Philosophical Engagement With the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament: Some Methodological Reflections

Abstract

A raft of recent “philosophical” interpretations have emerged within biblical studies. They have in common the expectation that ideas from the discipline of philosophy will be helpful for understanding the biblical texts. However, the way in which they engage the two varies, and it is their methods that are teased out in this article. I offer a simple trajectory of approaches for works in this area, marked by two ends of characteristic disciplinary habits: using the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament for philosophical reflection and using philosophy for biblical interpretation. In this, the article sketches a much-needed research profile for a lively subdiscipline.