Hermeneutics and Semiotics

Name : Abdi Rizky

NIM : 11200340000153

Resume 2 : Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher

It is interesting to start this resume that refers to F.D.E Schleiermacher about the assumptions how
important nineteenth century to start the way scholars view to theological method in the next century.
A sentences from the theologians Alan Richardson might described it well enought. He said,

The nineteenth century is of permanent importance in the

development of theology, not because of any conclusions which it
established, but because it essayed the first tentative employment of
a new theological method (Richardson, 1959).

From what Richardson say about the new pattern what scholars from that century acted to formulating
new historical knowledge that they notably contributed, the scholars at that time were discard the
traditional theological method and instal a new method which more articulated and hope could
defended.

About F.D.E Schleiermacher in influence

Schleiermacher dominate the nineteenth century in Europe, even theologian feels necessary to
positionizing his own self in relation to him. It started massive influenced by two main thesis of
Schleiermacher’s theology who become the presentations and characteristic of theology of the century.
It is commonly styled Liberal Protestantism. This liberal style of theology was controlled by two main
leading principles which Schleiermacher clearly defined. Fisrt that Christianity is a positive religiomn
which means not a universal-rational; and second that revelation is in man’s religous concsiousness.
Since that time, for him revelation could not found in the infallible words of Scripture.1

The First, is his conception of Christianity as a positive historical religion. Richardson articulated;
Thus, he parts company with the rationalist and deists of the eighteenth century, who looked for a
universal religion of reason, valid for all men in all lands irrespective of their particular historical
situation. Christianity is not a universal religion, 'the religion of reason' as such. like other religions, it
is a particular religion which began at a certain moment of history and thereafter developed in the
consciousness of particular groups of real men and women. It is indeed the highest form of religion,
having room within it for all that is true and vaulable in other religions; but it is nevertheless, like
them, a particular stream of religious consciousness in the history of mankind. This is what is meant
by a 'positive historical religon.'2 Schleiermacher view’s presented by Christological. His said that it
can not be unpart by the historical. That Christ give such as perfect descriptions to people, and in his
self has manifestation to God will and that describe as the most acceptable understandings in
Christianity even without legitimate by miracles of the Gospels, even by the resurrection, but it
attested in continuation history of God consciousness.

The Second, has actually been mentioned in exposition of the first. It is the concept of the religious
consciousness. Doubtless it owes something to the warm personal devotion. Already in the work of his
1
Alan Richardson, The Bible in the Age of Science. Amsterdam: SCM Press Ltd, 1961, p. 80
2
Alan Richardson, The Bible in the Age of Science. Amsterdam: p. 81
youth, the Reden (1799)3, and he had in the second discourse (Uber das Wesen der Relligion) defined
religion as knowledge nor as activity. It is as a feeling, an intuition: a sense and taste for the infinite.
He also argued that the cultured despiser of religion is despising his own deepest aspirations. Religion
by being itself man’s quest for the infinite is in reality the source of all human scientific, cultural,
moral and social endeavour.4

Hermeneutics Concepts

To know how the Schleiermacher concepts to his hermeneutics, it is better start from this question that
written in his book: “in what circumstance did the author come to his decision, from the question what
does this decisions mean in him, or what particular value does it have in relation to the totality of his
life?”5Hermeneutics moves from the external expression back to the thinking as the meaning of that
expression: “the speaking of the words relates solely to the presence of another person, and to his
extent is contingent. But no one can think without words. Without words the thought is not ye
completed and clear.”6 So what actually is the basic principle of hermeneutic circle in Schleiermacher
conception? Lawrence K. Schmidt has definitions to the question. She said,
The hermeneutic circle states that one cannot
understand the whole until one has understood the parts, but that one
cannot understood the parts until one has understood the whole.
Schleiermacher breaks the impasse of the hermeneutic circle because
with sufficient knowledge of the language one can and must first
conduct a cursory reading to get an overviewof the whole. This
reading then allows for the detailed interpretation of the parts
(Lawrence, 2006).

On the Introduction by Andrew Bowie, he said that in Schleiermacher’s later thinking there is an
increasing tendency to separate the sphere of language from the sphere of thought. There’re
grammatical interpretation and psychological interpretation. The grammatical interpretation shows the
work in relation to language, both in the structure of sentences and in the interacting parts of a work,
and also the other works of the same literary type; so we may see the principle of parts and whole at
work in grammatical interpretation. In other side, psychological interpretation, Schleiermacher argues
that it was a basically intuitive approach is required: the task of psychological explication in its own
terms is generally to understand every given structure of thoughts as a moment of the life of a
particular person.7 This concept of understanding actually the development from Schleiermacher two
main key priniples that has expalined above.

3
English translation, On Religion: Speeches to its Cultured Despisers, by J. Oman, 1893; new edition, New York and
London, 1958.
4
Alan Richardson, The Bible in the Age of Science. Amsterdam: p. 83
5
Schleiermacher, F., Hermeneutics and Criticism and Other Writings. Edited and translated by Andrew Bowie.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998, p. 107-108
6
Schleiermacher, F., Hermeneutics and Criticism and Other Writings., p. xi
7
Schleiermacher, F., Hermeneutics and Criticism and Other Writings., p. 101