
Contents
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Introduction Introduction
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The Unsupplemented Text The Unsupplemented Text
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New Criticism: The Self-Sufficiency of Literature New Criticism: The Self-Sufficiency of Literature
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Hans Frei: The ‘Hyper-Sufficiency’ of Scripture Hans Frei: The ‘Hyper-Sufficiency’ of Scripture
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Texts and Authors Texts and Authors
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E. D. Hirsch: Defending Authors E. D. Hirsch: Defending Authors
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Jacques Derrida: Deconstructing Authors Jacques Derrida: Deconstructing Authors
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Deconstruction and authors Deconstruction and authors
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Derrida's reading strategy Derrida's reading strategy
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Deconstruction in biblical studies: Stephen Moore Deconstruction in biblical studies: Stephen Moore
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Derrida and the ethics of reading Derrida and the ethics of reading
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Texts and Readers Texts and Readers
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Stanley Fish: Sufficient Readers Stanley Fish: Sufficient Readers
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Stanley Hauerwas: The Sufficient Church Stanley Hauerwas: The Sufficient Church
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Stephen Fowl: Engaging with Scripture in the Church Stephen Fowl: Engaging with Scripture in the Church
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Hans-Georg Gadamer: Understanding in Tradition Hans-Georg Gadamer: Understanding in Tradition
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Towards a Conception of Scripture as the Sufficient Speech Act of God Towards a Conception of Scripture as the Sufficient Speech Act of God
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The Supplements of the Text The Supplements of the Text
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Sufficient Scripture and the Holy Spirit Sufficient Scripture and the Holy Spirit
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Conclusion Conclusion
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4 Scripture and the Sufficiency of the Text
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Published:August 2002
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Abstract
This chapter focuses on the Bible as text, constructing an approach to texts as in some way sufficient, and to the Bible as materially sufficient. The first section looks at two ‘nonsupplementing’ accounts, both of which are often said to treat texts as in some way sufficient, or, more usually, ‘self-sufficient’. One of these approaches, New Criticism, comes from the field of literary theory; the other is the theological application of a basically formalist approach to Scripture by the theologian Hans Frei. Subsequent sections look at attempts to locate the text in relation to authors, and then to readers. In dealing with these topics, the chapter addresses some of the most serious objections to the claim that a text could be said in any way to be sufficient for anything — that is, those coming from poststructuralist and deconstructive positions. It focuses on the interpretative practices of Jacques Derrida, and on one particular example of how a certain kind of deconstructive reading has been practised on the Bible.
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