•  
  •  
 

Abstract

Disagreements over the meaning of Scripture and how it should shape congregational action can be great sources of conflict in congregational life. Yet as contentious as these disagreements can be, appeals to method have been unable to resolve them. This article proposes that a fruitful way of navigating these arguments within our congregations is not by trying to establish a single way of reading Scripture or of determining what Scripture “means,” but by becoming people able to peacefully hold an irreducible diversity of interpretive options. This article focuses on one virtue in particular—the virtue of patience—and suggests that it is a virtue that enables us to hold diverse and often irreconcilable readings of Scripture without fracturing or dividing over that diversity of interpretation and the disagreements that result from them. In doing so, this article demonstrates that the virtue of patience is a hermeneutical virtue and reflects on how ministers can cultivate hermeneutical patience in their congregations.

Author Bio

Mason Lee is a PhD Candidate in Practical Theology and Homiletics at Princeton Theological Seminary. His research and writing focus on the role of virtue in the practice of preaching and the life of ministry. Mason holds degrees from York College (BA), Abilene Christian University (MDiv), and Boston University (STM). Mason has also served churches in a variety of contexts and roles, both as a minister and member. Mason currently serves as the Editorial Assistant for the academic journal Theology Today and is the Co-Director of the Sustaining the Preaching Life Initiative at Princeton Theological Seminary. Mason is passionate about the theological formation of ministers and the congregations they serve.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Download

Share

COinS