Exploring the scriptures is not a casual endeavor that should be approached lightly. There is a depth within the words of the Bible that open up greater understanding, as well as greater devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ.
A new approach to interpreting scripture is called socio-rhetorical criticism. This approach focuses on the “values, convictions, and beliefs” (Robbins, 1996, p.1) of the literature. With this approach the reader focuses on the text itself before meaning is derived and “it moves interactively into the world of the people who wrote the texts and into our present world.“ (Robbins, 1996, p.1)
Inner texture is one part of the socio-rhetorical criticism. Through inner texture, a reader is looking into the usage of words and how they go deeper than the surface level of meaning. (Robbins, 1996, p. 3) This analysis seeks out communication intent through the placement of the words, rather than looking at the meaning of the words themselves. (McCabe, 2008, p. 33) Literary devices explored through inner textual criticism are “repetition of particular words, creation of beginnings and endings, alternation of speech and storytelling, particular ways in which the words present arguments, and the particular ‘feel’ or aesthetic of the text.” (Robbins, 1996, p. 3)
In II Timothy 3:16-17, Paul tells Timothy, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (Crossway Bibles, 2007) These words still ring true today, and tools such as inner textual analysis, and the rest of the tools of socio-rhetorical criticism allow today’s readers to seek the completion Paul is writing about.
What criticism of the inner textual analysis is there, if any?
References
Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: study Bible: English standard version (ESV text ed.). Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles.
McCabe, L. (2008). Jesus As Agent of Change: Tranformational and Authentic Leadership in John 21. Journal of Biblical Perspectives in Leadership, Volume 2(No. 1), 32–43.
Robbins, V. K. (1996). Exploring the Texture of Texts: A Guide to Socio-Rhetorical Interpretations. A&C Black.
Inner Textual Analysis