Teaching the Bible in the Church

by John M. Bracke

John Bracke and Karen Tye, a biblical scholar and a religious educator, have come together to offer a vital new work of practical insight into the task of teaching the Bible in the church. Intended for pastors, church educators, lay teachers, and those in seminary, this book provides a blueprint for effective teaching that lead beyond just conveying information to opening oneself and the learner to transformation through the text. It is teaching the Bible in its most faithful form, as an invitation to fully encounter the scriptures and the God who empowers transformation.

Genres: Education

176 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2003

Reviews

[John Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read, plenty to provoke thought. I've already started to use some of this in my own Bible study prep, and it's only been a few days since finishing the book.

Perhaps the most useful idea and concept is getting to know yourself as a learner before you can know how to teach. Who you are as a learner affects who you are as teacher. Hearing it sounds obvious and self-explanatory. But having Bracke and Tye walk you through how that learner-teacher combo works to your detriment you might not think much about it. There are other ways to teach and one must know them and use them rather than remain stuck in one's own learner-teacher paradigm.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I probably would have found this book much more useful had I read it 10 years ago when it was first recommended to me. That said, after ~10 years of teaching the bible in church contexts, this is a helpful foundation for new and growing teachers of the word.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good blend of educational foundation and theology with a focus on cultural integration and awareness. An engaging read with good insights.

[Rev. Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Getting a headstart on a book for one of my Fall courses at Brite. Enjoyed it as a refresher of many ideas and theories that I had in my training workshops and I/O Psy courses. Well written with easy to follow examples of teaching the Bible in ways to engage people of different generations, cultures, and reasons for being in a class.

[Brett Marko · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was so very good thoughts in this book as it brought educational theory to Christian education. They embrace such educational minds such as Piaget's stages of development. The book was good but didn't provide any tremendous insights overall. It was a good read but nothing spectacular.