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Eisegesis () is the process of interpreting text in such a way as to introduce one's own presuppositions, agendas or biases. It is commonly referred to as reading into the text.. It is often done to justify or confirm a position already held.
Eisegesis is best understood when contrasted with exegesis. Exegesis is drawing out a text's meaning in accordance with the author's context and discoverable meaning. Eisegesis is when a reader imposes their interpretation of the text. Thus exegesis tends to be objective; and eisegesis, highly subjective.
Although the terms eisegesis and exegesis are commonly heard in association with biblical interpretation, both (especially exegesis) are used across literary disciplines.
Protestants and fundamentalist Christians have likewise accused Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians of eisegesis for viewing Scripture through Holy Tradition, and may accuse Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians of fabricating or distorting tradition to support their view, which they see as opposed to the doctrine of sola scriptura, where scripture is believed to speak for itself without Holy Tradition.Marsh, W. M., Martin Luther on Reading the Bible as Christian Scripture: The Messiah in Luther’s Biblical Hermeneutic and Theology (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2017), pp. 22–30. Jews, in turn, might assert that Christians practice eisegesis when they read the Hebrew Bible as anticipating Jesus of Nazareth.Kaiser, W. C., Jr., The Majesty of God in the Old Testament: A Guide for Preaching and Teaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007), pp. 16–17.
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