Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology

Both Paul Knitter and John Hick rely heavily on the exclusivist-inclusivist-pluralist paradigm. In a world that has become increasingly suspicious of missionary activity, moving beyond this paradigm calls for a bigger theology, wider methodology, and deeper missiology characterized by participant theologizing.

The reflections of Jean Daniélou on the relationship of Christianity to non-Christian religions, in light of missionary activity; offer a means to assess our current situation. Using a key insight of Bernard Lonergan, this essay offers a reprise of nearly sixty years of theological practice. Recent reflections by Tariq Ramadan help us to see ways of bringing these to an institutional focus.

Despite a long-standing rift between missiology and biblical scholarship, current trends in both disciplines—such as a converging emphasis on the significance of social location in biblical interpretation—suggest that the time may be ripe for a “missional hermeneutic” that would privilege the missiological “location” of the Christian community in the world as a key to a critical and faithful approach to Scripture.