Dec 8, 2009
How to Read the Bible If You’re Not Into Fundamentalism
Over the weekend I had a chance to talk with a number of Christians involved in a wonderful ministry who have bad memories of reading and studying scripture in their conservative churches. Whether fundamentalist or conservative evangelicals, their past experiences of scripture make it hard for them to approach the Bible.
We had a good talk about this. I’ll share some of their ideas below, but during my ride home I gave this some additional thought and wanted to share some ways to move past a conservative past that may be limiting in one’s reading of scripture. Here are some thoughts on how to experience the scripture in a fresh way:
Don’t try to prove everything.
When we put too much pressure on ourselves to prove something in the Bible as true, we can miss out on its message for us. God communicates with us in scripture through the Holy Spirit’s guidance. That is the primary reason why we read the Bible even if there may be other times and places to consider historicity, authorship, and chronology.
Find new meanings.
Just because Paul, Jesus, or any other passage of scripture was interpreted in a particular way does not necessarily limit the angles or possibilities of meaning. Expect to be surprised and challenged, even when encountering a passage that seems familiar and even settled.
Consult the readings and interpretations of others.
One of the best ways to break out of a rut with the Bible is to read the interpretations and commentaries of those outside of your own perspective. Some of my favorite theologians include Justo Gonzalez, NT Wright, and Stanley Hauerwas. Each of these theologians challenge me to break out of my limited perspective and encourage me to take another look at scripture and particularly at Jesus, though talking about scripture with a friend may be just as helpful.
Seek information on background and context.
There is quite a lot of information available in both popular and scholarly books these days detailing the nature of the ancient world, the biblical context, and the possible interpretations. Whether picking up a book from the library or browsing at a store, there are details we can pick up that help us see these ancient texts in new lights. Even if I disagree with scholar John Dominic Crossan’s theology, I have found books such as his Excavating Jesus immensely helpful in uncovering the context of Jesus.
Participate in meditation.
Whether praying through scripture through the Divine Hours or practicing the quiet meditation of Lectio Divina, there are tried and true ways to interact with scripture and to listen for God’s lead.
Read scripture with other Christians.
One of the guys I spoke with the other day mentioned that he found reading scripture in community helpful, which I think is a good thing for Christians to consider. Though we live in a textual and not an oral culture like the ancient Israelites, there are many stories in which the religious leaders read the Torah in a public gathering.
A few disclaimers about this post:
I’m using the word fundamentalism with some imprecision in the title on purpose. I’d guess that most of these folks I’m speaking of grew up in more moderate evangelical congregations that in Christian circles would be more engaged with contemporary culture and more open in their biblical interpretations than the typical Christian fundamentalist that holds to the Bible so tightly as to disengage from the world and to adopt a siege mentality against the world.
However, in their approach to scripture, the fundamentalist and conservatives do have some things in common. To that end, there are some broad similarities that all sides would recognize. That’s where this post comes in.
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wow, fantastic post. thanks for this.
“Don’t try to prove everything” was especially important for me. That’s one that I have to constantly remind myself of.
thanks!
Thanks Curtis. I wanted to be careful to not sound too critical of my fundy friends, but I think there is a place for some different approaches to scripture. I’m glad this helped.
Another great post Ed. I grew up in that culture and I actually had to switch to The Message version just to be able to read the bible fresh again without just skipping over passages I “knew”, or thought I knew.
Strangely enough, since I left that circle, I find it difficult to read certain passage and not want to prove/expose fundamentalism’s hypocrisy. My mind often goes back to the way I grew up and it’s easy for me to always think “this is a great passage that’ll really prove them wrong”. It’s not my place to do this, obviously, but another thing I constantly battle with, compliments of my past.
The goal of reading the Bible is to determine the author’s message cast in his particular social context. Nuances will be encountered, sure, but each Bible author makes a clear and definite point. Sometimes they make it using metaphor and poetry, sometimes they are very literal. Our challenge is to remove our unconscious 21st century bias and to decide whether we agree with the author’s point or not.
Thanks Nathan. I think that siege mentality can be carried with us, so it’s good to hear you working through that. It is tempting to make interpretation a war between us and those who disagree with our interpretations.
Clarrs, you’re right. My book Coffeehouse Theology is all about that in fact. I’m working my way to that in this post, but for the people I was talking with, I just wanted them to start reading the Bible again. Sometimes folks just need to know that there’s hope for them in the Bible. Then we can get into the complexities of culture, etc.