Sound interpretation of Scripture is the foundation of a Christ-centered, transformative ministry and the centerpiece of a vibrant spiritual life. The fourth volume in the Wesleyan Theological Perspectives series offers practical help for those seeking to interpret Scripture and apply it to their lives. This helpful book outlines a uniquely Wesleyan approach to Scripture interpretation, which emphasizes the importance of reason, tradition, and experience while maintaining awareness of the Holy Spirit's role in guiding the interpreter. Practical chapters examine John Wesley's approach to interpreting Scripture, as well as important factors for interpretation such as genre, culture, language, theology, and story. The final section of the book demonstrates how to apply solid principles for Bible interpretation through a variety of examples that show both correct and incorrect uses of Scripture. (Out of Print)

The history of women interpreters of the Bible is a neglected area of study. Marion Taylor presents a one-volume reference tool that introduces readers to a wide array of women interpreters of the Bible from the entire history of Christianity. Her research has implications for understanding biblical interpretation--especially the history of interpretation--and influencing contemporary study of women and the Bible. Contributions by 130 top scholars introduce foremothers of the faith who address issues of interpretation that continue to be relevant to faith communities today, such as women's roles in the church and synagogue and the idea of religious feminism. Women's interpretations also raise awareness about differences in the ways women and men may read the Scriptures in light of differences in their life experiences. This handbook will prove useful to ministers as well as to students of the Bible, who will be inspired, provoked, and challenged by the women introduced here. The volume will also provide a foundation for further detailed research and analysis. Interpreters include Elizabeth Rice Achtemeier, Saint Birgitta of Sweden, Catherine Mumford Booth, Anne Bradstreet, Catherine of Siena, Clare of Assisi, Egeria, Elizabeth I, Hildegard, Julian of Norwich, Thérèse of Lisieux, Marcella, Henrietta C. Mears, Florence Nightingale, Phoebe Palmer, Faltonia Betitia Proba, Pandita Ramabai, Christina Georgina Rossetti, Dorothy Leigh Sayers, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Harriet Beecher Stowe, St. Teresa of Avila, Sojourner Truth, and Susanna Wesley.

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.

An exhaustive cross-referencing tool for interpreting Scripture with Scripture. The Bible is its own best commentary. To truly understand what the Bible teaches about a subject, we must consult all of what the Bible itself says about it. The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge allows you to do just that, providing a selection of other verses which shed light upon, clarify, or explain the verse you are consulting. Unlike a concordance, which is an alphabetical index to the words of the Bible, the cross-references given in the New Treasury are not merely to the same word, but to the same or a related thought, theme, doctrine, subject, concept, or literary motif, even when expressed in entirely different words. Special Features: Indicates degree of clarity, significance, or relationship between references Can be used with any translation or edition of the Bible Is arranged like the Bible (divided into the same books, chapters, and verses) for ease of use Provides a far more complete selection of cross-references than can be found in any other source Contains dozens of special study aids to help you develop powerful lessons or sermons--straight from the Bible itself Contains multiple indexes (subjects, figures of speech, etc.) Uses Strong's numbering system Uses a new font that makes it easier to read than previous versions No combination of other Bible study tools quite duplicates the carefully-research and indexed content in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. When used effectively, this invaluable resource will change your life.

For the better part of fifteen centuries, Christians read Scripture on two complementary levels, the literal and the spiritual. In the modern period, the spiritual sense gradually became marginalized in favor of the literal sense. The Bible came to be read and interpreted like any other book. This brief, accessible introduction to the history of biblical interpretation examines key turning points and figures and argues for a retrieval of the premodern spiritual habits of reading Scripture.