AUC Theologica is a peer-reviewed journal for theology published twice a year. As we publish original papers in English, German, French, and Italian, our mission is to serve as a platform both for Czech researchers, who can present their research results in these languages, and for international contributors, who are invited to enter the academic theological discussion in the heart of Europe.
The journal focuses on a wide range of theological disciplines, such as systematic theology, biblical studies, patristic studies, pastoral and spiritual theology, religious education, church history, etc. Within these fields, the journal seeks to reflect the current theological questions and problems, which often requires interdisciplinary approaches. Supporting the intersection of various theological disciplines, we thus also welcome theological papers touching other academic fields including philosophy, sociology, literary studies, and science.
Each issue consists of two sections. The thematic section presents papers of the same focus. The section called ‘Varia’ invites papers dealing with various theological themes from the perspective of all Christian traditions. Our current and past issues are approachable for free on this website in the form of Open Access.
AUC THEOLOGICA, Vol 4 No 2 (2014), 233–246
Readers, Texts, and the Fusion of Horizons: Theology and Gadamer’s Hermeneutics
Matthew W. Knotts
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14712/23363398.2015.6
published online: 10. 12. 2014
abstract
The practise of hermeneutics originates in a theological context, and indeed, the work of Hans-Georg Gadamer has exerted an influence over theologians and religious persons for the last half century. What if any relevance does a text, for instance, a biblical one, have for us today? Is it severed from us due to its historical and temporal distance? Even if it has some message which can be relevant today, how is one to access and interpret it? Gadamer deals with such issues in his masterwork Truth and Method, offering resources through his understanding of the nature of texts and what he calls the fusion of horizons. For Gadamer, an horizon constitutes one’s worldview. Yet this horizon is subject to expansion and revision, as well as contact with other horizons. In this process of fusing horizons, understanding occurs between minds, and one grows in one’s awareness and pursuit of truth. Gadamer maintains that this can happen across both hermeneutical and historical boundaries, hence preserving the applicability of a text to a different context without compromising its unique historical origins. Čtenář, text a splývání jejich horizontů: Teologie a Gadamerova hermeneutika Zájem o hermeneutiku se zrodil v teologickém prostředí. Jednou z nejvlivnějších postav a vzorů hermeneutiky od poloviny minulého století až dodnes se stal Hans-Georg Gadamer. Jaký má pro nás, lidi 21. století, smysl biblický text? Nebo se zeptejme takto: má pro nás vůbec nějaký smysl? Je od nás časově i dějinně vzdálen. I kdyby pro nás nějaké poselství přece jen měl, otázkou zůstává, jak jej interpretovat? Těmito a podobnými otázkami se zabývá Gadamer ve svém životním díle Pravda a Metoda. Ukazuje, jak s takovými texty pracovat. Jako klíče využívá způsob porozumění charakteru textů a to, čemu říká splývání horizontů. Horizontem se podle Gadamera rozumí náš světonázor. Každý horizont se rozpíná, podléhá přehodnocování a také se setkává s jinými horizonty. Během splývání horizontů dochází k porozumění a přibližování pravdě. Podle Gadamera se toto vše děje napříč hermeneutickými i historickými hranicemi – text musí být aplikovatelný v jiném než jeho původním kontextu, ale současně zůstává zachována jeho historická jedinečnost.
keywords: Hermeneutics; (Fusion of) horizons; Interpretation hermeneutika; (splývání) horizontů; interpretace
Readers, Texts, and the Fusion of Horizons: Theology and Gadamer’s Hermeneutics is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
148 x 210 mm
periodicity: 2 x per year
print price: 100 czk
ISSN: 1804-5588
E-ISSN: 2336-3398
