Biblical Interpretation: Past & Present

by Gerald L. Bray

Christianity Today Book of the Year Never before has there been so much scholarly effort devoted to the study of the Bible. And yet, ironically, the church is in perilous danger of forgetting its rich inheritance of biblical interpretation. With this textbook, Gerald Bray sounds the call to draw biblical interpretation back to the heart of the church. Evangelical in perspective but ecumenical in both its historical breadth and its vision of the future, Bray's work is a comprehensive guide to biblical interpretation, past and present. Bray begins by introducing basic concepts in biblical interpretation that have remained constant through the divine revelation, the nature of the canon, the relation of the biblical text to the life of Christian churches, and the tensions inherent in the act of biblical interpretation. He follows this introduction with three main sections, each covering an epoch of development within the history of biblical interpretation. The first surveys the period from the ancient church to the beginnings of modern historical-critical interpretation in the Renaissance and Reformation. The second engages the rise of modern historical-critical interpretation from the late seventeenth century through the twentieth century. The third investigates current trends in biblical interpretation that seek to offer alternatives to the dominant school of historical criticism. Each section is divided into chapters focusing on periods or schools of interpretation. And, as a further aid to readers, each chapter is divided into standard Bray's organizational scheme allows readers to quickly grasp the issues, methods and interpreters of each period or school and to observe how classic issues and pivotal questions have shaped the church's use of the Bible in various historical contexts. Seminarians, pastors, teachers and lay leaders will welcome Biblical Past and Present as an instructive guide to both the high points and the impasses of biblical interpretation. Here is history with a clear message, written out of the conviction that biblical interpretation and Christian doctrine go hand in hand.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Church History, Reference

608 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1996

About the author

Gerald L. Bray (Ph.D., University of Paris--Sorbonne) is director of research for the Latimer Trust, based in London, and a research professor at Samford University, teaching in the Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama. A priest of the Church of England, Bray has also edited the post-Reformation Anglican canons. He has edited several volumes of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture and Ancient Christian Texts, as well as volume one of the Ancient Christian Doctrine series, all for IVP Academic. General EditorTimothy George (Th.D., Harvard University) is a renowned Reformation historian and author of Theology of the Reformers, as well as many other theological and historical works. He is founding dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford University and an executive editor of Christianity Today.

Reviews

[Tyler Kenyon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bray's book is succinct and informative. I thought the chapter's were choppy and not as fluid as they could have been. Dealing with issues, separated by prominent players of the area being covered. His case studies were nice additions to the chapters. This book is a bit dated but it surveyed the material well. Spend the extra money on the hardback, paperback was flimsy and falling apart before I finished the book.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb guided tour through 20 centuries of biblical interpretation. Bray's strength is his clear grasp of the various issues facing interpreters throughout history. At times I wondered where his sympathies lay; he was so effective in articulating the concerns of historical critics I would call liberal. He introduces the reader to dozens, maybe hundreds of scholars who have made significant contributions, across many denominations and church traditions. And he gives an excellent snapshot of where biblical studies are today (19 years ago) and some guesses about what the issues in the future might be. This is an important book to read for anyone teaching or preaching the Bible. Sometimes the content is dry; sometimes heavy. But by the end of this book I found myself grateful to this excellent scholar for what he taught me.

[Shane Goodyear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basically a survey of how Christians have interpreted the bible through the ages

Half the book focus on the rise of liberal interpretation of the bible and conservative response
Key words
Allegorical interpretation
Critical method
Form Criticism
Literary criticism
Canonical Criticism
Grammatical- historical method
Synoptic problem

Liberal consensus dying now more a plurality views within scholarship that live side by side

‘The basic issue is whether the supernatural can be taken into account as a contributory factor in human history’

[Michael Blackley]

Biblical Interpretation: Past & Present: A Guide to Study, Conversation & Practice

[Gina Snyder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good information but very heavy. How could it not be? I definitely learned a lot but did not retain as much as I would have liked. Probably worth a reread but it's 588 pages makes me not want to tackle it again soon. I am definitely keeping it as a reference for future material and reads.

[Timothy Decker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful intro into the world of Bible Interpretation. More so as a quick reference guide also.

[Nico Sumolang]

Helpful intro into the world of Bible Interpretation. Thank's

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Standard textbook. Helpful. Dry (but it’s a textbook, so what did you expect?)

[Joshua Birdsong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book on biblical interpretation although the author tends to be biased is certain areas.

[Daniel Alvers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has the good, the bad, and the awful all within its pages. You can watch liberal "scholarship" develop from nonsensical presuppositions. You can also see failed conservative responses. I quickly noticed that in depth study of the Bible does not mean you have any clue about what's going on in the Bible. There have been many a wolves as Christ has said there would be. These wolves theories push toward complication. The more complicated they make it the more they seem intelligent. In the end they seek to confuse the truth with elaborate tomfoolery. By this I do not mean that understanding the scripture is easy. This is precisely our human problem. This book is screaming at you that man is corrupt. The Bible is so very difficult to understand you need the power of the Spirit of God to open your eyes. At many points in my reading of this work I became very frustrated with the depravity of man and his subversive perversion that prod him toward denial of the word of God. Man is dreadfully sinful and God is consistently gracious to save us from our depraved minds.

[Doctor VanNostrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down. It is a tour-de-force of not only Biblical scholarship, but also of historical theology. I feel it is a "must read" for every serious reader of Scripture who also consults commentaries for insights into the original text. Leans Reformed in many instances, but that is no flaw in the book. Every author is entitled to his or her convictions.