الفهرس 
Hermeneutics: A Theory of Understanding and InterpretationOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Hermeneutics is a controversial term, which has undergone various changes since its very early foundation; therefore, it is defined as an art of understanding, a science of interpretation and methodology for translating the Biblical and traditional text. Furthermore, it is also employed as a technique for interpreting legal, social science and literary texts. Historically, it is divided into two major stages: the Biblical and Modern hermeneutics. The Biblical hermeneutics consists of different stages. The first stage is thought to have originated in the first century AD at the very beginning of the Church establishment. Having an ardent belief that the word of God is complete and transcendental in itself, the theoreticians of the Biblical hermeneutics applied the literal method for understanding and interpreting the Bible (Silva122). The Old Testament can textually be understood without being linked to any external elements. With the advent of the second century, the Biblical hermeneutics has matured enough that it may incorporate the contextual, grammatical and historical approaches into the interpretation process. Applying the contextual elements to the act of interpretation is emphasized by David Dockery who argues that ”all of the Fathers gave assent to the literal sense of Scripture, but a contextual, grammatical, and historical interpretation was emphasized by Theodore, and chrysostom, with a developing convergence in that direction with Jerome, Augustine, and Theodoret” (157).