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Constitutional Hermeneutics

Constitutional Hermeneutics

By Gary DeMar / American Vision

Hermeneutics, the science and skill of interpretation, is most often applied to the Bible. But hermeneutics can be applied to any written document. For example, the Constitution is a piece of literature that requires interpretive skill to determine its meaning. I was reminded of this when I read a letter to the editor that appeared in The Wall Street Journal1. The writer equates the constitutional phrase “general welfare” with the “welfare state” because they sound alike. The Constitution must be interpreted in terms of its historical context, author intent, and specialized vocabulary as it was used in the eighteenth century. Full story...

http://www.americanvision.org/articlearchive/04-10-06.asp

Posted by Editor at April 14, 2006 08:25 AM