Description: This book explores the biblical interpretation of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church (EOTC). In doing so, it illuminates the interpretation of the Bible in a particular historical and cultural context and presents a compelling example of the contextual nature of biblical interpretation. Those who visit Ethiopia experience its unique spirituality, which is significantly informed by the presence of the EOTC. The EOTC has existed from earliest years of the Christian church. It has also developed and maintained its own ecclesiastic tradition in the Ethiopian context and has its own distinctive way of reading the Bible. It is noteworthy, particularly in the African context, that it has its own commentaries on the Scriptures, which continue to serve as a vital tradition in the EOTC's interpretation of the Bible. This is evident in the contemporary hermeneutics and sermons of EOTC preachers. In its comprehensive consideration of the EOTC's past and present, this book examines the interplay between tradition and context in biblical interpretation and contributes to current biblical scholarship.
Brief description: William A. Dyrness is Professor of Theology and Culture and Director of the Visual Faith Institute of Art and Architecture at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California, and was a founding member of the Brehm Center for Worship, Theology and the Arts at Fuller. He is the author of Senses of the Soul: Art and the Visual in Christian Worship (2008) and Poetic Theology: God and the Poetics of Everyday Life (2011).