The Rule of Faith and Biblical Interpretation

Among the dizzying array of approaches to reading the Bible, the oldest, most revered interpretive tool rises above the rest: the Rule of Faith. Faithful interpretation of Scripture in the postmodern context has much to learn from this ancient principle. Deeper engagement with the sacred text flourishes with the assistance of the Rule of Faith. That engagement in turn renews the Body of Christ. This book explores the interpretive practices of great reformers and renewers of the church, including Luther, Calvin, and Wesley, who kept up a lively dialogue with the ancient authors of the Christian movement. In that dialogue, they discovered a dynamic guide to better exegesis. Robert C. Fennell provides a compelling account of faithful interpreters from the past whose example inspires contemporary readers as they seek to understand the Bible. Among the dizzying array of approaches to reading the Bible, the oldest, most revered interpretive tool rises above the rest: the Rule of Faith. Faithful interpretation of Scripture in the postmodern context has much to learn from this ancient principle. Deeper engagement with the sacred text flourishes with the assistance of the Rule of Faith. That engagement in turn renews the Body of Christ. This book explores the interpretive practices of great reformers and renewers of the church, including Luther, Calvin, and Wesley, who kept up a lively dialogue with the ancient authors of the Christian movement. In that dialogue, they discovered a dynamic guide to better exegesis. Robert C. Fennell provides a compelling account of faithful interpreters from the past whose example inspires contemporary readers as they seek to understand the Bible. ""Robert Fennell's The Rule of Faith and Biblical Interpretation narrates the history of the Regula Fidei in concise, tight prose peppered with quotations that both illumine and intrigue readers. This work demonstrates a mastery of material and a capacity for synthesis as Fennell helpfully pictures the Rule of Faith as a constellation of lights illuminating our reading of Scripture."" --Allen Jorgenson, Professor and Assistant Dean, Waterloo Lutheran Seminary ""Fennell makes a compelling case for reading Scripture with the 'communion of saints.' He commends humility enough to learn from a series of astute theological interpreters of Holy Scripture . . . The book assumes the natural habitat of the Bible is church, and that what the Bible is about, God, directs its interpretation. Absolutely wonderful."" --Richard R. Topping, Principal and Professor, Vancouver School of Theology ""Rob Fennell has done a masterful job exploring the historical uses of the Rule of Faith for biblical interpretation and how these shape possibilities for renewal of the church today . . . He is prophetic and practical in his invitation to the contemporary church to take up the Rule of Faith as a communal and spiritual practice for today. An excellent and richly textured read!"" --Pamela McCarroll, Associate Professor, Emmanuel College in the University of Toronto ""In a world where much academic biblical interpretation is severed from deep theological reflection, Fennell makes a persuasive argument for a recovery of the Rule of Faith as a tried and true communal reading strategy of the historic church . . . His emphasis on the compatibility of theological faithfulness with genuine diversity of interpretation, along with his profound awareness of social location, makes this a most helpful discussion in our contemporary context."" --J. Richard Middleton, Professor, Northeastern Seminary at Roberts Wesleyan College Robert C. Fennell is Academic Dean and Associate Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology at Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is a past president of the Canadian Theological Society, co-editor (with Ross Lockhart) of Three Ways of Grace: Drawing Closer to the Trinity, and editor of Both Sides of the Wardrobe: C.S. Lewis, Theological Imagination, and Everyday Discipleship.