It's an exciting time to be reading the Bible. As we increasingly encounter readers with perspectives, experiences, and cultures different from our own, we can incorporate new ideas and approaches to interpreting Scripture. When diverse interpretations from various social locations are gathered together, we gain new vistas and a fuller image of the text.
In Reading the Bible Around the World, a crosscultural team of scholars describes and workshops global readings in biblical interpretation, focusing on passages in both the Old and New Testaments. By presenting a range of readings from different regions and people groups, with particular attention to marginalized groups, the authors demonstrate the importance of contextually sensitive approaches. They help us build up key values for reading Scripture in the twenty-first century: self-awareness, other-awareness, and true dialogue.
Who we are shapes how we read. Guided by these expert teachers, readers will gain a deeper understanding of the influence of their own social location and how to keep growing in biblical wisdom by reading alongside the global Christian community.
"Biblical interpretation is undergoing a tectonic shift, from regarding Western methods and concerns as the only correct way of reading Scripture to embracing the many faithful ways of reading that are emerging from cultures around the world. I cannot imagine a more skillful, hospitable, and accessible introduction to the expanding conversation than this remarkable volume. This is biblical interpretation in the form of dialogue rather than debate, with each participant offering treasures both old and new from the storehouses of their cultures. I look forward to the conversations it will generate in the classroom."
L. Daniel Hawk, Ashland Theological Seminary
"Wow, finally a book that explores different interpretations of Old and New Testament readings from the perspectives of marginalized communities. To think that the invisible and voiceless can widen our lens of these readings! I can tell you that Reading the Bible Around the World will surprise you at every turn. Since technology has made our world smaller, this is a must-read for scholars, ministers, laity, and chaplains who are ready to embrace a deeper understanding of how diverse constituencies read, interpret, and live out their understanding of the Bible."
Joanne Rodríguez, executive director of the Hispanic Theological Initiative
