Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, authors of How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, have written an easy to read book for those who want to learn more about what the Bible has to offer. The authors present distinct principles for interpreting different genres found in the Bible. The book has sold over a half a million copies and is one of the most popular books regarding biblical interpretation. Fee is a seminary professor of New Testament studies at Regent College. He has authored several New Testament commentaries and is the general editor of the New International Commentary series. Fee has also contributed significantly to the field of hermeneutics and NT textual criticism. The author is a well known teacher and conference speaker who has a burden to see the renewal of the church. Stuart is a seminary professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary where he teaches Old Testament studies. He also has expertise in biblical languages, exegesis, and interpretation. He serves as the senior pastor of Linebrook Church in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Stuart has authored commentaries and articles in journals and magazines. The authors acknowledge that many books have been written on this topic. Their goal is to be unique by focusing on different types of literature (genres) so their readers will understand how to properly interpret them in the context they were written. This review will examine the principles the authors use to interpret the Bible. The review will summarize the book, followed by a critique, and a conclusion. Summary From the very beginning of the book, Fee and Stuart seek to explain the importance of proper biblical interpretation. The authors provide hermeneutical approaches for the study of the different ... ... middle of paper ... ...hey continue to explain that the prophecies do not need to be fulfilled in a specific way. For example, they explain the first four trumpet judgments in Revelation do not have to have a literal fulfillment. This is improper because it is the author’s opinion and that should not be reflected especially on a book dealing with hermeneutics. Aside from these weaknesses, the book has much to offer for the Bible student. Conclusion The Bible student, laymen, or pastor will find the principles presented by Fee and Stuart helpful despite the weaknesses presented. The author’s contribution on how to interpret each of the different genres is especially beneficial. The Bible Student will have more knowledge of how to interpret God’s Word when finished with the work. Fee and Stuart achieve their goal helping the reader not only with interpretation, but with application.
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition Bible. Eds. Dom Bernand Orchard, Rev. R. V. Fuller. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1966. Print.
According to David M. Carr, the history of Scriptural interpretation indicates that religious texts are popular candidates for reinterpretation and, as such, are spaces wherein the personal identity of the reader frequently inscribes itself at length:
Michael Joseph Brown, unveils new ways to read and examine the Bible in his book, titled “What They Don’t Tell You: A Survivor’s Guide to Biblical Studies”. Although quite technical, the guide, not book, really goes into depth on the process of studying the Bible and its documents. Brown has a new and refreshing way of giving the reader this information that is necessary in a small group, or for a Biblical scholar. This guide is not meant solely for the biblical scholar and talks in detail about the difference between these two, because some may link the two together. Published by the Westminster John Knox Press, WJK for short, this book gives straight forward answers on the best way to thoroughly understand Biblical text. As you read on you will find out more about how they differ and why they appear so similar from an outside perspective. Brown has taken a wide variety of information, and made it into something interesting and extremely useful for the reader. In his own words, “What I have done is to ‘translate’ some foundational concepts in biblical studies into an idiom more people can understand” (xiii)
Green, Joel B., & Longman, Tremper (Eds.). Holy Bible -- The Everday Study Edition. Dallas: Word Publishing. 1996.
The editors certainly strive to share their passion for this method of understanding Scripture which seems to have been essentially lost to time. The student, formal or layman, is given clear examples of the various writings the editors feel are relevant to the various sections of
Beyond the Bible is full of useful insights regarding how to apply scripture to doctrine and everyday life. Marshall, Vanhoozer, and Porter are all well-educated theologians. How to faithfully apply Scripture to everyday life is not conclusively agreed upon and laid out in this book, but it pushes readers to think about biblical interpretation in new ways. As mentioned earlier, hermeneutics is meant to be an on-going discussion, not a solo speech.
Hauer, Christian E. and William A. Young. An Introduction To The Bible: A Journey Into Three Worlds.
—. The Unity of the Bible: Exploring the Beauty and Structure of the Bible. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2003.
Cosby, Michael R. Interpreting Biblical Literature: An Introduction to Biblical Studies. Grantham: Stony Run, 2009. 120-25. Print.
In the past few years, the older way of reading the Bible has become irrelevant and implausible for people. Therefore, a pressing need to find a new way of reading the Bible has arisen. In order to address this, many Christian religious groups have started looking for a contemporary way to read the Bible and appreciate its richness. In his book, Reading the Bible Again for the First Time, Marcus Borg gives people methods to encounter the Bible in a new way that breaks the boundaries of simple literalism, while respecting tradition, and also understand the Bible in a powerful and vibrant way. This has led to what he calls the historical-metaphorical way of reading the Bible, which means that the Bible be taken seriously, but not literally.
Henry, Matthew, and Leslie F. Church. Commentary on the Whole Bible: Genesis to Revelation. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Pub. House, 1961. Print.
N.T Wright (2008) stated that “When we read the scriptures as Christians, we read it precisely as people of the new covenant and of the new creation” (p.281). In this statement, the author reveals a paradigm of scriptural interpretation that exists for him as a Christian, theologian, and profession and Bishop. When one surveys the entirety of modern Christendom, one finds a variety of methods and perspectives on biblical interpretation, and indeed on the how one defines the meaning in the parables of Jesus. Capon (2002) and Snodgrass (2008) offer differing perspectives on how one should approach the scriptures and how the true sense of meaning should be extracted. This paper will serve as a brief examination of the methodologies presented by these two authors. Let us begin, with an
Thus, an effort is made to highlight how Bible interpretation – through its publication – has developed in the history of Christianity.
Levine, Amy –Jill and Douglas Knight. The Meaning of the Bible: What Jewish and Christian Old Testament Can Teach Us. New York: HarperOne, 2011
Answering these questions is the purpose of this essay. I begin by arguing that the Bible cannot be adequately understood independent of its historical context. I concede later that historical context alone however is insufficient, for the Bible is a living-breathing document as relevant to us today as it was the day it was scribed. I conclude we need both testimonies of God at work to fully appreciate how the Bible speaks to us.