Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes
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11:1, 186
11:5-6, 42
11:6, 43
11:18-22, 133
11:22, 134
11:30, 133
12, 108, 174
12:21, 112
15:29, 49
15:33, 29
2 Corinthians
1:1, 102
2:7, 76
3:2-3, 114
3:18, 215
5:10, 129
5:11, 129
6, 210
9:13-14, 165
Galatians
1:1-2, 102
1:15, 197
2, 136
2:6, 154
2:11-14, 117
2:12, 136
2:20, 169
3:1, 58
3:24, 37
4:4, 142
5:2, 153, 166
5:16, 173
5:22, 74
5:25, 173, 175
6:2, 184
Ephesians
2:21-22, 109
4:1, 132
4:29, 29
5:4, 26
5:15-16, 142
5:16, 141
6:1, 18
Philippians
1:1, 102
2:10, 110
3:4-6, 120
3:6, 117
3:7-8, 165
3:20, 69, 202
4:10-12, 164
4:13, 165, 217
4:14, 164
4:17, 164
4:18, 165
4:19, 165
Colossians
1:1, 102
1:17, 157
3, 191
3:5, 180, 190
3:7, 180
3:8-9, 180
3:11, 68, 217
3:12, 182
3:16, 217
4:13, 10
1 Thessalonians
1:1, 102
4:11, 184
2 Thessalonians
1:1, 102
1:11, 132
3:10, 41, 178
3:12, 184
1 Timothy
1:2, 106
2:8-9, 43
2:9, 43
2:12, 170
2:12-13, 13
3:3, 43
5:1-2, 106
5:23, 34
Titus
1:4, 106
2:4-5, 106
2:6-7, 106
Hebrews
1:1, 11
4:7, 151
11:16, 136
James
1:1, 202
2:10, 181
3:1, 215
4:15, 184
1 Peter
1:1, 202
2:5, 108
2:11, 202
2:13, 186
4:3, 142
2 Peter
1:6, 210
2:4, 216
Revelation
3:15-16, 9
4:11, 157
5:9, 217
21:3, 93
About the Authors
E. Randolph Richards (M.Div. and Ph.D., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is dean of the School of Ministry and professor of biblical studies at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida.
He has frequently served as an interim or "supply" pastor, and from 1988 to 1996 he was a missionary with the International Mission Board, SBC, stationed in East Indonesia. His scholarly articles have appeared in Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Southwestern Journal of Theology, Bulletin for Biblical Research and Biblical Illustrator. He is coauthor of Discovering Paul: An Introduction to His World, Letters and Theology and The Story of Israel: A Biblical Theology. He is the author of Paul and First-Century Letter Writing and The Secretary in the Letters of Paul in the Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament series.
Rediscovering Paul: An Introduction to His World, Letters and Theology, ISBN: 978-0-8308-6798-1
For some of us, the apostle Paul is like a distant uncle. We've heard he's pretty important. We've read the good parts of his letters. But sometimes he comes across as prickly and unpredictable. Not someone you'd like to hang out with at a coffee shop. He'd raise his voice, try to convert the barista, and we'd want to slink out the back door. For a mid-afternoon latte, we'd prefer Jesus over Paul.
But actually, this is the guy who, from Ephesus to Athens, was the talk of the marketplace and the raconteur of the Parthenon. Maybe it's time to give Paul a break, let go of some stereotypes and try to get to know him on his own terms. If that's where you are, Rediscovering Paul is your guide. This is a book that helps us find Paul again—holding forth in the marketplace of Corinth, working with a secretary in framing his letter to the Romans, or pastoring the messy emerging churches of Philippi and Thessalonica.
Drawing on the best of contemporary scholarship, honed by teaching and conversing with today's students, Rediscovering Paul is a textbook that rises above the rest.
Brandon J. O'Brien (M.A., Wheaton College Graduate School) is a part-time instructor of religion at the College of DuPage and editor-at-large for Leadership journal with Christianity Today. He is scheduled to complete his doctoral work in theological studies in 2012. O'Brien has previously published The Strategically Small Church (Bethany House, 2010).
“Randy Richards and Brandon O’Brien have written a useful and enjoyable book, which makes excellent use of good stories to illustrate the points they make. The reader will leave the book with plenty of challenging questions to ask about approaches to Scripture. Interesting, thoughtful and user-friendly.”
Philip Jenkins, Distinguished Professor of History and codirector for the program on historical studies of religion, Institute for Studies of Religion, Baylor University, and author of The Next Christendom
“Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes is an important book that comes along at a critical moment in global evangelical history. Helpful examples reveal our cultural tendencies and biases that could hinder a deeper reading of Scripture. The authors help us to recognize our blind spots and offer insight that honors the intention of Scripture to be read in the context of community. I am grateful to the authors for their effort to be self-reflective and engage in a critical examination of our engagement with Scripture from within Western culture.”
Soong-Chan Rah, Milton B. Engebretson Associate Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism, North Park Theological Seminary, and author of The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity
“Richards and O’Brien open our eyes to the crosscultural nature of the Bible. Their book is a helpful resource in understanding Scripture on its own terms, without imposing our assumptions on the biblical authors and their first readers.”
Lindsay Olesberg, author of The Bible Study Handbook, and senior associate for Scripture engagement, Lausanne Movement
“This is a revolutionary book for evangelical Bible-believers. If its readers end the book motivated to ask the questions it invites and even inspired to identify other possible misreadings because of Western cultural blinders that have not been discussed, they will be more ready to live out the kind of biblically faithful, Christ-honoring and God-fearing lives that they desire to and that the world needs.”
Amos Yong, J. Rodman Williams Professor of Theology, Regent University School of Divinity, Virginia
“The authors of Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes make a convincing case that those who trust in the Bible should (for biblical reasons) be more self-conscious about themselves. Their demonstration of how unself-conscious mores influence the understanding of Scripture is as helpful as the many insights they draw from Scripture itself. This is a good book for better understanding ourselves, the Christian world as it now exists and the Bible.”
Mark A. Noll, Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History, University of Notre Dame, coauthor, Clouds of Witnesses: Christian Voices from Africa and Asia
“A fascinating guide for any serious Bible reader! Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes reveals the ‘habits of the mind’ that might blind us to the Bible’s intended message. Richards and O’B
rien unpack the intricacies and nuances of cultural communication to help people better understand the Bible. To help you know—and live—the Christian life more faithfully.”
Nikki Toyama-Szeto, Urbana program director, coauthor of Partnering with the Global Church