How We Read the Bible
A Guide to Scripture's Style and Meaning
- Biblical Studies & Commentaries
- Publisher: Eerdmans
- Published: 2022
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Publisher's Description
The Bible is interpreted in a variety of ways and through a myriad of lenses. But how we interpret Scripture depends first of all on how we read it. This handbook focuses on the process of reading itself, taking a cognitive-stylistic approach grounded in recent research on language and the mind. Through accessible explanations of twelve key stylistic elements, How We Read the Bible provides all who study Scripture with the tools to understand what happens when we read and draw meaning from biblical texts. Rather than problematizing the divide between authors from the ancient world and a modern-day audience, Karolien Vermeulen and Elizabeth Hayes bridge the gap by exploring the interaction between the cues of the text and the context of the reader. With numerous examples from the Old and New Testaments and helpful suggestions for further study, How We Read the Bible can be used within any framework of biblical study—historical, theological, literary, and others—as a pathway to meeting Scripture on its own terms.
Endorsements (3)
“Reading the Bible is anything but straightforward. In this marvelous little book, focusing on both the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and the New Testament, the two authors share many insights concerning the language and literary conventions of the Bible. As a result, anyone who reads it will become a more careful, accurate, and sophisticated Bible reader.”
“How We Read the Bible is an accessible introduction to reading Scripture with help from cognitive stylistics. Vermeulen and Hayes welcome the reader to consider how they read the Bible by shedding light on the experience of reading itself. In the process, they have gifted their readers with a lucid and approachable handbook that provides plenty of diagrams, examples, and case studies. I highly recommend this book.”
“In this book, Karolien Vermeulen and Elizabeth R. Hayes, two internationally renowned scholars, guide readers step by step through the complex process of reading, offering valuable insights to both novice and experienced readers. Beginners benefit from the well-structured presentation, which takes them from the level of words through schemas and scripts, metaphorical language, and different text worlds. The explanations are clear, the selected examples show how these methods help to explore biblical texts, and suggestions for further discussion encourage the readers to master what they have read. For experts in biblical studies, the book provides an excellent insight into cognitive studies of the reading processes. I particularly like the comprehensive compilation of the many facets of cognitive studies that help to explore the texts. The insight into the development of each research question and the references to further literature are also very helpful. I am convinced that this book is excellent both as a reference for scientific work and as a textbook for students.”
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