This chapter begins with an examination of Said's hermeneutical approach and his concept of contrapuntal reading. Building upon the previous chapter, this chapter endeavours to explore, critique, and adapt Said's approach for the purposes of biblical interpretation. To that end, it seeks to develop a concept of contrapuntal hermeneutics appropriate to the hermeneutical and ethical goals articulated in the introduction. This chapter will also briefly address several issues of language which arise in the course of these explorations in order to clarify the terminology employed in this book.

Via Media: The Nature of Textual Interpretation in Said's Oeuvre

In attempting to adapt Said's own frame of entry into the text, it will first be necessary to examine that frame more closely. Said's approaches to textuality and interpretation are heavily influenced by his concepts of subjectivity, the relationship between knowledge and power, the responsibility of the intellectual, and the notion of the secular. In view of Said's particular disdain for hegemonic critical systems, this section will not be an attempt to categorize Said's interpretations or to subsume them under the heading of a particular critical rubric. Perhaps the best way to approach the question of the nature of textual interpretation in Said's work will be to discuss two critical positions he found “exemplary” and also to take note of his criticisms of those positions.