ABSTRACT
In the ongoing debates about biblical criticism and theological interpretation, interpreters frequently offer an analogy between the biblical text and the incarnate Christ to emphasize Scripture’s dual divine-and-human provenance. Others amplify the analogy by comparing Mary’s willing but receptive role in the incarnation with the human authors of Scripture. But, while for many these are sufficient to illustrate the claims of the doctrine of inspiration, the christological analogy is substantially and practically problematic when pressed into the service of hermeneutics. This article argues that the analogy’s use to determine hermeneutical “heresy” requires either unnecessary overcomplication or is fraught with imprecision at precisely the points required to illumine theological interpretation. An alternative articulation is offered, treating the incarnation and the text not as direct analogues but as two (very different) instantiations of divine condescension.
