The triumph of the servant of Yahweh and its relevance for the Latin American context: Isaiah 42:1--9 as a test case in hermeneutical method

The dissertation explores themes pertaining to the theological grounds for the triumph of the mission of the Servant of Yahweh in Isa 42:1-9 and suggests its significance for Latin America. Chapter 1 discusses approaches to the Servant of Yahweh by Latin American scholars Miranda, Dussel, Mesters, Pagan and J. S. Croatto. In particular, Croatto's method provides a foil to more clearly define the hermeneutical method. The dissertation shows how the principles of speech act Theory and text linguistics are appropriate methods for the study of Isaiah as well as for the Latin American context. Contextualization, it is argued, is primarily a matter of exploring how language functions within analogous types of situations. To that end, the study draws upon the work of Anthony Thiselton and Nicholas Wolterstorff.; Chapter 2 explores the syntactical aspects of Isa 42:1-9 such verbal aspect, the use of pro-forms, word-order and syntactical, lexical and phonological bonding. These conclusions are related to the theological grounds for the success of the Servant's mission and inform both the translation and formatting of Isa 42:1-9 into Spanish.; Chapter 3 explores the hermeneutical significance of the location of Isa 42:1-9 within the book of Isaiah. Reading the text in light of its present position within the present form of Isaiah provides an interpretive framework for understanding its parts. This analysis is then related to the theological grounds for the success of the mission of the Servant of Yahweh. Chapter 4 (pragmatics) explores how the context of the Exile, the Post-Exilic/Second Temple period and New Testament texts (Mark 1:11; Matt 3:15-17; 12:15-21; Matt 28:18-20; Luke-Acts) shed light on the theme of the theological grounds for the success of the Servant's mission.; Finally, chapter 5 draws on the principles of Nicholas Wolterstorff's count-generational language and Anthony Thiselton's directional analysis of speech acts to engage the text with contemporary realities of Latin America.