Interpreting Scripture Across Cultures: An Introduction to Cross-Cultural Hermeneutics

The refugee that has come to your church, the pastor of the immigrant church in your town, and you yourself all come before the same Bible, even the same verse, and walk away with completely different understandings and applications. In an increasingly globalized and multicultural world, how can we learn to see beyond our own cultural influences, understand those of others, and learn from each other in order to better understand and apply the word of God? How do we stay faithful to the text when our contemporary cultural perspective is so different from the original author's? This book will enable you to understand the common pitfalls and dangers related to cross-cultural hermeneutics while also equipping you with principles and real-life examples for how to interpret Scripture in such situations. Additionally, given the fact that our world is increasingly digitized and people are less and less likely to read, we will consider the issue of oral hermeneutics and how those who can't read or choose not to read can interpret Scripture faithfully.

Will Brooks has a PhD from Southern Seminary and teaches missions and New Testament interpretation at two seminaries in Asia. At one of those seminaries, he serves as the associate provost and director of the DMiss and intercultural studies programs. He is also the author of Love Lost for the Cause of Christ and the coeditor of World Mission.