timjdavy Bible and Mission

Liberating Scripture: An Invitation to Missional Hermeneutics

One of my aims for the site is to raise awareness of relevant publications. I may post subsequently with a review of a book or article but often I will just give a notification of something that has been published.

Liberating Scripture: An Invitation to Missional Hermeneutics written by Michael Barram and John R. Franke (with a foreword by Drew G. I. Hart and an afterword by Lisa M. Bowens). It was published in March 2024 by Cascade, an imprint of Wipf & Stock.

Here is the blurb and table of contents from the publisher’s website:

‘Rooted in and advocating for a postmodern and postcolonial understanding of mission, Liberating Scripture is the first book-length study designed specifically to introduce readers to the emerging subfield of biblical interpretation known as missional hermeneutics. The authors provide a thoroughgoing overview of the background and development, rationale, terminology, and methodology of missional hermeneutics, doing for biblical interpretation what Missional Church (edited by Darrell Guder et al., 1998) did for reimagining the church in light of the missio Dei. As the initial volume in the new Studies in Missional Hermeneutics, Theology, and Praxis series, Liberating Scripture is a critical resource for study and practical application, and its accessibility will make it a go-to text for classrooms and congregations.’

Table of Contents
Foreword
Introduction
Part One: Missional Hermeneutics
Chapter 1: Why Missional Interpretation?
Chapter 2: Missional Hermeneutics and Biblical Interpretation
Part Two: Toward a Missional Hermeneutic of Liberating Love
Introduction to Part Two
Chapter 3: How We Shackle Scripture
Chapter 4: Toward a Vision of the Missio Dei
Chapter 5: The Liberating Word
Chapter 6: Missional Hermeneutics and Theological Interpretation
Chapter 7: The Practice of Missional Hermeneutics
Afterword
The Forum on Missional Hermeneutics: Session History
Discussion Questions

timjdavy Bible and Mission

Reading the Bible missionally – getting into the authors – part 2

I recently posted about the module, ‘Reading the Bible Missionally’ on Redcliffe’s MA in Bible and Mission programme and how we are seeking to complement our reading of Chris Wright’s The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative by engaging with six other key authors on missional hermeneutics. I then gave links for three of them: Michael Goheen, Richard Bauckham and Dan Beeby to give a flavour of their writing (you can read that blog post here: Reading the Bible missionally – getting into the authors – part 1).

The other three writers we have been dealing with are Michael Barram, James Brownson and Darrell Guder. Here are some samples of their work:

Barram, M. ‘‘Located’ Questions for a Missional Hermeneutic‘, unpublished paper on GOCN website.

Brownson, J.V. Speaking the Truth in Love: New Testament Resources for a Missional Hermeneutic (Harrisburg: Trinity Press International, 1998).

Guder, D. ‘Missional Hermeneutics: The Missional Authority of Scripture‘, Mission Focus, Annual Review, 15 (2007), 106-121.

You can find more links to writing on missional hermeneutics and more general studies on the Bible and mission in our Bible and Mission books and articles page.