Seeking to train readers to “hear all that is being said” within a written text, Peter Leithart advocates a hermeneutics of the letter that is not rigidly literalist and looks to learn to read—not just the Bible, but everything--from Jesus and Paul. Thus Deep Exegesis explores the nature of reading itself—taking clues from Jesus and Paul on the meaning of meaning, the functions of language, and proper modes of interpretation. By looking (and listening) closely, and by including passages from the Bible and other literary sources, Leithart aims to do for the text what Jesus did for the blind man in John 9: to make new by opening eyes. The book is a powerful invitation to enter the depths of a text.

Preface: Learning to Read from Jesus and Paul

Chapter 1: The Text Is a Husk: Modern Hermeneutics

Chapter 2: Texts Are Events: Typology

Chapter 3: Words Are Players: Semantics

Chapter 4: The Text Is a Joke: Intertextuality

Chapter 5: Texts Are Music: Structure

Chapter 6: Texts Are About Christ: Application

Epilogue