in power to abuse that power." They also said "The biblical text has to be interpreted in a communal setting in resonance with and dissonance to present practices and the present contextual situation."

In interpreting the Word of God, they stated, it is important to take into account the contexts within which the witness is made. "With a holistic approach, we articulate that God cares for people's spiritual and physical needs and understand ourselves as coworkers with God in this mission," the report states.

During her presentations, Rev. Dr Monica Jyotsna Melanchthon of Gurukul Theological College and Research Institute at Chennai, India, said the Bible must be read in ways that serves the needs of the community to rise above oppression, including caste systems, sexism and political domination.

Sometimes in multicultural and multi-religious societies such as Asia, biblical interpretations are used to stigmatize women or those who suffer from HIV or AIDS, she said.

Charity Not Enough

In his paper Rev. Dr Olehile Andries Buffel, who teaches Practical Theology at the University of South Africa, noted that those with HIV and AIDS in South Africa suffer from judgments based on misinterpretations of biblical stories such as Jesus' encounter with the disabled man near the pool at Bethesda found in John 5: 1-18.

Buffel said HIV and AIDS can never be a private matter as it affects all people and illustrates how the world, including the church as the body of Christ, is not well.

"We, as Christians in the global communion, are not called simply to offer charity to those whose physical bodies have a virus. Our undeniable belonging to the community challenges us to embrace the fact, however painful, that the virus has come into our bodies," he argued.

"We should not absolve ourselves of the responsibility to help our neighbors living with HIV and AIDS. Our journeys with those living with the virus have to be wrapped up with grace instead of the usual neglect, judgment, condemnation, dehumanization and stigmatization," Buffel added.

Holy Spirit Uncovers Truth

Dr Anni Hentschel of the University of Frankfurt (Germany) emphasized that by rejecting the authority of traditional interpretation of the Bible, Luther set Scripture free so that readers could uncover the meaning of texts on their own and also in community with other readers.

She explained that for Luther, reading the Scriptures was "more than recognizing the letters and words, rather it was application of the text to the heart of each reader initiated by the Holy Spirit."

On the Reformation anniversary, the participants identified some key concepts for ongoing reflection toward defining Lutheran hermeneutics for the 21st century.

"We continue on the journey of the Reformation trusting in God's liberating and transforming power in church and society, not only looking back to Luther, but also forward with Luther," they stated.

Lutheran World Information