Evangelical Bible study groups are the most prolific type of small group in American society, with more than 30 million Protestants gathering every week for this distinct purpose, meeting in homes, churches, coffee shops, restaurants, and other public and private venues across the country. What happens in these groups? How do they help shape the contours of American Evangelical life? While more public forms of political activism have captured popular and scholarly imaginations, it is in group Bible study that Evangelicals reflect on the details of their faith. Here they become self-conscious religious subjects, sharing the intimate details of life, interrogating beliefs and practices, and articulating their version of Christian identity and culture.
In Words upon the Word, James S. Bielo draws on over nineteen months of ethnographic work with five congregations to better understand why group Bible study matters so much to Evangelicals and for Evangelical culture. Through a close analysis of participants' discourse, Bielo examines the defining themes of group life—from textual interpretation to spiritual intimacy and the rehearsal of witnessing. Bielo's approach allows these Evangelical groups to speak for themselves, illustrating Bible study's uniqueness in Evangelical life as a site of open and critical dialogue. Ultimately, Bielo's ethnography sheds much needed light on the power of group Bible study for the ever-evolving shape of American Evangelicalism.
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“Words Upon the Word is a model of ethnographic reflexivity and methodological transparency. . .ethnographies like this one will remind everyone else that, to some extent, they may still be right.”
“The book advances scholarly understanding of an important practice that shapes the community, piety, and politics of many Americans each week. The book is also a model for sophisticated ethnographic work on religious practices.”
"An important methodological and theoretical advance in the study of Biblicism and the anthropology of Christianity. Bielo’s research is excellent, and he asks all the right questions. Words Upon the Word is on my very short list of essential readings for the study of the Bible's reception and use."
"At long last, there is now a sustained analysis of how conservative Protestants collectively generate and disseminate scriptural interpretations. And it turns out that the process is rarely smooth and easy. Bielo's book shows how the Bible is a living document—a source of both discussion and debate—among conservative Christians."
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