Postmodernism and Biblical Interpretation

 

Culture seeps into every nook and cranny of our lives, shaping us in ways we often don’t notice. It even influences how we interpret Scripture. Postmodernism—with its pervasive skepticism and suspicion of truth-claims—produces some familiar postures in interpretation:

• “You only hold that view because you’re a Baptist.”

• “You say that because you were born into a patriarchal culture.”

• “Paul only wrote that because he was a misogynist.”

• “You believe that because you’re a fundamentalist.”

C. S. Lewis famously called this mistake Bulverism—the habit of “situating” a view instead of answering it. Bulverism assumes someone is wrong and then tries to explain why they are wrong, rather than demonstrating that they are wrong. It replaces argument with suspicion, psychology, and motive-assigning.

Here’s how Bulverism distorts biblical interpretation:

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1. It replaces exegesis with motive-judging.

Instead of engaging the actual text, Bulverism says, “You only interpret the passage that way because you’re liberal,” or “because you’re conservative.” This conveniently avoids the hard work of genre, grammar, and context.
Our goal must be the author’s intent, not the interpreter’s psychology.

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2. It undermines the authority of Scripture.

Bulverism assumes the biblical authors held wrong motives or cultural biases, then dismisses their arguments on that basis alone.
But biblical authority rests in the text, not in speculative reconstructions of the authors’ subconscious motives.
The question is always: Does the argument hold, and is it consistent with the rest of Scripture?

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3. It poisons the well between Christians.

Labeling someone’s interpretation as “Calvinist,” “Baptist,” or “fundamentalist” as a way of dismissing it frames disagreement as a moral or psychological defect. This blocks the humility and charity essential for good interpretation.

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4. It avoids the hard work of exegesis.

Interpreting Scripture can be difficult. Bulverism removes the need to defend your reading with textual evidence. Why wrestle with counterarguments when you can simply dismiss the critic?

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5. It fosters confirmation bias.

Bulverism encourages us to find what we want to find. When motive-assigning replaces argument, interpretations are never tested—against the text, against opposing readings, or against our own potential misreading.

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6. It violates biblical justice.

Bulverism is, at its heart, judging without evidence. Scripture warns us against:

• judging motives (1 Cor. 4:5),

• bearing false witness (Ex. 20:16),

• showing partiality (Deut. 1:17), and

• engaging in foolish, unprofitable disputes (2 Tim. 2:23).

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In a postmodern world saturated with suspicion, Christians must resist Bulverism and return to the patient, humble work of exegesis. God’s Word deserves nothing less. If we seek the author’s intent with integrity, we will not only interpret Scripture more faithfully—we will treat one another more justly.