Slaves to a Static Hermeneutic Slaves, Women & Homosexuals: Exploring the Hermeneutics of Cultural Analysis By William J. Webb (InterVarsity Press 2001 ISBN 0-8308-1561-9)

Two of the hottest topics within Christianity today are the role of women and homosexuality. In his book, Slaves, Women & Homosexuals: Exploring the Hermeneutics of Cultural Analysis, William Webb dares to take them on, but from a different angle than what is familiar to most.

 

Fundamentalists and many evangelicals tend to lump these two issues together. They assume that if female leadership is acceptable then homosexuality is also acceptable by the same line of reasoning, namely cultural disclaimers. Webb turns this thinking on its head by daring to dig deeper into cultural analysis as a hermeneutic.

 

Where does slavery fit in? Since it is not currently a strong issue among Christians who have largely concluded that slavery is not acceptable, Webb uses it as an apropos measuring stick. He takes the hermeneutic that helped Christians reject slavery even though acceptable in biblical times, and analyzes the issues of homosexuality and women’s roles. The results may surprise some.

 

After listing many troublesome Bible passages, Webb begins by comparing a “static hermeneutic” with what he refers to as a “redemptive-movement hermeneutic.” The static hermeneutic takes the Scriptures at face value; it doesn’t make excuses about a command being cultural. It may often depend on the frequent saying, “God said it, I believe it, that settles it.”

 

On the surface a static hermeneutic appears to be more faithful to the words of Scripture—due to a focus on its isolated words—then a redemptive-movement hermeneutic. Proponents of a static hermeneutic can point to the actual words on the page and say that, based upon those words [about slavery] a modern employee needs to submit and obey(55).

 

Without realizing it, a movement in meaning has actually occurred to apply it to today’s culture. Webb goes on to explain that at face value many passages in the Bible are problematic and repugnant to us today. Without some understanding of cultural analysis and movement towards redemptive ethics, a crisis of faith may occur for the Christian, and a rejection of Christianity may come quickly for the non-Christian. Webb states:

 

I must confess that, as I have grown in my understanding of what is actually contained within the pages of Scripture, I have had to rethink my hermeneutic. I have had to rethink my hermeneutic in order to retain my commitment to the authority of Scripture! You might say this is something of a backwards process. I would not disagree. I am simply sketching the journey in my own life as it happened to unfold. Without a redemptive-movement hermeneutic the authority of Scripture is diminished (56).

 

Webb remarks on the “pastoral component within Scripture,” the gentle, prodding towards an end. Often fundamentalists miss this and find the Scriptures and the God of the Bible to be absolute on all counts and severe in judgment even though the Scriptures themselves protest this assessment! (Exodus 34:6-7) A redemptive-movement hermeneutic recognizes the redemptive nature within the Scriptures not only towards individuals but also towards ethics. Case in point: many Christians today champion the Quakers in their efforts with the Underground Railroad and William Wilberforce’s advancements to abolish slavery in England.

 

 Yet, how does this play out for the issues of women’s roles and homosexuality? Webb takes the reader through many texts and tests to determine just how they stand against this measurement. For example, he explores how “a text is more likely to be transcultural to the degree that its original purpose is fulfilled when practiced in a subsequent culture and time” (105). He discovers that within the text, one of the purposes for the submission of slaves and women is that of evangelism and missions within particular cultures' contexts. While Webb sees redemptive movement for slaves and women, his analysis of the homosexual issue is much less so, with Scriptural condemnation of homosexuality consistent even when the culture it finds itself in is accepting.

 

This book is a must read for those serious about exploring these issues in-depth. Webb simultaneously deals with both a “plain” reading of Scripture and a too quick combining of issues under the cultural “excuse.” He points out inconsistencies in both, and leaves the reader with a sense of awe at God’s grace towards humanity as we are subject to our cultural limited understandings. He states:

 

In fact, a redemptive-movement hermeneutic highlights a wonderful blend of realism and idealism within Scripture. The Christian who embraces a redemptive-spirit approach cannot help but be profoundly influenced by the resilient character of ancient text as it continues to speak to our modern world (57).

 

 by Rachel Ramer

 

(For more information on what's inside this book, read this review.)