Frank Whaling Article Review

A Review of

Whaling, Frank. (2000). “Scripture and Its Meanings: A Comparative Perspective Scriptures as Texts – Or More,” Studies in World Christianity, v6.1, 78-90;

(Tina)Theresa Hannah-Munns

F. Volker Griefenhagen

September 8^th, 2006

Based on a covert structuralist approach to scripture, Frank Whaling integrates the didactic tendencies of most scholars to either view scripture as asocially empowered or secularly historical into a middle position (though emphasizing the less trendy phenomological approach even as he repositions it as a transcendent principle rather than inherent one) that accounts for the various theoretical attempts to describe how scriptures should be handled[1] in academic discourses. This attempt begins by first bringing together the relationship between oral and written texts and the interpreted product of text with the production of interpretation that proceeds from these texts while also introducing his notion of “transcendence” that allows for continuous dialogue to occur between the interpreted and the interpreter. This reduces the likelihood of the reader to resort to the more reductive model of taking a fixed “a/historical” position and turns the reading process into a more exploratory examination that allows for the formation of categories from elements of the interaction between crossculturally diverse but individual texts and their contextually-creative social groupings.

While there are many great conceptual models[2] that open the mind to ponder new ways of viewing scripture, some of the generalized assumptions are eurocentric, such as his notion of transcendence[3] and its supporting notion of religion. It is this notion of religion that begins within the traditions of transcendent deity(ies) that qualifies more processual religions, such as Buddhism with its notion of Nirvana, as functionally similar by imposing objectification onto an undifferentiated process of reclamation rather than transcendence of the present earthly or human existence.[4] It is Whaling’s need to generalize that dismembers true understanding of the diversity of humanity and silences smaller ethnic groups from the main discussions. One example of this is his statement that the Bible Societies (with the adjective great introducing them) have produced scripture in every known language in the world. Here in Saskatchewan is six recognized indigenous languages and some lesser populated ones with only standardized Slavic translations for some of these dialects. This latter generalization allowed me to further question other generalizations that I had previously left unquestioned.

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[1] As he states, “viewed and interpreted” on page 78.

[2] See for example his 8 observable elements of religious traditions, 79.

[3] Values of immanence are excluded, such as found in Scientology, Goddess Traditions, and the like.

[4] See page 79.