The thesis investigates the interpretation of some of the most problematic passages of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, i.e. passages involving the concept or practice of herem. The texts under consideration contain prima facie divine commands to commit genocide as well as descriptions of genocidal military campaigns commended by God. The thesis presents and analyses the solutions that Christian interpreters through the ages have proposed to the concomitant moral and hermeneutical challenges. A number of ways in which they have been used to justify violence and war are also addressed. For the patristic and early medieval eras the thesis aims to be as comprehensive as possible in identifying and analysing the various interpretative options, while for later periods the focus lies on new developments. In addition to offering the most comprehensive presentation of the Wirkungsgeschichte of herem texts to date, the thesis offers an analysis and critical evaluation of the theologico-hermeneutical assumptions underlying each of the several approaches, and their exegetical and practical consequences. The resulting analytical taxonomy and hermeneutical map is an original contribution to the history of exegesis and the study of the interplay between religion and violence. The cognitive dissonance herem texts cause for pious readers is introduced as an inconsistent set of five propositions: (1) God is good; (2) the bible is true; (3) genocide is atrocious; (4) according to the bible, God commanded and commended genocide; (5) a good being, let alone the supremely good Being, would never command or commend an atrocity. If proposition (4) is assumed, at least one of the deeply-held beliefs expressed in the other four must be modified or given up. The introduction is followed by four diachronic chapters in which the various exegetical approaches are set out: pre-critical (from the OT to the Apostolic Fathers), dissenting (Marcion and other ancient critics), figurative (from Origen to high medieval times), divine-command-ethics,(from Augustine to Calvin) and violent (from Ambrose to Puritan North America). A concluding chapter presents near contemporary re-iterations and variations of the historic approaches.

Esse trabalho consiste numa abordagem analítica do tema subjacente ao texto de Romanos 1.26-27, em consonância com as perspectivas dos principais pressupostos hermenêuticos elaborados na contemporaneidade. No desenvolvimento dessa análise, há um encontro inevitável com os elementos filosóficos da linguagem, os quais sugerem novos rumos para as teorias de interpretação, sobretudo no tocante a temas complexos que emergem das sociedades ocidentais. Em contato com vias de mãos duplas, interpõe-se a visão interpretativa de Kevin Vanhoozer, que realça o aspecto canônico-linguístico das Escrituras, por um lado; mas ressalta, por outro lado, a relevância da dialogicidade das vozes que reverberam na interpretação dos textos bíblicos. Busca-se entender como a filosofia contribuiu para o avanço de questões da vida social e religiosa; bem como saber lidar com as situações novas. Diante de um cenário cultural cada vez mais plural, a homossexualidade é uma questão que suscita leituras desafiadoras do texto de Rm 1.26-27 e, nesse quesito, estuda-se a correlação entre os Testamentos da Bíblia; a realidade do contexto do autor de Romanos com as situações que se apresentam na atualidade. Vanhoozer sugere que os temas bíblicos sejam inseridos nas disposições do teodrama, mediante o qual as condições humanas possam ser melhor compreendidas e clarificadas de modo dialógico. Pretende-se, assim, estabelecer uma condição de ajustes de mundo às palavras, conforme a ação comunicativa do enunciado indique a direção de um andar em continuidade com as Escrituras. / This work consists of an analytical approach of the underlying theme of the text from Romans 1.26-27, in line with the prospects of significant assumptions made hermeneutical in the contemporary world. In developing this analysis, there is a meeting inevitable with the philosophical elements of language, which suggest new directions for the theories of interpretation, particularly with regard to complex issues that emerge from western societies. Contact tracks of hands, takes the view of interpretative Kevin Vanhoozer, which emphasizes the aspect, canon-language of Scripture, on the one hand; but points out, on the other hand, the relevance of the dialogical voices that reverberate in the interpretation of biblical texts. We seek to understand how the philosophy has contributed to the advancement of life issues - social and religious; as well as to know how to deal with new situations. In the face of a cultural setting ever more plural, homosexuality is an issue that raises challenging readings of the text of Romans 1.26-27 and, in this sense, the correlation between the Testaments of the Bible; the reality of the context of the author of Romans with the situations that present themselves today. Vanhoozer suggests that the biblical themes are included in the provisions of the teodrama, upon which the human condition can be better understood and clarified such dialogical. The aim is to establish a condition of world adjustments to the words, as the communicative action of the wording indicates the direction of a cycling in continuity with the Scriptures.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-01T18:14:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 edivaldo_ferreira_arruda.pdf: 831462 bytes, checksum: cf56e16eca66dc53e9e6f22f2195149c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-01-13 / This work consists of an analytical approach of the underlying theme of the text from Romans 1.26-27, in line with the prospects of significant assumptions made hermeneutical in the contemporary world. In developing this analysis, there is a meeting inevitable with the philosophical elements of language, which suggest new directions for the theories of interpretation, particularly with regard to complex issues that emerge from western societies. Contact tracks of hands, takes the view of interpretative Kevin Vanhoozer, which emphasizes the aspect, canon-language of Scripture, on the one hand; but points out, on the other hand, the relevance of the dialogical voices that reverberate in the interpretation of biblical texts. We seek to understand how the philosophy has contributed to the advancement of life issues - social and religious; as well as to know how to deal with new situations. In the face of a cultural setting ever more plural, homosexuality is an issue that raises challenging readings of the text of Romans 1.26-27 and, in this sense, the correlation between the Testaments of the Bible; the reality of the context of the author of Romans with the situations that present themselves today. Vanhoozer suggests that the biblical themes are included in the provisions of the teodrama, upon which the human condition can be better understood and clarified such dialogical. The aim is to establish a condition of world adjustments to the words, as the communicative action of the wording indicates the direction of a cycling in continuity with the Scriptures. / Esse trabalho consiste numa abordagem analítica do tema subjacente ao texto de Romanos 1.26-27, em consonância com as perspectivas dos principais pressupostos hermenêuticos elaborados na contemporaneidade. No desenvolvimento dessa análise, há um encontro inevitável com os elementos filosóficos da linguagem, os quais sugerem novos rumos para as teorias de interpretação, sobretudo no tocante a temas complexos que emergem das sociedades ocidentais. Em contato com vias de mãos duplas, interpõe-se a visão interpretativa de Kevin Vanhoozer, que realça o aspecto canônico-linguístico das Escrituras, por um lado; mas ressalta, por outro lado, a relevância da dialogicidade das vozes que reverberam na interpretação dos textos bíblicos. Busca-se entender como a filosofia contribuiu para o avanço de questões da vida social e religiosa; bem como saber lidar com as situações novas. Diante de um cenário cultural cada vez mais plural, a homossexualidade é uma questão que suscita leituras desafiadoras do texto de Rm 1.26-27 e, nesse quesito, estuda-se a correlação entre os Testamentos da Bíblia; a realidade do contexto do autor de Romanos com as situações que se apresentam na atualidade. Vanhoozer sugere que os temas bíblicos sejam inseridos nas disposições do teodrama, mediante o qual as condições humanas possam ser melhor compreendidas e clarificadas de modo dialógico. Pretende-se, assim, estabelecer uma condição de ajustes de mundo às palavras, conforme a ação comunicativa do enunciado indique a direção de um andar em continuidade com as Escrituras.