Wednesday, March 19, 2008

On subdividing meaning - 2

In my first post on this subject I ended up with a subdivision of meaning by three:
  1. the plain meaning: whether it be historical or linguistic or redactional and whether the work is written over many years and authors.
  2. the figurative meaning: whether allegory, or parable, or type. The text as story and as we have it.
  3. the hidden meaning: how the text relates to the encounter and presence and the commands and demands thereof.
If I treat these as object classes, then can I distinguish them? Also, can I recognize the other subdivisions as part of these three, or as methods that must be applied within and over each of the three. Also, can I understand where Christological interpretation fits?

More to come, I hope...

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