Biblical and Theological Studies Faculty Publications
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-2016
Journal Title
Themelios
Volume
41
Issue
1
First Page
37
Last Page
51
Abstract
The literary notion of “implied reader” invokes a series of hermeneutically significant questions: What is it? Who produces it? and How can it be identified? These questions naturally lead to a further query: What is the relationship between this implied reader of a text and an actual reader of a text? This type of study is often associated primarily with reader-response theory and purely literary approaches. However, the concept can help uncover an often-neglected aspect of biblical interpretation, namely, the role of the reader. If biblical authors envision certain types of readers, then identifying the nature of this “implied audience” is an important part of the interpretive task. Further, because Christians read the biblical writings within the context of a canonical collection, this concept can be pursued in light of the Christian canon as a whole. Through this literary and theological study, I seek to demonstrate that strategic biblical texts envision an “ideal reader,” namely, an actual reader who seeks to identify with the implied reader.
Keywords
Biblical studies
Recommended Citation
Spellman, Ched E., "The Scribe Who Has Become a Disciple: Identifying and Becoming the Ideal Reader of the Biblical Canon" (2016). Biblical and Theological Studies Faculty Publications. 336.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/biblical_and_ministry_studies_publications/336
