Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 26:1 (Mar 1983)
Article: Truth, Meaning And Inerrancy In Contemporary Evangelical Thought
Author: John S. Feinberg

JETS 26:1 (March 1983) p. 17

Truth, Meaning And Inerrancy In Contemporary
Evangelical Thought

John S. Feinberg*

In recent years there has been increasing interest in both academic and non-academic circles in the phenomenon of evangelical Christianity. So much interest has arisen among nonevangelicals that there has even been a desire to create a chair of evangelical theology at such universities as Harvard. Traditionally evangelicalism has been considered as of all one stripe by many of a more liberal persuasion. For example, it would be safe to say that many in the liberal camp have seen no essential difference between a school like Fuller Theological Seminary and a school like Dallas Theological Seminary (or even Bob Jones University). I would suggest, though, that once nonevangelicals begin to study evangelicalism in greater depth they will discover what evangelicals have known all along—viz., that there are many nuances and forms of evangelicalism. They range from the fundamentalist stance of Bob Jones University and Liberty Baptist College (and there are significant differences between those two schools and the forms of fundamentalism they represent) toward the right end of the spectrum to Fuller Theological Seminary with its form of evangelicalism toward the left end of the spectrum (and some within evangelicalism argue that Fuller no longer deserves the label of evangelical).

This divergence of perspectives within evangelicalism is perhaps nowhere seen so clearly as it is in regard to the way evangelicals handle the Bible: (1) There is the matter of divergent approaches within evangelicalism concerning the interpretation of Scripture, and (2) there is also great variety in regard to the perception of the inerrancy of Scripture. In this paper I shall set forth some of the divergent perspectives within evangelicalism on these issues as they involve hermeneutics in hopes that they will illumine for nonevangelicals in particular some of the intramural debates within evangelicalism on these issues. My intention is to be descriptive and not polemical, though it will not be altogether possible to avoid some evaluative comments on the positions presented. In particular, I think that the hermeneutical diversity within evangelicalism can be illustrated by focusing on three main issues: (1) the commitment to (or lack of commitment to) and understanding of literal hermeneutics; (2) the debate between dispensational and nondispensational theologies on proper interpretation and use of the OT; and (3) the debate over Biblical inerrancy. In each case I shall attempt to distinguish the camp within evangelicalism that is represented by the views being presented.

Probably one of the hallmarks of modern evangelicalism has been a commitment to literal-grammatical-historical hermeneutics. One has only to ...