The Debate Of Integrating Elements Of Orthodox Christian...

Orthodoxy, Orthopraxy, and Research Researchers face the challenge of integrating elements of orthodox Christian theology and orthopraxy into the theoretical orientation of their research. To maintain the integrity of the study, the research must exhaust ever effort to take themselves out of the research, allowing the research to speak for itself. Biblical exegesis can influences one’s research; a researcher should acknowledge their assumptions, taking steps to mitigate them from the research. Biblical Exegesis, Orthodoxy, Orthopraxy, and Research One’s level of biblical exegesis and interpretation influences one’s believes and behaviors. Woodbridge (2010) provides three elements of biblical exegesis: 1) the world of the writer, 2) world of the original audience, 3) and the reader’s perception of them. How individuals understand these three aspects of a text shape their orthodoxy. Biblical exegesis is understanding what scripture meant for the time and people that it was written to, once that is understood, individuals can make application into the present world. One’s orthodoxy does not always translate into orthopraxy; individuals think they become an exception until their worldview changes (Mittwede, 2013). Orthodoxy must become ones’ worldview in order to affect the orthopraxy of individuals. Biblical exegesis makes the connections between orthodoxy and orthopraxy giving justification for both. Orthodoxy without Biblical exegesis has no foundation except preferences