its practitioners are subjective, it is largely limited to the study of natural
phenomena, it involves unavoidable uncertainty, and (on its own) it can-
not answer questions of aesthetics or ethics. While scientifi c methods lend
themselves to objectivity, the people who use them are typically as sub-
jective as other people. In other words, scientists can be and often are as
biased as any other group of people, often confl ating bona fi de scientifi c
conclusions with philosophical or theological presuppositions.
I NTERPRETING GOD’S WORD
Science–theology dialogue is challenging, in part, because there are so
many possible combinations of scientifi c methodologies, biblical herme-
neutical approaches, and philosophical presuppositions. Just as there is
no single scientifi c method, so there is no single hermeneutical approach.
Donald Keesey discusses seven overall hermeneutical perspectives that
correlate with the major contextual loci from which any literary text’s
meaning can be derived: the author, the text itself, the reader, reality, lit-
erature, language, and culture. 16 Randolph Tate offers a good summary
of the perspectives, extending Keesey’s suggestions of how to categorize
representative critical methodologies. 17 Each perspective has inherent or
potential strengths and limitations. In addition, we should mention the
approach of theological interpretation of Scripture. Theological interpre-
tation, according to Kevin J. Vanhoozer, cannot be correlated with any of
the various types of criticism. Rather, it will draw on the various critical
methods and “incorporate whatever is true, noble, right, admirable, and
useful.” 18 What it adds is “a consideration of divine action,” treating the
Scriptures as “texts that testify to God’s presence and action in history.” 19
We turn, then, to a brief description and evaluation of Keesey’s seven
perspectives.
Author-centered approaches focus on the author’s intended meaning,
that is, what the biblical author intended to communicate to his audience.
“Communication” is the key concept here. Author-centered approaches
emphasize the original-author-to-original-audience communicative func-
tion in biblical texts.
Text-centered approaches take their cue from the text being all that we
have. In these approaches, the meaning of a work of art becomes public
property and cannot be controlled by the artist. Thus, to the extent that
a piece of literature is artistic, the intention of the author is not relevant
in evaluating its success as art. 20 In the case of literature, meaning resides
282 M. TENNESON ET AL.