Andrew,

When I read your writing, I continue to get the feeling that you are striving for some sort of uninterpreted and ahistorical narrative-gem. Let me try to show you what I mean.

For instance, in contrast to modern evangelical’s misreading of the Holy Bible, you suggest that the there is a particular way that "the Bible tells the story of Jesus" and presumbably your alternative narrative more accurately represents it. However, I’m not sure "the Bible tells the story of Jesus." I’m more inclined to say that we actively read the Bible and we actively tell the story of Jesus.

In another instance, you say that ‘biblical witness’ "has to do with the manner in which scripture as a whole conceptualizes and gives expression to the reality of God." But I’m not sure the complexity and plurality of the Holy Bible can be reduced to or gives expression to a single conceptualization of the reality of God. The great many faith interpretations and narratives drawn from the Bible demonstrate this point, I think. The assertion that there is such a thing as a ‘biblical witness’ looks an awful lot like a gem.

I agree that "the present context of interpretation does not neutralize hermeneutic preferences." I would add that that is precisely why I don’t think "the biblical material" has a specific "historical-eschatological shape" that we should take "more seriously." Rather, I would say that the "historical-eschatological shape" is your artful reading of the biblical material given the context of relations you draw from. And I would say that you believe very strongly that we should take it very seriously, and thus your effort to persuade us to your reading.

Finally, you suggest that we have the capacity to "see the scripture more clearly" if we avoid the pressure of modern assumptions. But the presupposition that the scripture can in fact be seen "more clearly" sounds an awful lot like you’ve already succombed to the modern epistemological paradigm that the scripture is something out there that can be more or less accurately described and narrated. In contrast, I would say that the scripture is not something one can get more or less clearly. The scripture is something that we can actively construct different readings and interpretations of and communities around.