Make Your Point > Archived Issues > EISEGESIS

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connect today's word to others: A high five to Laura for finding us the word eisegesis, a fascinating term for a hated phenomenon. Eisegesis is what results when someone takes an important text, like the Bible or the Constitution, and reads into it his own ideas and biases, skewing the objective meaning and insisting on a subjective interpretation.  When you say the word eisegesis, it almost sounds like you're saying "I see Jesus," which amuses me and strikes me as coincidentally appropriate. Here's why: when people "see" the face of Jesus on a piece of toast or in a cloud or whatnot, they're seeing something that isn't actually there, just like a reader who takes a text and interprets it according to her own expectations, seeing what she wants to see, committing eisegesis. (Now, does the word eisegesis really sound like "I see Jesus," or am I just hearing what I want to hear? Hee hee.) (Oh, and you might already know this, but I think it's neato: when we interpret random things as recognizable patterns, often human faces, it's called pareidolia--Greek for "parallel to a [real] image." You can find lots of hilarious examples on Reddit.) So when someone commits eisegesis, she's read way, way into a text and then insisted that her interpretation is the right one. And that irks the rest of us. We find her interpretation ten___tious: biased toward a particular opinion, usually one that causes controversy. Can you recall that word? (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "EISEGESIS" From Greek roots that mean "a leading or a guiding into," an eisegesis is somebody's explanation or interpretation of a text that is too influenced by that person's own ideas. Pronunciation: EYE sih JEE suss Part of speech: Noun, both the countable kind ("an eisegesis") and the uncountable kind ("much eisegesis"). Other forms: The adjective is "eisegetical." And the plural noun is "eisegeses," pronounced "EYE sih JEE seeze." The exact opposite is "exegesis" (pronounced "ECK sih JEE suss"), from Greek roots that mean "a leading or guiding out." An exegesis is an explanation or interpretation of a text, or a detailed, scholarly commentary about a text. Basically, exegesis is a good thing, involving getting meaning from a text; eisegesis is a bad thing, involving forcing your own meaning into a text. How to use it: This word's tone is academic and religious, so it's often used seriously--often in reference to the Bible. But you can talk about an eisegesis of any text. In general, eisegesis is a bad thing, something frowned upon: that's because eisegetical readings and interpretations are warped, biased, twisted, and misconstrued, and eisegetical readers are foolish, stubborn, and even manipulative. Notice how you can treat the word "eisegesis" as either a single, countable thing ("an eisegesis," "another eisegesis"), or as a mass, uncountable thing ("such eisegesis," "a reading free from eisegesis," "the dangers of eisegesis"). You might talk about a specific person's eisegesis of some verse, quote, passage, section, chapter, or text.  Or, talk about someone using or employing eisegesis, relying on or resorting to eisegesis, noting or rejecting eisegesis, etc. examples: In tenth grade English class, I assumed my teacher was crazy--or that she was committing some bizarre eisegesis--when she said that Gene and Finny in A Separate Peace were the same person. Now, I kind of agree with her. "...it was not uncommon for [the preachers] to speak of their unease that their insights might be nothing more than eisegesis."    — Geoff New, Imaginative Preaching: Praying the Scriptures so God Can Speak through You, 2015 study it: Explain the meaning of "eisegesis" without saying "slanted interpretation" or "biased reading." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(Someone's) (understanding or explanation) of (some text or topic) seems cherry-picked, even eisegetical." Example: "The journalist's explanation of this newly published study seems cherry-picked, even eisegetical." before you review, play: Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first. Tidbits and Titles! I provide the tidbits; you provide the title. From our previous issue: Here's a quote from a novel: "A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other.‎" And here are some terms and phrases that often appear in that novel: carriage, daughter, dreadful, Fleet Street, gentleman, honour, knitting, mender of roads, Paris, prisoner, shadow, Temple Bar, wine-shop. What's the novel's title? Answer: A Tale of Two Cities. Try this today: Here's a quote from a novel: "'I only took the regular course… Reeling and Writhing, of course, to begin with,' the Mock Turtle replied; 'and then the different branches of Arithmetic - Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision.'" And here are some terms and phrases that often appear in that novel: soup, caterpillar, citizen bird, curious, grow, hedgehog, puzzled, Queen, remark, timidly, white kid-gloves, wish, wonder. What's the novel's title? review today's word: 1. The exact opposite of EISEGESIS is EXEGESIS. But a close opposite of EISEGESIS is A. FACTUAL SUMMARY. B. SWORN TESTIMONY. C. DOCUMENTED SOURCE. 2. They _____ and still cling to that eisegesis. A. took a lengthy personality test online B. gave metaphorical meanings to certain passages C. drew joy and comfort from hot chocolate in childhood Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. B