Top-notch biblical scholars from around the world and from various Christian traditions offer a fulsome yet readable introduction to the Bible and its interpretation. The book concisely introduces the Old and New Testaments and related topics and examines a wide variety of historical and contemporary interpretive approaches, including African, African-American, Asian, and Latino streams. Contributors include N. T. Wright, M. Daniel Carroll R., Stephen Fowl, Joel Green, Michael Holmes, Edith Humphrey, Christopher Rowland, and K. K. Yeo, among others. Questions for reflection and discussion, an annotated bibliography, and a glossary are included.
Most Bible introductions are the product of a single person or present only one perspective. Written by and for people from a variety of faith traditions, this distinctive introduction represents the work of fifteen Protestant and Catholic scholars--all members of the same theological faculty, but representing a diversity of backgrounds and approaches. Part I introduces the Bible itself: its library-like character; its geography, history, and archaeology; the books of each Testament; important noncanonical books; the Bible's various Jewish and Christian forms; and its transmission and translation. Part II covers the interpretation of the Bible at various times, in various traditions, and for various reasons: in the premodern period and in the modern and postmodern eras, including recent critical, theological, and ideological approaches; in Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, and African-American churches; and for spiritual growth, social justice, and Christian unity. Offering helpful insight into how Christians (and others) have agreed and disagreed in their approaches to the Bible, it provides students with a clear, succinct introduction to Scripture as divine and human word.
Draws together the most important articles on Scripture and hermeneutics by distinguished scholar and author N. T. Wright. Interpreting Scripture brings together into one volume Wright's self-selected, key lectures, papers, and reflections on topics of scriptural interpretation, including: The Lord's Prayer as a Paradigm of Christian Prayer Christian Origins and the Question of God Faith, Virtue, Justification, and the Journey to Freedom Revelation and Christian Hope: Political Implications of the Revelation to John Apocalyptic and the Sudden Fulfilment of Divine Promise …and many more. Interpreting Scripture displays Wright's engaging prose, his courage to go where few have gone, and his joy to bridge the work of the academy and the church. Here is a rich feast for any serious student of the Bible, especially of the New Testament. Detailed, incisive, and exquisitely nuanced exegesis, this collection will reward you with a clearer, deeper, and more informed appreciation of Scripture and its application to Christian life and thought today. Many of the included studies have never been published or were made available only in hard-to-find larger volumes and journals.
An authoritative guide to accurately interpreting and applying God's Word In this second edition of Invitation to Biblical Interpretation, Andreas Kostenberger leads the reader step-by-step through the process of interpreting and applying God's Word. The primary principle is the hermeneutical triad, which consists of history, literature, and theology. Readers are equipped to explore the historical background of a biblical passage, analyze its literary genre and features, and derive its theological meaning in light of the biblical canon. Numerous examples are provided throughout to illustrate the concepts. A concluding chapter provides direction on practical application, preaching, and helpful tools for Bible study. Additional features include key words and definitions at the end of each chapter, study questions, and practical exercises for applying the material. An appendix lists numerous resources for Bible study, including recommended commentaries for every book of the Bible. The second edition updates these resources, as well as the sources cited throughout, and includes a revised chapter on the Old Testament canon. Instructors, students, pastors, and anyone who desires to interpret Scripture accurately will find this volume to be an indispensable addition to their library.
Theological interpretation of Scripture is a growing trend in biblical interpretation, with an emphasis on the contexts of canon, creed, and church. This approach seeks to bridge the gap between biblical studies and theology, which grew wide with the ascendancy of critical approaches to Scripture. Introducing Theological Interpretation of Scripture is the first clear, systematic introduction to this movement for students. The book surveys the movement's history, themes, advocates, and positions and seeks to bring coherence to its various elements. Author Daniel Treier also explores what he sees as the greatest challenges the movement will have to address as it moves into the future. This helpful book is appropriate for pastors and lay readers interested in biblical interpretation.
Originally featured as articles in the ESV Study Bible, these eighteen essays have been repurposed and republished in a convenient format. Covering a diverse range of essential subjects, including how to read the Bible well and why it is reliable, the essays delve into specific topics such as world religions, canon, and archaeology. Useful as both a general overview of the Bible and as a tool for more specific reference and training, readers of this book will grow in their understanding of Scripture and their ability to apply the Bible to their lives. Pastors, lay leaders, students, and other Christians engaged in studying God's Word will benefit from this collection, written by notable contributors, including J. I. Packer, John Piper, David Powlison, and Vern Poythress.
The rise of modernity, especially the European Enlightenment and its aftermath, has negatively impacted the way we understand the nature and interpretation of Christian Scripture. In this introduction to biblical interpretation, Craig Carter evaluates the problems of post-Enlightenment hermeneutics and offers an alternative approach: exegesis in harmony with the Great Tradition. Carter argues for the validity of patristic christological exegesis, showing that we must recover the Nicene theological tradition as the context for contemporary exegesis, and seeks to root both the nature and interpretation of Scripture firmly in trinitarian orthodoxy.
In this revised edition of his classic, R. C. Sproul helps us dig out the meaning of Scripture for ourselves. He presents a commonsense approach to studying Scripture and gives eleven practical guidelines for biblical interpretation and applying what we learn. He lays the groundwork by discussing why we should study the Bible and how our own personal study relates to interpretation.
This definitive study looks at the task of interpreting Scripture by exploring four broad models for understanding Scripture, namely, "witnessing tradition," "authoritative canon," "inspired word," and "experienced revelation." The diversity of interpretive approaches implied by the use of these four models is carried further by a methodological catholicity and openness within each of the four major divisions of the book. For instance, in dealing with the interpretation of scriptural narrative, Goldingay carefully explains how literary approaches to Scripture and a concern for the history narrated in the Bible's stories can be held together with other interpretive focuses. In his discussions of differing approaches and focuses in interpretation, Goldingay is impressively clear and informative and demonstrates a sophisticated ability to respond to and challenge what other scholars have written. Throughout this volume, Goldingay continually moves toward the interpreter's final task-communication to others of what has been gained in interpretation. He asks, for example, what are the implications of the different interpretive strategies for Christian life, human liberation, preaching and Christian community life. He demonstrates his conclusions with numerous examples of interpretation-his own and those of others-of specific Bible passages. JOHN GOLDINGAY is David Allan Hubbard Professor of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He is the author of numerous scholarly books and commentaries on Daniel (Word Biblical Commentary) and Isaiah (New International Biblical Commentary). He has also written several more popular expositions such as After Eating the Apricot and Men Behaving Badly.
Christianity believes in a God who acts in history. The Bible tells us the story of God’s actions in Israel, culminating in the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth and the spreading of the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome. The issue of history is thus unavoidable when it comes to reading the Bible. Volume 4 of the Scripture and Hermeneutics Series looks at how history has dominated biblical studies under the guise of historical criticism. This book explores ways in which different views of history influence interpretation. It considers the implications of a theology of history for biblical exegesis, and in several case studies it relates these insights to particular texts. “Few topics are more central to the task of biblical interpretation than history, and few books open up the subject in so illuminating and thought-provoking a manner as this splendid collection of essays and responses.” Hugh Williamson, Regius Professor of Hebrew, University of Oxford, England “. . . breaks new ground in its interdisciplinary examination of the methodology, presuppositions, practices and purposes of biblical hermeneutics, with a special emphasis on the relation of faith and history.” Eleonore Stump, Robert J. Henle Professor of Philosophy, Saint Louis University, United States “This volume holds great promise for the full-fledged academic recovery of the Bible as Scripture. It embodies an unusual combination of world-class scholarship, historic Christian orthodoxy, bold challenges to conventional wisdom, and the launching of fresh new ideas.” Al Wolters, Professor of Religion and Theology, Redeemer University College, Ontario, Canada “The essays presented here respect the need and fruitfulness of a critical historiography while beginning the much-needed process of correcting the philosophical tenets underlying much modern and postmodern biblical research. The result is a book that mediates a faith understanding, both theoretical and practical, of how to read the Bible authentically as a Christian today.” Francis Martin, Chair, Catholic-Jewish Theological Studies, John Paul II Cultural Center, Washington, D.C. Not only is history central to the biblical story, but from a Christian perspective history revolves around Jesus Christ. All roads of human activity before Christ lead up to him, and all roads after Christ connect with him. A concern with history and God’s action in it is a central characteristic of the Bible. The Bible furnishes us with an account of God's interactions with people and with the nation of Israel that stretches down the timeline from creation to the early church. It tells us of real men, women, and children, real circumstances and events, real cultures, places, languages, and worldviews. And it shows us God at work in human affairs, revealing his character and heart through his activities. “Behind” the Text examines the correlation between history and the Bible. For the scholar, student, and informed reader of the Bible, this volume highlights the importance of history for biblical interpretation, and looks at how history has and should influence interpretation.
