Interpretation Wars: The Most Dangerous Theory of Reading You Need to Know About

Sarah is joined by Christian author, literary scholar, philosopher, pastor, and longtime professor Donald T. Williams about a dangerous shift in how people are taught to read today: from seeking authorial intention (originalism) to the reader-response view that readers create meaning, a stance he calls self-refuting and morally inconsistent with a “hermeneutical golden rule” of giving authors the same good-faith interpretive courtesy we expect for ourselves. 

Some practical issues with this approach is that it: 

• Undermines truth 
• Fuels social-media chaos 
• Affects interpretations of foundational texts like the Constitution and the Bible by transferring authority from text to reader. 

This post-truth environment leads to other issues like media manipulation and reactivity against views we disagree with or find uncomfortable (Huck Finn as a racist book is discussed as an example). But Dr. Williams ultimately proposes better reading and understanding skills by caring about truth, close textual analysis rather than superficial reactivity, discipleship, and prayer for revival.

You can get more on Dr. Williams' views on this topic in his book 95 Theses For A New Reformation (Amazon link here: https://a.co/d/01xXRmEK). 

To check out the rest of Dr. William's work, check out his website at https://donaldtwilliams.com/

And his blog at https://thefivepilgrims.com/

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