Brief Notes on Bibilcal Hermeneutics in the Thought of Paul Ricoeur

Abstract

Paul Ricoeur develops his biblical hermeneutics as an extension of his philosophical hermeneutics. There is a connection between philosophical hermeneutics and biblical hermeneutics. Poetic language serves as the unifying thread in Ricoeur’s hermeneutics—both philosophical and biblical—and it is within this type of language that meaning can be specified as a limit-expression, which points toward limit-experiences. Therefore, the present text aims to address some of the basic elements that outline Paul Ricoeur’s biblical hermeneutics, without, however, claiming to offer an exhaustive exposition, since it is not possible to reconstruct the multiple theoretical mediations of the philosopher’s argument. With this purpose in mind, we address the following topics: (I) The relationship between philosophical hermeneutics and biblical hermeneutics; (II) Biblical hermeneutics and the naming of God; (III) The economy of the gift within the horizon of Paul Ricoeur’s biblical hermeneutics.

KEYWORDS: Philosophical Hermeneutics. Biblical Hermeneutics. Naming of God. Economy of the Gift.