A hermeneutics of blessing as a meta-requisite for reconciliation: John E. Toews' Romans paradigm as a case study

Abstract

Within an overall framework of reconciliation as a transformation of mimetic structures of violence to mimetic structures of blessing, teachings of blessing are needed throughout the process. Teachings are considered as paradigmatic stories, principles, insights, practical wisdom that are derived both from religious traditions the human sciences. Blessing refers to that which contributes to sustained human well-being at the individual, collective relational levels. A hermeneutics of blessing is a deliberate interpretive endeavour directed toward the generation of teachings of blessing. It can be used with any particular source the insights can be both direct inverse, identifying what is helpful not helpful for reconciliation processes. John E. Toews, biblical scholar specializing on the book of Romans in the New Testament, is examined as someone practicing a hermeneutics of blessing. His paradigm of Romans shows how it can be viewed as a letter addressing an identity-based conflict involving Jews Gentiles. A set of practical teachings of blessing is synthesized from Romans 12 to 15, using the Toews hermeneutical paradigm.