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Quadriga without Platonism

In Search for the Usefulness of the Fourfold Sense of Scripture in Dialogue with Hans Boersma
  • Hans Burger
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Scripture and Theology
This chapter is in the book Scripture and Theology

Abstract

Proponents of the ‘theological interpretation’ of Scripture plead for a re-evaluation of the quadriga, the traditional idea of the fourfold sense of Scripture. This article analyses Hans Boersma’s view of the quadriga. It gives an analysis of the theological beliefs required by this exegetical practice of such a sacramental reading of Scripture. For Boersma, the quadriga presupposes that Christ and the new Christ-reality are present in the Old Testament. The article discusses furthermore whether it is necessary to accept a sacramental and Platonic ontology, claiming the existence of the Platonic forms or ideas in the eternal Logos. The Platonic worldview has a ‘gravitational pull’ that is ‘upward’ and is not helpful to understand the salvific historical dynamics of Scripture. Building on Oliver O’Donovan’s criticism of Platonism, the article proposes to understand the quadriga differently in the light of a model of interpersonal communication that does more justice to the creativity and abundance of God’s loving interaction with humanity in history. In a next step, the article analyses more in detail the multiplicity of meaning in a spiritual reading of Psalm 22 using the concepts of sense, reference and significance. Finally, the article discusses whether such a practice of spiritual reading could be called sacramental. The concept of sacrament is interpreted as a soteriological and Christological concept with as its centre Jesus Christ as the ‘primordial sacrament’. In a sacrament Christ is present and Christ is communicated. Thus this practice of spiritual reading is sacramental indeed although it does not presuppose a sacramental ontology.

Abstract

Proponents of the ‘theological interpretation’ of Scripture plead for a re-evaluation of the quadriga, the traditional idea of the fourfold sense of Scripture. This article analyses Hans Boersma’s view of the quadriga. It gives an analysis of the theological beliefs required by this exegetical practice of such a sacramental reading of Scripture. For Boersma, the quadriga presupposes that Christ and the new Christ-reality are present in the Old Testament. The article discusses furthermore whether it is necessary to accept a sacramental and Platonic ontology, claiming the existence of the Platonic forms or ideas in the eternal Logos. The Platonic worldview has a ‘gravitational pull’ that is ‘upward’ and is not helpful to understand the salvific historical dynamics of Scripture. Building on Oliver O’Donovan’s criticism of Platonism, the article proposes to understand the quadriga differently in the light of a model of interpersonal communication that does more justice to the creativity and abundance of God’s loving interaction with humanity in history. In a next step, the article analyses more in detail the multiplicity of meaning in a spiritual reading of Psalm 22 using the concepts of sense, reference and significance. Finally, the article discusses whether such a practice of spiritual reading could be called sacramental. The concept of sacrament is interpreted as a soteriological and Christological concept with as its centre Jesus Christ as the ‘primordial sacrament’. In a sacrament Christ is present and Christ is communicated. Thus this practice of spiritual reading is sacramental indeed although it does not presuppose a sacramental ontology.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. Foreword VII
  4. Scripture and Theology in Context: An Introduction 1
  5. Part 1: Scripture and the Web of Meanings
  6. An Anthropological Analysis of Ezekiel 13:17–21 35
  7. Messiahs and Redeemer Figures in Postexilic Texts 57
  8. Early Divine Christology: Scripture, Narrativity and Confession in Luke-Acts 89
  9. Why is the New Testament Called “New Testament”? 119
  10. Disassembling Provenance: Origin Stories and Why They Matter for Scripture 149
  11. Part 2: The Bible at Work: Historical Case Studies
  12. Power Dynamics in the Preached Word: A Fourth Century Case Study 165
  13. Augustine without a Theodicy of a Condemning God 195
  14. Philosophy in Aquinas’ Exegetical Work and Its Meta-Theological Implications 235
  15. Hamann between Luther and Hume 261
  16. Let Everything that Hath Breath Praise the Lord 283
  17. The Divine Forwards: Karl Barth’s Early Exegesis of the Pauline Epistles 305
  18. Karl Rahner’s Use of the Bible 327
  19. Part 3: Informing Theological Discourse: Systematic Perspectives
  20. Canonical Theology, Social Location and the Search for Global Theological Method 345
  21. Quadriga without Platonism 375
  22. Reinventing the Quadriga 397
  23. The Theological Art of Scriptural Interpretation: Lessons from von Balthasar 415
  24. The Holy Scriptures as a Recognition- and Witnessing-Authority 433
  25. The Relationship of Scripture and Tradition in the Light of God’s Revelation 453
  26. Deriving Theology from Scripture 473
  27. List of Contributors 487
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110768411-015

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. Foreword VII
  4. Scripture and Theology in Context: An Introduction 1
  5. Part 1: Scripture and the Web of Meanings
  6. An Anthropological Analysis of Ezekiel 13:17–21 35
  7. Messiahs and Redeemer Figures in Postexilic Texts 57
  8. Early Divine Christology: Scripture, Narrativity and Confession in Luke-Acts 89
  9. Why is the New Testament Called “New Testament”? 119
  10. Disassembling Provenance: Origin Stories and Why They Matter for Scripture 149
  11. Part 2: The Bible at Work: Historical Case Studies
  12. Power Dynamics in the Preached Word: A Fourth Century Case Study 165
  13. Augustine without a Theodicy of a Condemning God 195
  14. Philosophy in Aquinas’ Exegetical Work and Its Meta-Theological Implications 235
  15. Hamann between Luther and Hume 261
  16. Let Everything that Hath Breath Praise the Lord 283
  17. The Divine Forwards: Karl Barth’s Early Exegesis of the Pauline Epistles 305
  18. Karl Rahner’s Use of the Bible 327
  19. Part 3: Informing Theological Discourse: Systematic Perspectives
  20. Canonical Theology, Social Location and the Search for Global Theological Method 345
  21. Quadriga without Platonism 375
  22. Reinventing the Quadriga 397
  23. The Theological Art of Scriptural Interpretation: Lessons from von Balthasar 415
  24. The Holy Scriptures as a Recognition- and Witnessing-Authority 433
  25. The Relationship of Scripture and Tradition in the Light of God’s Revelation 453
  26. Deriving Theology from Scripture 473
  27. List of Contributors 487
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