9
votes
Accepted
Are questions about hermeneutical approaches still on topic?
As far as I'm concerned, yes these always have been and still should be on topic. I've been kind of frustrated when I've run across similar things where some of our community can't seem to separate ...
- 5,713
8
votes
Are questions about the intended audience of a biblical text on topic?
Yes, I think these questions should be on-topic and perhaps tagged as either audience or destination.
We've generally allowed these kind of introductory matters such as provenance, authorship, dating,...
- 35.5k
8
votes
What should we do with questions about tools used in Biblical scholarship?
In my understanding, Meta is for discussion of Hermeneutics.SE site policy. None of these questions is about the site. They are indeed “meta-” in a way, but they are meta-hermeneutics rather than meta-...
- 25.7k
8
votes
Accepted
Are questions on the pseudepigrapha on-topic?
In the spirit of how SE communities are defined and the answers to the previous related questions, I feel pseudepigraphic/apocryphal works should be considered on topic. Experts in these texts are ...
- 4,132
7
votes
Accepted
Is it ok to ask since when a particular teaching/doctrine was known?
Questions about the history of a doctrine in Christianity such as when a particular viewpoint came on the scene or came to prominence are probably better suited to Christianity.SE. Even though the ...
- 5,713
7
votes
Questions about actual or perceived contradictions in the biblical texts
I think they are all on topic.
Potential contradictions should be examined. Even if one does not hold to a necessary unity to Scripture by a Divine Author behind the text through inspiration (...
- 19.6k
7
votes
What about Gnostic texts?
ScottS wrote the following in a comment on another answer, which I think is very clear and helpful (emphasis mine):
...they are undoubtedly a special category of tertiary, as the controversy around ...
- 12.1k
7
votes
Accepted
What about questions about historical linguistics when focused on meaning in biblical languages?
It's a reasonable question, but my own sense is that "historical linguistics" ("HL" in what follows) questions are not a good fit for BH.SE.
The examples provided would only very tangentially -- if ...
- 24.5k
7
votes
Accepted
Are history of interpretation questions on-topic?
My own sense is, Yes -- "history of intperpretation" questions are "on-topic" for Hermeneutics.SE. I have some caveats (noted later), but here's my rationale.
The BH.SE community is already ...
- 24.5k
7
votes
Accepted
Criticism of Second Esdras' First Two Chapters
It's On-Topic as far as I'm concerned.
In the Site Tour we link to What Texts are Open for Examination?.
The community consensus is currently as follows:
"You build a site for a group of experts....
Steve TaylorMod
- 5,191
6
votes
What does it mean for a question to "start from the text"?
Useful question, but a little tricky to answer.
It is a lot easier to find examples on the site of questions that do 'start from the text' than those that don't of course: because we've been closing/...
- 12.1k
6
votes
Accepted
Questions asking for bible reference/Bible translation
Thank you for asking here before posting.
Asking for a biblical reference to support an idea is off topic. Questions about biblical topics should start from a specific Bible passage.
If the question ...
- 25.7k
6
votes
Could we revise the help center explanation of what’s on topic?
It seems to me that there are two main audiences for this page:
People who meander onto Hermeneutics.SE and want to learn what we’re about before asking questions. (Rare!)
People who have been ...
- 25.7k
6
votes
This looks like a well-masked theological question
Do both texts describe the same event ?
. . . is an hermeneutic enquiry.
I do not see how it can be anything else, nor has anyone (yet) attempted to show that it is not.
There are two possible ...
- 26.3k
5
votes
Topicality of a Textual Question related to a Group with a Specific Doctrinal Commitment
1. Reason for VtC
OP notes the "hold" reason provided by the system. Just to be clear, I did not point to that text with my VtC, but rather invoked the "bespoke" field, filled with this text:
I'm ...
- 24.5k
5
votes
Topicality of a Textual Question related to a Group with a Specific Doctrinal Commitment
Why can those other questions pass, while this one cannot?
With exegesis questions, we draw a distinction between those that arise from a text and those that do not, with the latter being off-topic.
...
- 12.1k
5
votes
Questions about the field of textual criticism without reference to a particular text
Yes, they are on topic. We've previously proposed changing our name to Biblical Studies or Biblical Texts (which avoids the association with bible studies) or another broader term implying the same ...
- 8,606
5
votes
Help asking about the spirit and the body (on topic?)
I concur with the existing answer that this question would be "off-topic" as posed.
I also think there are at least two "on-topic" questions lurking in it, and to let them out it would mean:
(much!) ...
- 24.5k
5
votes
Accepted
Are bibliography requests on topic?
The problem with these questions and certainly with that one in particular, is that that aren't 'answerable' in the SE sense of lending themselves to a single definitive answer:
...point me to any ...
- 12.1k
5
votes
Close Reason : Appeals to Modernistic Doctrine
I don't see any need for this.
First of all, "appeals to doctrine" is a more common problem for answers than it is for questions. Close reasons apply to questions, they are not for handling answers.
...
- 5,713
5
votes
Can we reformulate the "Specific Bible passage" close reason?
I agree the close reason is sometimes miss-used, and would be incorrect applied to that question, but that doesn't mean it's actually an invalid close reason.
Questions "about Biblical topics" is ...
- 5,713
5
votes
Can someone please add a description to the "Biblical Theology" tag?
I suggested this wiki excerpt before, but it was rejected for reasons I don't really understand:
Biblical Theology is an approach to theology which emphasises the progressive nature of Biblical ...
- 2,874
5
votes
This looks like a well-masked theological question
Well, there are two principles to remember:
Questions are considered on their own merits. A good answer can't make an off-topic question into an on-topic question. If someone thinks the question is ...
- 2,874
5
votes
This looks like a well-masked theological question
This question was a journey for me, as no matter what it's definitely close to the boundaries of scope for the site. It doesn't get much more 'meta' than this, when we're debating the authorial intent ...
Steve TaylorMod
- 5,191
4
votes
What about Gnostic texts?
I don't think the distinction between secondary and tertiary text has any particular bearing on this issue. What matters is whether the expertise necessary to construct informed answers on topics ...
- 5,713
4
votes
Reopen question about Jesus Sayings in Mark and Q
I am one who has been opposed to the question as is (as can be seen by the comments). And though I come from a perspective that sees the hypothesis of Q as a huge waste of time and effort, I would not ...
- 19.6k
4
votes
Questions about the field of textual criticism without reference to a particular text
Yes, I think it's on topic, and everything like it.
In the same way that exegesis and hermeneutical approaches are both on topic, I expect that applied textual criticism and the theory of textual ...
- 12.1k
4
votes
Is Interpretation of Prophecy on Topic?
These questions are typically an even worse match for Christianity.SE than they are here. At least here the stand a fighting chance of getting answers that approach them in context. And we already ...
- 5,713
4
votes
Is this question about bias off-topic?
At first bluff I didn't see any reason at all for this to be "off topic". Having reviewed Mark's reasoning I have to admit there is some sound logic there. However I think still have to defend my ...
- 5,713
4
votes
Can we reformulate the "Specific Bible passage" close reason?
Questions about hermeneutical approaches are unambiguously allowed by the help center even when not based on biblical passages.
Questions that do not arise from a Biblical text are off-topic unless ...
- 3,650
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible