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Scripture and Its Interpretation: A Global, Ecumenical Introduction to the Bible Paperback – June 6, 2017

by Michael J. Gorman (Editor)

4.6 107 ratings

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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.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"This book is a treasure-house of resources for teachers and students of the Bible, as well as for anyone who wants to become more deeply informed about the collection of texts that are Sacred Scripture for the Christian church. I am not aware of any other book that packs so much valuable information about the Bible into such a concise and readable form. Its essays demonstrate the distinctive, twofold character of fine teaching: they are accessible for serious introductory study while, at the same time, full of mind-expanding perspectives for readers who may have studied the Scriptures for a lifetime."
--Richard B. Hays, Duke Divinity School (emeritus)

"An excellent introduction to the Bible, going well beyond the basic issues of who wrote when, where, and why. The volume is a strong reminder to readers of the extent to which their own reading of and response to the Bible has been shaped by their often very different cultures and traditions. It demonstrates that when the Bible is read in different contexts, it has a richness of relevance that individuals in their own contexts rarely appreciate--revealing what a truly catholic reading actually involves."
--James D. G. Dunn†, Durham University

"This beautifully produced volume merits a place in the library and on the teaching agenda of every church and seminary. All adult students of Scripture, from beginners to the most experienced, could benefit from this multifaceted yet theologically coherent collection of essays, which is both historically grounded and thoroughly contemporary in outlook."
--Ellen F. Davis, Duke Divinity School

"I welcome this unique and much-needed volume. It gathers outstanding, concerned, and passionate authors from many places and from numerous Christian confessions who introduce the text of the Bible, various interpretative traditions, and the Bible's relevance for contemporary Christian life. All of us, from professor to undergraduate student, have much to learn from this book."
--Francis J. Moloney, SDB, Catholic Theological College, University of Divinity, Melbourne, Australia

"This interesting and helpful volume describes not only the contents of the Bible but also the many and various ways that people have interpreted the Bible from antiquity to the present in many different Christian communions. It would be a valuable companion to any introductory course and a helpful guide to any beginning reader."
--George L. Parsenios, Princeton Theological Seminary

About the Author

Michael J. Gorman (PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary) is the Raymond E. Brown Chair in Biblical Studies and Theology at St. Mary's Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland, where he formerly served as dean of the Ecumenical Institute of Theology. He has authored or edited ten books, including Becoming the Gospel: Paul, Participation, and Mission and Elements of Biblical Exegesis.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Baker Academic; Annotated edition (June 6, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 464 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0801098394
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0801098390
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.62 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1.5 x 9.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,508,600 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,759 in Christian Bible Exegesis & Hermeneutics
- #21,582 in Christian Bible Study (Books)

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4.6 107 ratings

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Michael J. Gorman

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Michael J. Gorman is the Raymond E. Brown Professor of Biblical Studies and Theology at St. Mary's Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, where he has taught since 1991. He is a New Testament scholar who specializes especially in the letters, theology, and spirituality of the apostle Paul. His additional specialties are the gospel of John, the book of Revelation, theological and missional interpretation of Scripture, and early Christian ethics. In addition, he has a strong interest in the relationship between church and culture. From 1994 to 2012 he was Dean of St. Mary's Ecumenical Institute.

He earned his B.A. degree summa cum laude in French from Gordon College in Massachusetts. He received the M.Div. and the Ph.D. cum laude in New Testament from Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey, where he was also a teaching fellow in New Testament and an instructor in New Testament Greek. He has also been a visiting professor at Duke Divinity School, Regent College, Wesley Theological Seminary, Mars Hill Graduate School, and Grand Séminaire Notre Dame de l'Esperance in Cameroon.

He is the author of nearly 20 books and numerous articles on biblical interpretation and on ethics. An avid traveler, he has also led numerous study trips to the cities of the apostles Paul and John in Greece, Turkey, and Italy.

Michael Gorman was the 2005 recipient of The Fortress Press Award for Innovative Teaching in Graduate Schools and Seminaries, theological education's "teacher of the year" award. He also sits on several editorial councils and other professional committees. A United Methodist, he is an active layperson and a popular teacher at churches, institutions of higher education, and conferences representing many traditions, both in the U.S. and abroad.

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4.6 out of 5

107 global ratings

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nancy a.

Excellent reference

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2023

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Very well written. Easier to absorb than most.

Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2021

good book

Great resource but needs supplementing

Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2018

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This was one of the required readings for a class at seminary and, overall, I would say it was very good. As the title implies, the aim of the book is to discuss the Bible from a variety of traditions and each chapter is written by a different expert in that particular field. On the upside, you get the information "first hand". The down side is that not every author is equally engaging so some chapters are better-written than others.

I like that the book seeks to give a basic overview of interpreting scripture from multiple Christian denominations and cultural/ethnic backgrounds. Each chapter also ends with an extensive list of additional resources if you're interested in learning more about that topic.

A glaring oversight is the lack of representation for Feminist/Womanist biblical interpretation. Additionally, Arabic-speaking Christians are not addressed. On the whole though, I would say it's a good introductory resource as long as you supplement it with a few other books to fill in the gaps.

9 people found this helpful

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Jimmy McKee

... for a Bible Interpretation class - This is a great resource!

Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2018

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We're currently using this book at a textbook for a Bible Interpretation class - This is a great resource!

Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2017

Verified Purchase

Great compilation, an indispensable resource.

One person found this helpful

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sojotheo

Excellent Introduction!

Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2017

Scripture and Its Interpretation: A Global, Ecumenical Introduction to the Bible edited by Michael J. Gorman is a tour de force collection of introductory essays aimed to familiarize readers with the Christian Bible form a historical and hermeneutical perspective. The book includes essays by an extraordinary group of contributors from around the globe, including representation from four major theological traditions: Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Pentecostal (p. xx). The scope of the book is complemented by a balanced and informative approach to the task of introductory study, and the reader is certain to benefit from both as engagement progresses through each major section.

Scripture and Its Interpretation is divided into three parts: (1) The Bible, (2) The Interpretation of the Bible in Various Traditions and Cultures, and (3) The Bible and Contemporary Christian Existence. The initial section focuses on the Bible itself, such as “its character as both library and single book, its historical and geographical context, surveys of both Testaments, formation of the canon, associated books that did not make it into the Bible, and the history of Bible translations” (p. xxi). The second section focuses attention on the hermeneutical diversity visible in various traditions and cultures. Following an introductory essay on the reception of the Bible, the reader will find essays on premodern interpretation, modern and postmodern interpretation, as well as an emerging theological interpretation. The section closes with a number of interpretive essays from various perspectives, including Protestant, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Pentecostal, African and African American, Latino/Latina, and Asian and Asian American. Lastly, the third section approaches the relationship between the Bible and spirituality, ethics, politics, community, and mission.

The introductory nature of Scripture and Its Interpretation is evident. But, the scope of such introduction extends far beyond a standard approach to the topic. The essays are accessible for the purpose of introductory study, but the breadth of the contained essays effectively offers an expanded number of perspectives untreated or overlooked in other introductions. Moreover, if such perspectives are treated, then it is likely done by a bystander rather than an adherent—the advantage of the latter as seen in Scripture and Its Interpretation should be obvious. While it is beyond the scope here to comment in depth on specific essays, it is worth mention to comment on the overall sense of the essays. I found the initial section on the Bible to be extremely helpful, although somewhat rudimentary at times. Michael W. Holmes’ essay on the formation of the biblical canon and Christopher W. Skinner’s essay on noncanoical writings standout among the best in the section, if not the book as a whole. The second section comprises the bulk of the book and could be reason enough to make the purchase. This section brings a new demotion to the genre of Bible introduction. The final section was an appropriate conclusion to the volume but will find itself overshadowed by the benefit of the former sections. Lastly, throughout the book, readers will find boldfaced terms or phrases that are included in the glossary, and each essay ends with an annotated bibliography that is appropriately positioned to direct readers towards resources for further study. Both the glossary and bibliography are welcomed additions to an already impressive volume.

Scripture and Its Interpretation: A Global, Ecumenical Introduction to the Bible edited by Michael J. Gorman is a tour de force collection of introductory essays aimed to familiarize readers with the Christian Bible form a historical and hermeneutical perspective. It is easily accessible to the average reader and holds the potential to shape the minds of even most studied of readers. Furthermore, it’s beyond encouraging to see an introduction to the Bible that takes seriously the consideration of interpretive perspectives beyond that typically associated with the English-speaking world. For these reasons alone, I could not recommend this book more highly. Will you agree with everything therein? It’s unlikely. But, the opportunity to listen to others is on every page of the book.

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