Publication Date
2025
School
School of Business; School of Divinity
Major
Computer Science
Keywords
information theory, speech act theory, language, computational linguistics, semantics, bibliology, translation, interpretation, ambiguity
Disciplines
Other Computer Sciences | Other Mathematics | Philosophy of Language | Programming Languages and Compilers | Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion
Recommended Citation
Bonin, Cameron, "Bytes, Banter, and the Bible: An Interdisciplinary Account of Objective Meaning" (2025). Senior Honors Theses. 1532.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/honors/1532
Abstract
The claim that the Bible has objective meaning is contested in a postmodern world. This claim can be more persuasively defended when it is addressed by insights from multiple disciplines. In particular, the field of computer science is apt to illuminate the concept of meaning through its reflection on the nature of languages and its concern with the accurate transmission of information. By synthesizing insights from the field of computer science, such as that of Claude Shannon, with Nicholas Wolterstorff’s use of speech-act theory, the concept of meaning can be understood more clearly. Consequently, this synthesis assists in answering questions regarding the nature of meaning and objectivity as it pertains to the biblical text.
Included in
Other Computer Sciences Commons, Other Mathematics Commons, Philosophy of Language Commons, Programming Languages and Compilers Commons, Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons
