Establishing a Centre for the Interpretation of Authoritative Scriptures (CIAS)

Abstract

There is an institutional hiatus in South Africa regarding comparative hermeneutics, in that no dedicated attention is given to studying the scriptures of the three monotheistic traditions together. Although these three traditions are studied in isolation or as religious phenomena in various institutions, there is presently no institution focusing on the hermeneutic aspects that brought these scriptures about, that rendered them authoritative through their respective histories, that determined their interpretations through the ages, and that inform their interpretations in modern-day societies. This contribution describes a project in which a Centre for the Interpretation of Authoritative Scriptures (CIAS) is presently being established at Stellenbosch University.