Kevin Vanhoozer
Encyclopedia
Kevin J. Vanhoozer is Blanchard Professor of Theology at Wheaton College
. He will resume his old position, Research Professor of Systematic Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
(TEDS) in Deerfield, Illinois
, in Fall, 2012. He is the author of several books on theology, hermeneutics, and culture.
from Cambridge University where he studied under Nicholas Lash. His inter-disciplinary dissertation was titled Biblical Narrative in the Philosophy of Paul Ricoeur: A Study in Hermeneutics and Theology and was published in 2007 by Cambridge University Press (ISBN 0-521-04390-5).
He taught at TEDS From 1986 to 1990, then was Senior Lecturer at New College, University of Edinburgh
, Scotland until 1998, when he returned to TEDS. In the Fall of 2009 he became Blanchard Professor of Theology at Wheaton College
. In November 2011 he announced that he would return to his previous position, as Research Professor of Systematic Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Fall, 2012.
He and his wife Sylvie have two daughters.
2006 Book Award for best book in theology, and has edited several others, including the Gold Medallion Book Award
winner Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible, The Cambridge Companion to Postmodern Theology, and, with Charles A. Anderson and Michael J. Sleasman, Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends.
In his work Is There a Meaning in this Text?, Vanhoozer gives an in depth response to the challenges of Deconstructionism to biblical hermeneutics. Primarily, he engages the thinking of Jacques Derrida
, but Stanley Fish
and Richard Rorty
also receive attention. Vanhoozer develops a theory of communicative action which relies strongly on the speech-act theory of J. L. Austin
and in which a biblical text is seen as a communicative act involving "locutions" (the text itself), "illocutions" (the stance of the author to the locution, e.g. questioning, asserting, promising, etc.) and "perlocutions" (the goals that the author hopes to accomplish through the text).
Among the conclusions that Vanhoozer draws from viewing a text as a communicative act are the involvement of the author, text, and reader in the process of interpretation. The intended meaning of the author can be discerned to a certain degree from the text. The text (langue and parole) is not an arbitrary "playground" but part of a covenantal
relationship between all people. As a result the intention of the author can be adequately decoded. Another consequence is that the reader/interpreter has a responsibility to honor the intentions of the author and try to interpret the text in a way which re-creates the author's intended meaning. This responsibility is coupled with a freedom to determine the significance in the context of the interpreter's community.
Wheaton College (Illinois)
Wheaton College is a private, evangelical Protestant liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago in the United States...
. He will resume his old position, Research Professor of Systematic Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School is an evangelical Christian seminary located in Deerfield, Illinois. TEDS is one of the largest seminaries in the world, enrolling more than 1,200 graduate students in professional and academic programs, including more than 150 in its PhD programs...
(TEDS) in Deerfield, Illinois
Deerfield, Illinois
Deerfield is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States and is located approximately 25 miles north of Chicago, Illinois. A portion of the village is in Cook County, Illinois, United States...
, in Fall, 2012. He is the author of several books on theology, hermeneutics, and culture.
Biography
Vanhoozer received his Ph.D.Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from Cambridge University where he studied under Nicholas Lash. His inter-disciplinary dissertation was titled Biblical Narrative in the Philosophy of Paul Ricoeur: A Study in Hermeneutics and Theology and was published in 2007 by Cambridge University Press (ISBN 0-521-04390-5).
He taught at TEDS From 1986 to 1990, then was Senior Lecturer at New College, University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, Scotland until 1998, when he returned to TEDS. In the Fall of 2009 he became Blanchard Professor of Theology at Wheaton College
Wheaton College (Illinois)
Wheaton College is a private, evangelical Protestant liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago in the United States...
. In November 2011 he announced that he would return to his previous position, as Research Professor of Systematic Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Fall, 2012.
He and his wife Sylvie have two daughters.
Works
Vanhoozer has written several notable books, including The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical-Linguistic Approach to Christian Theology, which won the Christianity TodayChristianity Today
Christianity Today is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Carol Stream, Illinois. It is the flagship publication of its parent company Christianity Today International, claiming circulation figures of 140,000 and readership of 290,000...
2006 Book Award for best book in theology, and has edited several others, including the Gold Medallion Book Award
Gold Medallion Book Award
The Christian Book Award is an annual award given by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association to honor Christian content in several categories, including Bibles, Fiction, Children, Inspiration, Bible Reference, and Non-Fiction. Winners are announced each year at the industry's Executive...
winner Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible, The Cambridge Companion to Postmodern Theology, and, with Charles A. Anderson and Michael J. Sleasman, Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends.
In his work Is There a Meaning in this Text?, Vanhoozer gives an in depth response to the challenges of Deconstructionism to biblical hermeneutics. Primarily, he engages the thinking of Jacques Derrida
Jacques Derrida
Jacques Derrida was a French philosopher, born in French Algeria. He developed the critical theory known as deconstruction and his work has been labeled as post-structuralism and associated with postmodern philosophy...
, but Stanley Fish
Stanley Fish
Stanley Eugene Fish is an American literary theorist and legal scholar. He was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island...
and Richard Rorty
Richard Rorty
Richard McKay Rorty was an American philosopher. He had a long and diverse academic career, including positions as Stuart Professor of Philosophy at Princeton, Kenan Professor of Humanities at the University of Virginia, and Professor of Comparative Literature at Stanford University...
also receive attention. Vanhoozer develops a theory of communicative action which relies strongly on the speech-act theory of J. L. Austin
J. L. Austin
John Langshaw Austin was a British philosopher of language, born in Lancaster and educated at Shrewsbury School and Balliol College, Oxford University. Austin is widely associated with the concept of the speech act and the idea that speech is itself a form of action...
and in which a biblical text is seen as a communicative act involving "locutions" (the text itself), "illocutions" (the stance of the author to the locution, e.g. questioning, asserting, promising, etc.) and "perlocutions" (the goals that the author hopes to accomplish through the text).
Among the conclusions that Vanhoozer draws from viewing a text as a communicative act are the involvement of the author, text, and reader in the process of interpretation. The intended meaning of the author can be discerned to a certain degree from the text. The text (langue and parole) is not an arbitrary "playground" but part of a covenantal
Covenant (historical)
In a historical context, a covenant applies to formal promises that were made under oath, or in less remote history, agreements in which the name actually uses the term 'covenant', implying that they were binding for all time...
relationship between all people. As a result the intention of the author can be adequately decoded. Another consequence is that the reader/interpreter has a responsibility to honor the intentions of the author and try to interpret the text in a way which re-creates the author's intended meaning. This responsibility is coupled with a freedom to determine the significance in the context of the interpreter's community.
Edited works
- Consulting editor, New Dictionary of Theology. Revised, IVP.
- Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends. Baker, 2007.
- With Martin Warner, Transcending Boundaries in Philosophy and Theology: Reason, Meaning and Experience. Ashgate, 2007.
- Et al., Hermeneutics at the Crossroads. Indiana University Press, 2006.
- Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible. Baker, 2005.
- Cambridge Companion to Postmodern Theology. Cambridge, 2003.
- Nothing Greater, Nothing Better: Theological Essays on the Love of God. Eerdmans, 2001.
- The Trinity in a Pluralistic Age: Theological Essays on Culture and Religion. Eerdmans, 1996.
External links
- Vanhoozer's page at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
- Experience the Drama (PDF), an interview with Vanhoozer about his book The Drama of Doctrine
- Interview by Guy Davies, Sept 21, 2007
- Book Review: Is There a Meaning in This Text?, by Vern PoythressVern PoythressVern Sheridan Poythress is a Calvinist philosopher and theologian and New Testament scholar.-Biography:Poythress lived on his family farm in Madera, California until he was five years old and later moved with his family to Fresno, California...
- Meaning, intention, and application: Speech act theory in the hermeneutics of Francis Watson and Kevin J. Vanhoozer, by Scott Blue (Trinity JournalTrinity Journal (theology)Trinity Journal is a peer-reviewed academic journal. It was established in 1980 and is published twice a year by Trinity Evangelical Divinity School....
)
Online writings
- The Promise of Consensus: Towards a Communicative Hermeneutic (PDF)
- Types of Postmodern Theology (PDF), an excerpt from the Cambridge Companion to Postmodern Theology
- Hyperactive Hermeneutics: Is the Bible Being Overinterpreted
- Vanhoozer's response to Kostenberger's review of The Drama of Doctrine
Audio
- The Stage, the Story and the Script (MP3MP3MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
), Asbury Theological SeminaryAsbury Theological SeminaryAsbury Theological Seminary is a multi-denominational, graduate institution that offers a variety of master degree and postgraduate degree programs through the schools of Biblical Interpretation and Proclamation, Theology and Formation, Practical Theology, World Missions and Evangelism, and...
, March 15, 2007 - Doing Church: The Theater of the Gospel (MP3), Asbury Seminary, March 16, 2007
- The Strange New Status Symbol of the Cross (MP3), Wheaton CollegeWheaton College (Illinois)Wheaton College is a private, evangelical Protestant liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago in the United States...
, March 19, 2008 - What has Vienna to do with Jerusalem? Barth, Brahms, and Bernstein’s Unanswered Question (Real Media)