The Relationship between the Old Testament and the New Testament

  Sponsors: Dana Harris and David Stark

Fri Nov 22
3:30 - 5:30 PM
Indigo E (Second Level) - Hilton Bayfront

The earliest thought and literature in the Christian tradition took shape within the context of canon consciousness. This consciousness included a developing tradition and awareness of canonical (i.e., scriptural) literature arising within the early Jesus movement. More significantly, however, the movement begins and evolves within the context of its canonical (i.e., normative) kerygma. This canonical kerygma then both shapes the development of canonical literature and creates a definite hermeneutic relation between this newer literature and the body of texts the movement inherited from long-standing traditions within Judaism. Modern interpreters frequently have difficulty grappling with this relation in ways that avoid reductionism—either by fitting the relation into the boundaries of modern literary and historical approaches or by dismissing this relation because it clearly does not fall within the bounds of such approaches. In both cases, the absolutizing of modern hermeneutic paradigms short circuits efforts to grapple with the testaments’ hermeneutic relation. Instead, this new project begins by assuming the legitimacy (at least as a historical phenomenon) of the two testaments’ hermeneutic relation and the various interpretive phenomena this relation produces. From this point, the project then seeks to explain the canonical consciousness that generated this relation and enables its continuing hermeneutic relevance for Christian communities in subsequent centuries. To join the group’s mailing list, please register at jdavidstark.com/ibr.

David Stark, Faulkner University, Presiding (5 min)

David Stark, Faulkner University
Canon-Consciousness as the Relationship between the Testaments (20 min)
Tag(s): Theological Interpretation (Interpretive Approaches), History of Interpretation (Interpretive Approaches), Christian (Ideology & Theology)

Dana Harris, Trinity International University
Interpreting and Reinterpreting the Canonical Whole: The Appropriation of Zechariah in Revelation (25 min)
Tag(s): Theological Interpretation (Interpretive Approaches), Latter Prophets - The Twelve - Zephaniah (Biblical Literature - Hebrew Bible/Old Testament/Greek OT (Septuagint)), Revelation (Biblical Literature - New Testament)

Collin Cornell, Fuller Theological Seminary
The Bible Is Not One Big Unilinear Story: Canon Consciousness and the Geometric Bible (25 min)
Tag(s): Theological Interpretation (Interpretive Approaches), Redaction Criticism (Interpretive Approaches), Torah/Pentateuch (Biblical Literature - Hebrew Bible/Old Testament/Greek OT (Septuagint))

Scott Hafemann, University of St. Andrews, Respondent (25 min)

Discussion (20 min)