Monergism Books

Description:Updated explanations of the “sins” of interpretation. Carson teaches sound grammatical, lexical, cultural, theological, and historical Bible study practices. Every interpreter needs to read Carson's Exegetical Fallacies -- it is a humbling experience.

The surprising success of this book suggests that there is an encouraging number of preachers and teachers of Scripture who want to correct common errors in exegesis. I am grateful to God if this book has been a help.

Many readers have written to share with me their own lists of amusing fallacies. A few of their suggestions have found their way into the pages of this second edition. Three or four reviewers or letter writers strenuously objected to this or that example. I have tried to take their complaints to heart. In a couple of instances I have revised the section; in two or three instances I merely dropped the material or substituted better examples, not always because I thought I was wrong on the issue, but simply because in this book I am not trying to score points on particular subjects so much as give indisputable examples of exegetical fallacies. But most of the material in the first edition has been retained here. Occasionally I have dropped material not because I have changed my mind as to the exegesis, but because I would defend my position a little differently today.

By contrast, from time to time I have inserted fresh examples. In addition, the material in the fourth chapter has been expanded somewhat. Granted the rapid changes taking place in the field of hermeneutics, that chapter could easily have become a couple of books. Restrain prevailed, so that not too many pages were added.

I would have liked to expand the fifth chapter, but it seemed best not to enlarge the book too much at one go, not least because it is primarily used as auxiliary reading in exegesis courses, so that too great an increase in length would probably destroy its usefulness. In particular, I rather wanted to say more about the interpretation of literary genres than I did. The little I added may be of use to some. And if this book ever goes to a third edition, perhaps that will be the time to add more to the fifth chapter.

Soli Deo gloria D. A. Carson

Monergism Review : In a day in which it is common to find the bible employed to argue for every conceivable philosophy, ideal, and theology, D. A. Carson’s Exegetical Fallacies is an indispensable resource. Building on the foundation that, because the Bible is the very word of God, it is of utmost importance that we handle it carefully and accurately; and acknowledging that all of us are susceptible to misinterpreting scriptures in our reading, studying, and preaching, Carson lays out in systematic fashion the most common ways in which the bible is misinterpreted, in an eminently useful effort to help us safeguard ourselves against a variety of errors which are as serious in their import as they are easy to stumble into. The ability to detect and avoid exegetical fallacies, which the reader will no doubt come away with, is in greater need today, when Christian writings and resources have proliferated to an unprecedented degree, than at any other point in redemptive history. More ...