One of the central concerns in contemporary theology and biblical studies has been the interest in linguistic and hermeneutics. It is impossible to do genuine scientific biblical study today without raising questions of hermeneutics the science of interpretation and we cannot raise the question of interpretation without raising questions about the nature of knowledge the use of language, and the scientific and ontological presuppositions operative in the mind of exegete. This book not only gives an excellent survey of the field but examines with great thoroughness the contribution of philosophy can provide us with tools (a) to elucidate the hermeneutical task, (b) to unfold the meaning of parts of the New Testament, and (c) to lead us beyond semantics and traditional linguistics by enlarging the interpreter's prior understanding and conceptual capacities.