04-2 Hermeneutics.pdf

LOGIA FORUM 77when corporate confession and absolution has suffered the hackneyedvulgarizations of “creative” liturgies. When we see how it isgoing with absolution, we see how it is going with the gospel itself.JABFREDERICK MANFRED ANDTHE HOSPITAL CHAPLAINOn Tuesday, October 4, 1994, a brief segment on National PublicRadio’s “All Things Considered” caught my ear. About a month earlier,a renowned American author, Frederick Manfred, died of braincancer. At the memorial service, his daughter Freya recalled a visit herfather had received in the hospital from the chaplain, a RomanCatholic woman. I sought out Freya and received her permission toreprint this account, which relates the wit of the poet and the naivetéof the chaplain. How might you have responded to such wit? The partof the chaplain is printed in italics.The chaplain introduced herself to Dad by name and Dadnodded. “What do you do?” he said. I’m the hospital chaplain.“And what do you want with me?” My job is to visit with all thepatients who are about to have an operation. “For what purpose?”Well, I guess it’s to see where they stand spiritually, to see if they’d liketo talk or pray for a while before their operation. “Ah, may I ask, whatreligion are you?” Me? Actually, I’m a Catholic by upbringing.“Catholic. That’s a strong religion. A lot of beautiful words andphrases in the Catholic religion. Some surprising works of art too.The Catholic Church has an amazing history. Have you read muchabout it?” She fiddled with her lace collar for a moment. No, I don’treally know much about Catholic history. “Well, it’s an unforgettablestory—the Catholic Church. I’ll tell you a few things you mightwant to look into.” And Dad proceeded to tell and describe the historyof Catholicism, paying special attention and note to Catholicart and Catholic writings from every century up to the present.And woven into his comments were a few remarks about some ofthe helpful or beautiful things the Catholic Church had given tomankind and a few other remarks about the less helpful and uglieraspects of the Catholic gifts. And all very kindly said, of course.The lovely chaplain’s mouth fell slightly open during Dad’slong discourse. And finally, he finished and waved one hand.“That’s a start,” he said. Well, well, well, she said, I guess I shouldhave studied more about it. But, Mr. Manfred, the reason I came heretoday was to just see how you are doing spiritually during this time ofgreat stress. “Well, tell me,” he said, “what are you going to do withthat information once I supply it?” That depends, she said, onwhere you are spiritually at this time. And perhaps I could guide youalong the way.Dad’s great head laid itself back on the pillow a moment andthe eyes closed briefly. Well, tell me, as chaplain here, have youread much philosophy, philosophical writings?” A touch of nervousnessagain, No, no I haven’t. “Then you might try it sometime.I have a list of good ones for you. Try Nietzsche andSchopenhauer and Wittgenstein and Plato. These are wonderfulguys, wonderful minds. Give them a try.” But, Mr. Manfred. ...“And another thing,” he interrupted, “what about poetry? Whoare your favorite poets or writers? In your role as chaplain do yourefer people at all to literature?” I really don’t read literature. Certainly,I never read any poetry, but maybe I should try some. “Oh,yes, yes. It will be well worth your time. Those guys will take yousomewhere. Try Chaucer. Try Whitman. And don’t forget EmilyDickinson. She’s the best.”But, Mr. Manfred, could we spend one moment on your personalrelationship with God? “Well, I’ll tell you, when it comes to apersonal creed, I think I most take after my Grandpa. He was anagnostic—and he said the best things about religion that I’ve everheard.” I see . .., she said warily. “Yep, in fact, Grandpa made theone statement about religion that I could wholeheartedly agreewith my whole life.” And what was that, Mr. Manfred? “Grandpaused to say—and it’s the truest thing I’ve ever heard—he said this:‘God is in you and he is smiling.’”The chaplain repeated the first part of what Dad had said. Godis in you . . . “That’s right, God is in you and he is smiling.” Thechaplain slid to her feet. Well, Mr. Manfred, I can see you’re doingjust fine. “Yes, I am,” he said, and she departed. “Nice to meet you,lady!” he called to her, but she was halfway down the hall and mustnot have heard, for she did not reply.THE CULTURE OF INTERPRETATIONProvocative and critical works on modern hermeneutics come, naturallyenough, not from theological faculties, but from Englishdepartments. For example, Gene Edward Veith (see Doing WithoutTruth elsewhere in this Forum) is associate professor of English atConcordia University-Mequon, Wisconsin. Another example comesvia the work of Roger Lundin, professor of English at Wheaton College.The following excerpt comes from The Culture of Interpretation:Christian Faith and the Postmodern World (Grand Rapids:Wm. B. Eerdmans , 1993) pp. 37–41. This volume is very rich but nottoo technical for the average reader.In whatever form it takes, the contemporary fascinationwith perspective and interpretation in academic study isgrounded in a deeply embedded Western faith in the power oflanguage and the individual will. Perhaps the most importantrecent source of postmodern theories of the centrality of interpretationis Nietzsche, whose views on language have exercisedan extraordinary influence in the contemporary academic world.In a fragment written in 1873, Nietzsche asked, “What, then, istruth?” It is, he answered himself,a mobile army of metaphors, metonyms, and anthropomorphisms—inshort, a sum of human relations, whichhave been enhanced, transposed, and embellished poeticallyand rhetorically, and which after long use seemfirm, canonical, and obligatory to a people: truths areillusions about which one has forgotten that this is whatthey are; metaphors which are worn out and withoutsensuous power; coins which have lost their pictures andnow matter only as metal, no longer as coins .... To betruthful means using the customary metaphors—inmoral terms: the obligation to lie according to a fixedconvention, to lie herd-like in a style obligatory for all.