by: Bo H. Lim

• Format

  Paperback

  ISBN

  9781540968890

  Dimensions

  5.5 x 8.5

  Pub. Date

  Dec 2025

  SRP

  $23.99

  Carton Quantity

  64

  Number of pages

  168

  Buy

About

Today's theological students, an increasingly diverse population, face the task of reading and interpreting the Bible in multicultural contexts, which leads them to ask somewhat different questions than in previous generations. Students recognize that theology, exegesis, and sociocultural context are all important elements of biblical interpretation, and they often seek guidance in negotiating these fields in a constructive manner. This is especially true of students with evangelical and Trinitarian convictions and commitments.

Contextual Theological Interpretation by respected teacher and Old Testament scholar Bo Lim provides sustained, thoughtful engagement among the three disciplines of biblical studies, theology, and contextual interpretation. In this big-picture text, Lim argues for the need to bring together the strengths of each of these fields and provides a model for doing so for the sake of effective multicultural ministry. At the same time, he clarifies the field of contextual biblical interpretation, offering evaluation and critique to guide students through the vast diversity of available literature.

Part 1: Understanding Biblical Interpretation
1. The Strange Silence of the Bible in the Church
2. The Context of Biblical Studies as a Discipline
After the Collapse of History and the Text
The Changing Face of the Church and Theological Education
Biblical Studies as a Eurocentric Discipline
The Impact of Interdisciplinary Approaches on Diverse Readings
Conclusion
3. The Need for Theological Contextual Interpretation
Mapping Contextual Interpretation: Liberationist and Intercultural
Evaluating Liberation and Postcolonial Hermeneutics: The Limits of Liberation
Conclusion
4. The Need for Contextual Theological Interpretation
What Is Theological Interpretation?
History as an Evasion of Ideology
Theological Interpretation Is Not Sufficiently Theological
Part 2: An Integrated Model of Biblical Interpretation
5. Contextual and Theological Interpretation in the Global Church
Postcolonial Christian Interpretation
What Is "Global Interpretation"?
Conclusion
6. Models of Contextual and Theological Interpretation
Kwame Bediako and the Bible as Contextual Interpretation
K. K. Yeo and Cross-Cultural Interpretation
Gustavo Gutiérrez's Theological and Contextual Commentary
Love Sechrest and a Methodology for Multicultural Interpretation
Conclusion
7. The Case for Theological and Contextual Interpretation
Can Contextual Interpretation Be Theological?
Reading the Bible Figurally and Contextually
The Limits of Contextual Interpretation
The Limits of Christian Tradition
The Text and Exegesis Still Matter
Contextual Theological Interpretation Is a Risky but Necessary Affair
Appendix: A Proposed Pedagogy for Theological and Contextual Interpretation
Index