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Scripture's Practical Authority and the Response of Faith from a Speech‐Act Theoretic Perspective
Author(s) -
Yeo Ray S.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the heythrop journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.127
H-Index - 10
eISSN - 1468-2265
pISSN - 0018-1196
DOI - 10.1111/heyj.12163
Subject(s) - faith , perspective (graphical) , reading (process) , epistemology , speech act , interpretation (philosophy) , philosophy , sociology , theology , linguistics , computer science , artificial intelligence
This paper brings together the work of N icholas W olterstorff and W illiam A lston in speech‐act theory with the aim of providing a deeper understanding of the nature of divine speaking through the medium of Scripture. Despite the fecundity of W olterstorff's seminal work on the philosophical theology of Scripture, aspects of his speech‐act centric account are underdeveloped and would benefit from the contributions of W illiam A lston. In particular, his account of divine speech‐acts could be fruitfully expanded by incorporating the concept of ‘taking responsibility’ that is central to A lston's analysis of the nature of illocutionary acts. This would elucidate both the way in which readers of Scripture encounter divine practical authority in the reading process and the nature of the response of faith that is demanded of them.