📘 Lexicon Entry: Primitive Biblicism

Epistemological mutation that demands absolute interpretive certainty, reducing Scripture to tribal boundary maintenance tool while eliminating mystery, community discernment, and analogical complexity essential to authentic biblical interpretation

A theological distortion that transforms biblical interpretation from communal discernment within the mystery of divine revelation into individual or group claims to infallible comprehension. This mutation represents what David Bentley Hart identifies as "epistemological idolatry" that replaces divine mystery with human certainty claims, creating "self-sustaining delusional ecosystems" where interpretation becomes a "universe of indubitable absolutes." Primitive Biblicism departs from traditional Christian hermeneutics that embraced interpretive complexity through community, tradition, and acknowledgment of human limitations before divine transcendence. The mutation eliminates the analogical distance between divine revelation and human comprehension, reducing faith from trust in divine mystery to intellectual assent to predetermined interpretations. This approach contradicts Scripture’s own witness to interpretive complexity, as seen in the Ethiopian eunuch’s need for guidance and Peter’s acknowledgment that Paul’s letters contain "some things hard to understand." Contemporary manifestations include fundamentalist resistance to historical-critical scholarship and the use of biblical interpretation to support political ideologies while ignoring Scripture’s consistent boundary-crossing witness.

Theological Mutation

fundamentalism, biblical literalism, epistemological certainty, hermeneutics, biblical interpretation, theological mutation, fundamentalist epistemology, interpretive community, analogical reading

APA: Geevarghese-Uffman, C. (2025). Primitive Biblicism. Political Theology Lexicon. Common Life Politics. https://www.commonlifepolitics.com/p/lexicon

Chicago: Geevarghese-Uffman, Craig. “Primitive Biblicism.” Political Theology Lexicon. Accessed [date]. https://www.commonlifepolitics.com/p/lexicon.

MLA: Geevarghese-Uffman, Craig. “Primitive Biblicism.” Political Theology Lexicon, 2025, www.commonlifepolitics.com/p/lexicon.

Theological: Geevarghese-Uffman, Craig. “Primitive Biblicism.” In Political Theology Lexicon. Digital theological resource. https://www.commonlifepolitics.com/p/lexicon (accessed [date]).

Traditional Christian hermeneutics recognizes Scripture as divine revelation requiring communal interpretation within the analogical framework that maintains transcendence-immanence tension rather than collapsing divine mystery into human comprehension

Hart’s analysis validates historical Christian epistemology where “faith and reason complement rather than compete” through medieval synthesis integrating intellectual rigor with mystical tradition that embraced “apophatic tradition’s embrace of unknowing as path to knowledge”

Authentic biblical authority emerges through community discernment guided by tradition and Spirit rather than individual claims to infallible interpretation, following patristic principle that “Scripture interprets Scripture within community of faith”

Chicago-Lambeth Scripture principle demonstrates Anglican via media approach recognizing Scripture as “containing all things necessary to salvation” while requiring interpretive community and traditional wisdom for authentic understanding

Epistemological Certainty Demand: Claims to absolute interpretive accuracy that eliminate mystery and complexity from biblical interpretation

Individual or Sectarian Authority: Rejection of communal discernment and traditional hermeneutical wisdom in favor of personal or group certainty

Analogical Collapse: Reduction of transcendence-immanence tension to simple one-to-one correspondence between text and meaning

Tribal Boundary Maintenance: Use of biblical interpretation to protect group identity rather than serve truth-seeking and universal justice

Anti-Intellectual Resistance: Rejection of historical-critical scholarship and academic engagement with biblical complexity

Modern fundamentalist movement (late 19th/early 20th century) departing from traditional Christian embrace of interpretive complexity and mystery

Reaction to historical-critical biblical scholarship that ironically adopted Enlightenment epistemological certainty rather than maintaining traditional apophatic humility

Development through American evangelicalism’s anti-intellectual tradition documented by Mark Noll’s analysis of evangelical resistance to scholarly engagement

Contemporary expression through political appropriation of biblical interpretation serving nationalist and tribal identity rather than universal Christian witness

Ignores Acts 8:30-31 demonstration that biblical interpretation requires guidance and community rather than individual certainty

Contradicts 2 Peter 3:16 acknowledgment that Scripture contains "some things hard to understand" requiring careful interpretation

Misuses 2 Timothy 3:16-17 to claim individual interpretive infallibility while ignoring its emphasis on Scripture’s formative purpose within community

Reduces 1 Corinthians 13:12 epistemological humility ("we see through a mirror, dimly") to false certainty claims

Hart’s analysis reveals how Primitive Biblicism enables MAGA Christianism by providing “biblical” justification for nationalist ideology through selective interpretation that contradicts Christianity’s “anti-autochthonous” character

Use of isolated biblical passages to support border walls and cultural exclusion while ignoring Scripture’s consistent boundary-crossing witness and hospitality commands

Biblical interpretation serving American exceptionalism that contradicts Hart’s insight that Christianity represents “perpetual rejection of blood and soil” and proper places as ultimate loyalties

Reduction of prophetic biblical tradition to support for political strongman leadership while eliminating Scripture’s consistent critique of earthly power and empire

Claims to biblical mandate for American divine election that contradict Scripture’s universal scope and critique of ethnic or national privilege

Use of covenant theology to support cultural supremacy while ignoring biblical trajectory toward inclusion of all nations and peoples

Interpretation of Hebrew Scriptures to justify contemporary land claims and exclusionary practices contradicting prophetic emphasis on justice for stranger and sojourner

Biblical justification for providential nationalism that eliminates tension between particular identity and universal gospel witness

Hart’s “fish metaphor” explains how primitive biblicist interpretations create “entirely alternative reality with its own ecology” when communities prioritize certainty over truth-seeking

Contributes to Christian anti-intellectualism that undermines theological education and scholarly engagement with biblical complexity

Enables biblical justification for political positions that contradict central Christian teachings about hospitality, justice, and universal redemption

Creates “self-sustaining delusional ecosystems” where biblical interpretation serves tribal identity maintenance rather than spiritual formation and truth-seeking

Related Primary Concepts: Tribal Epistemology, Dominative Christianism, Providential Identitarianism

Key Mutations: Authoritarian Spirituality, Binary Apocalypticism, Practical Atheism

Theological Alternatives: Participatory Hermeneutics, Analogical Reading, Backward Vector

Historical Context: Fundamentalism, Historical Criticism, Sachkritik

2025-06-01

*This entry is part of the Theological Lexicon, accessible exclusively to subscribers. View the complete lexicon to explore related concepts and the full theoretical framework.*