How should I interpret a classical text? This book argues for an approach to interpretation that is theoretically reflective and committed to an open-ended, yet rigorously critical, pluralism.

With the explosive increase in availability of English Bible translations, the question can easily be asked, "Why bother with the hard work of biblical exegesis?" Computers can translate foreign languages and our English texts can take us very close to the original meanings, so why exegete? Answer: because the deepest truths of the Bible are found through the deepest study. This book teaches the principles, methods, and fundamentals of exegeting the New Testament. It also has examples of textual exegesis that clearly and helpfully show the value of exegeting a text well. Any serious student of Scripture would benefit from utilizing this book in the study of the Bible.

Text and Interpretation gives an insight into the many different approaches that more recent South African scholarship has adopted in the interpretation of the New Testament. While the number of approaches in New Testament interpretation has proliferated over the past few years, all the proposals still fall under one of the three traditional poles: sender (author) - text - receptor (reader). Classified according to this division each chapter has a twofold aim. Firstly, the perspective is situated within a wider framework of interpretation to illustrate the context out of which this approach emerges. Secondly, each article has selected a particular New Testament text to demonstrate this approach in practice. The authors of these chapters - the majority of which are South African scholars - were chosen because of their expertise in their specific fields. By presenting these studies together in one collection, the scholarship in these different areas will become more readily accessible to a wider group of scholars.

A remarkable book that addresses the ways in children respond to literature across a variety of everyday classroom situations. The result is a balanced resource for teachers who want to deepen their understanding of literature and literary engagement.

The Task of the Interpreter offers a new approach to what it means to interpret a text, and reconciles the possibility of multiple interpretations with the need to consider the author's intention. Vandevelde argues that interpretation is both an act and an event: It is an act in that interpreters, through the statements they make, implicitly commit themselves to justifying their positions, if prompted. It is an event in that interpreters are situated in a cultural and historical framework and come to a text with questions, concerns, and methods of which they are not fully conscious. These two aspects make interpretation a negotiation of meaning. The Task of the Interpreter provides an interdisciplinary investigation of textual interpretation including biblical hermeneutics (Gregory the Great's Homilies on Ezekiel), translation (Homer's The Odyssey), and literary fictions (Grass's Dog Years and Sabato's On Heroes and Tombs). Vandevelde's philosophical discussion will appeal to theorists of both continental and analytical/pragmatic traditions.