Pedagogical-Religious Hermeneutics in the Age of Algorithms. A Review of Mirosław Patalon’s Book “The Book of Qohelet: A New Translation and Reinterpretation from the Perspective of Religious Education”

[recenzja: „Księga Koheleta. Nowe tłumaczenie i reinterpretacja w perspektywie pedagogiki religii” (Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek, Toruń 2026, ss.152)]

Abstract

The article constitutes a critical-analytical review of the book by Mirosław Patalon, “The Book of Qohelet: A New Translation and Reinterpretation from the Perspective of Religious Education”. The aim of the study is to demonstrate the significance of an interdisciplinary approach that combines hermeneutics, religious education, and the use of algorithmic tools in the interpretation of biblical texts. The author points to the key role of language and translation as factors shaping religious experience and educational practices. Particular attention is devoted to two variants of translation (literal and dynamic), which reveal the tension between fidelity to the original and its contemporary actualization. The analysis also emphasizes the importance of reinterpreting key concepts (e.g., “hevel” – from “vanity” to “transience” or “mist”) and the impact of translation decisions on axiological formation. An important thread is the use of algorithms as co-participants in the interpretative process, which raises questions about the limits of authorship and the epistemic status of the results. In the pedagogical dimension, the text highlights the need for a synthesis between conservatism and progressivism in religious education. As a whole, the article aligns with the current of processual and dialogical pedagogy, postulating the treatment of education as an interpretative process within social, cultural, and identity frameworks.