本文主要以1920年代中國的基督教思想家吳雷川為例，說明其經典詮釋所遭遇的問題，由此擴大論證文化匯通所應持的態度與步驟。本文指出，五四新文化運動以熱烈的愛國主義為動力，奉科學與民主為圭臬，而以建立富強的新中國為主要目標。身居此一處境的基督徒知識份子，亦在彼時的洪流底下，試圖將基督教本色化，藉此一方面肯定其愛國的進步思想，另一方面則確立其基督徒的敏感身份。不過，這種努力卻經常在強烈愛國主義的誘導下，基於現世改革與社會福祉之目的，而有對基督教採取工具理性的態度。本文深入分析吳雷川的主要著作，發現其對《新約聖經》的解釋，大都採取「精義式」途徑，展現出明顯的化約主義傾向。吳氏的主要問題，在於為求立即目的而作選擇性解經，其以前提預設結論，致使經典詮釋缺乏應有的張力。基於此一例子，本文主張對於基督教的《聖經》詮釋，應重視經典本身的主體性與整全性，並考究其歷史脈絡，了解此經典在形成過程所涵蓋的複雜機制。本文由此推演，力主不同傳統的文化匯通，需要築基於彼此的深刻理解，以客觀的態度掌握對方的全貌，探討其特徵、異同、相容性及隱含意義，再據此進行吸納或取捨，此亦是反思吳雷川的經典詮釋與釐訂今後文化交流的重點所在。

Wu Leichuan was an important Chinese Protestant thinker in the early decades of the twentieth century. This paper discusses the problems of his Biblical interpretation as well as argues for an appropriate attitude and viable steps that one should consider in terms of cultural interaction. First, the paper lays out the May Fourth period which was characterized by fervent patriotism, eager pursuit of science and democracy, and the establishment of a new China as its ultimate goal. Chinese Christian intellectuals, overwhelmed by the current atmosphere, attempted to contextualize Christianity as a response. With national reform and social progress in mind, their indigenization project, however, often treated this foreign religion with instrumental rationality. Analyzing Wu Leichuan's major writings, the paper finds that his interpretation of the New Testment follows the essentialist approach and thereby exhibits a reductionist tendency. In order to achieve an immediate and pragmatic purpose, he selectively reads the Bible with a biased presupposition and a predetermined conclusion. He is thus entrapped in a hermeneutic circle, short of the interpretive tension that is supposed to exist between the reader and the text. Based upon this example, the paper proposes that to interpret the Bible, one should see every scripture in its entirety. It is important that the reader delve into the historical context within which each scripture was formed and understand the complicated mechanism behind its canonization. This paper further argues that, in a similar vein, deep understanding is the prerequisite when it comes to cultural interaction. It is crucial that one should comprehend the total picture of an alien tradition by looking into its characteristics, exploring its similarities and differences, meansuring its compatibilities and incompatibilities, and then explaining their meanings. Only this kind of hermeneutic process ensures a fruitful cultural interaction.