For a Prehistory of the Concept of Application

Sacred Hermeneutics and the Assumptions of the Gadamerian Recovery of Applicatio

Abstract

The essay analyzes the foundations of sacred hermeneutics, trying to define the concept of applicatio and its value in theological interpretation, where a meaning which needs to be properly understood must be translated in practical terms, that is, made concrete in behaviours. Application is an ontological procedure that expresses the capability to refer something to one’s situation. In contemporary philosophy Gadamer has thoroughly elaborated this topic, connecting it to his own extra-methodical hermeneutics and enlightening its pedagogical value.