Missional hermeneutics : an analysis and application of Chris Wright's theory

Abstract

<p>Chris Wright has offered to us in the Mission of God: Unlocking the Grand Narrative of the Bible, a way to read the canonical text in a faithful manner. This faithful reading, as Wright calls it, is accomplished as we read the Bible with Christology and Missiology in the foreground. Wright distinguishes what he is suggesting by indicating that such a reading is the biblical expectation expressed in Luke 24:44-47 and not something that we bring to the text from some extemallocation. Wright would suggest further that Luke 24 alerts us to the Mission of God, which is, according to Wright, to redeem and restore his creation for his glory. The development of this Mission is the primary story line or Grand Narrative which individual biblical stories nuance including the story ofJesus. This type of reading is what is meant by a missional focus. The intent of this thesis is to offer a critical examination of Wright' s work and apply his model to a biblical text, in this case Philippians 1:12-2:18. By doing this it can be demonstrated that Wright is offering a corrective to biblical studies to be practised in conjunction with established henneneutical efforts.</p>