Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book is divided into three sections: The Immediate Text, The Remote Text, and The Middle Ground. It deals with the issue of the interpreter's critical distance from the text and raises questions about the way interpreters position themselves mentally and personally before biblical texts. The book addresses the relationship between biblical material and the methods used to interpret and make sense of that material. It discusses the distinction between inductive and deductive thinking in the process of making sense out of biblical material. The book also deals with the character and function of oral and written tradition. It focuses on the process of development and "recontextualization" of earlier biblical material in later texts. The book describes the canonization of both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. It illustrates, the notion of religious purity plays a significant role in early Jewish and early church tradition.