Monosemy in Biblical Studies: A Critical Analysis of Recent Work

Abstract: This review article critically engages two recent monographs that utilize Charles Ruhl’s theory of monosemy to analyze the New Testament. After outlining Ruhl’s theory, I discuss how Gregory Fewster attempts to model monosemy within the linguistic framework of Systemic Functional Linguistics, and how Benjamin Lappenga does so within the framework of Relevance Theory. Each makes important contributions, but I argue that neither has significantly improved on Ruhl’s original model and that some of the modifications of Ruhl’s theory end up being unhelpful or unclear. Nevertheless, both authors have persuasively exhibited the usefulness of a monosemic approach to studying biblical words and texts. (Review Article)

Keywords: Monosemy, Gregory P. Fewster, Benjamin J. Lappenga, Charles Ruhl, Lexical Semantics.

"My primary critique of both [Gregory P.] Fewster and [Benjamin J.] Lappenga is the limited sense in which they conceive of monosemy as a methodology . . . Neither of the authors attempts an explicit analysis along these lines. When they mention a “monosemic bias” they seem to mean something like a willingness to assume that monosemy is more correct than polysemy." (p. 124)

"Though I have offered a number of critical remarks regarding both of the monographs mentioned in this review . . . it is always easier to critically evaluate than to do the hard work of theoretical trailblazing, and all the more so in biblical studies, where traditional methods are heavily entrenched. Both of these monographs have advanced the minimalist trajectory for analyzing the meaning of words, and for that the authors are to be strongly commended." (p. 124)

Wishart, Ryder A. “Monosemy in Biblical Studies: A Critical Analysis of Recent Work.” Biblical and Ancient Greek Linguistics 6 (2017) 81–106.

This paper is available at the Journal's website, so just follow this link.