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Methodical Bible Study
Inductive study compares related Bible texts in order to let the Bible interpret itself, rather than approaching Scripture with predetermined notions of what it will say. Dr. Traina’s Methodical Bible Study was not intended to be the last word in inductive Bible study; but since its first publication in 1952, it has become a foundational text in this field. Christian colleges and seminaries have made it required reading for beginning Bible students, while many churches have used it for their lay Bible study groups. Dr. Traina summarizes its success in this comment: "If the truths of the Bible already resided in man, there would be no need for the Bible and this manual would be superfluous. But the fact is the Bible is an objective body of literature which exists because man needs to know certain truths which he himself cannot know. There are two main approaches open to the Bible student. One is deduction, which begins with generalizations and moves for their support to the particulars. By its very nature deduction tends to be subjective and prejudicial. Its opposite, induction, is objective and impartial; for it demands that one first examine the particulars of the Scriptures and that one’s conclusions be based on those particulars. Such an approach is sound because, being objective, it corresponds to the objective nature of the Scriptures." This book fills the need for a simple, practical textbook in hermeneutics. It encourages the serious Bible student to practice the best kind of hermeneutic, which allows the Word of God to speak for itself.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
17 people are currently reading
228 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 4, 2014
This book isn't for everyone. I first read it in seminary and found it quite engaging. It is primarily a book on hermeneutics or Biblical interpretation. The author, Professor Robert Traina, taught at Asbury Theological Seminary, a fine, conservative Methodist seminary located in Wilmore, Kentucky. The book assists the reader in learning how to approach the Bible without presuppositions. In other words, Dr. Traina trains a student of the Bible to look at it afresh, as if for the first time ever. I give the book 5 stars because it set the foundation for both my college ministry (RUF at the University of Florida) and my study of the Bible for life. This book honed my skills of Bible study and helped me to develop materials for small group Bible study leadership. The serious Bible student will love this book, especially if you are interested in the science of interpreting the Bible.
July 31, 2008
I'm working on my fourth time through this book (reading it with this summer's DM interns), and it simply gets better each time. I know of no better book on good Bible study method.
It is often commented that this book is dry and boring. That may so, but it's really fun to read in small chunks and discuss with a group of people. The author could use more stories, but his biblical illustrations are quite helpful!
It is often commented that this book is dry and boring. That may so, but it's really fun to read in small chunks and discuss with a group of people. The author could use more stories, but his biblical illustrations are quite helpful!
December 22, 2022
Summary: The foundational text and manual in the inductive Bible study movement.
I am a product of inductive Bible study. As a young Christian, I struggled to understand the meaning of scripture for myself and to be sure that the ways in which I applied it didn’t simply reflect an imposition of my own desires on the text of scripture. My life was revolutionized by a soft-spoken woman of scripture at an InterVarsity training conference in the summer of 1974. Barbara Boyd taught us how to carefully observe what was in a passage of scripture, giving titles to paragraphs, observing repeated words, contrasts, comparisons, and other of what she termed “laws of composition.” She taught us to identify significant observations, that tied parts of passages together and to turn them into interpretive questions that led us to wrestle with the passage’s meaning, often distilling that into a sentence describing a central theme. She then suggested ways we might apply this truth–a promise to trust, an example to follow or avoid, a command to obey, and so forth. She taught us how to turn our own study into Bible studies we could lead with fellow students. What I learned that summer not only made me a better student of scripture–it made me a better student as I applied what I learned to carefully reading other texts–whether the poetry of Wordsworth or a text in physiological psychology. And what I learned that summer, I continue to use and teach to this day.
I don’t know whether it was Ms. Boyd or someone else who mentioned that this approach derived from the work of Dr. Robert A. Traina, He served as a professor at the Biblical Seminary in New York, and later at Asbury Theological Seminary. Methodical Bible Study was first published in 1952. It quickly became the reference text for the growing inductive Bible study movement. “Inductive” refers to the inference of general principles from particular observations. It contrasts with deductive reasoning, which begins with general principles and infers particular instances from them. With regard to Bible study, it is the process of coming to the text, as far as possible, without preconceptions of what one will find, and carefully observing the details of the text using the reporters questions (who, what, when, where, how), our senses and imagination with narratives, and looking for the devices writers use to point to meaning.
Traina’s text truly is methodical, offering very detailed instruction. For example, the outline of his chapter on observation covers three pages. He begins with definition, purpose, and requisites of observation, and then looking at various kinds of things one observes in the text: definitions of terms, the atmosphere of the passage, the structure of a passage, utilizing paragraphs in the English Bible, various literary devices that reveal structure (what we later called “laws of composition”), and the various literary forms of scripture. Similar outlines follow for the steps of interpretation, evaluation and application, and correlation. He provides exercises for the student throughout the process.
The bulk of the book is devoted to observation and interpretation. In interpretation, he teaches moving from observations to interpretive questions. He gives an example of a study of Psalm 23 where he has 52 observations about which he asks interpretative questions. He recognizes both subjective factors in interpretation including personal experience, and objective factors including etymology, inflections, context, literary forms, atmosphere, author’s viewpoint, historical background, and other factors. The challenge is to integrate and summarize all these factors. He allows that there is never a perfect or uniform outcome, but that the outcome should arise from careful interpretive questioning of our observations of the text.
The last two parts concern, first evaluation and application, and second correlation. In the first, the focus is on discerning between the the truths that are local and particular to the original readers, and those of timeless character that bear on our own lives. Correlation then relates the insights from a particular passage to our study of other passages within a book, and to other books in scripture. In my experience, this step is often omitted, which can be a serious problem of inductive study. We see the “trees” of particular passages, but miss the “forest” within which they live in scripture. Sadly, Traina spends only five pages on this final step.
Traina also includes appendices on the use of charts in study, on word studies using the example of the word “Holy,” various kinds of logical outlines, and how to use the book (which he refers to as a manual) in teaching.
Inductive Bible study has been criticized as being too “cognitive.” The terms “inductive” and “methodical” no doubt contribute to this perception. Traina encourages the use of imagination, and affective aspects in one’s work. What is evident is a disciplined and rigorous approach to biblical texts, considering them worthy of the careful study we give other texts.
As mentioned above, failing to correlate what we learn with other scripture, can lead either to fragmented understanding, or sometimes doctrinal distortions built around one text the neglect of others. I also think greater thoughtfulness about the role of deduction in this process could be helpful. Would not our understanding of larger themes of scripture sometimes inform or even modify truths inductively arrived at in a particular text?
I would also like to see a greater consciousness of the cultural backgrounds and other presuppositions and preconception we bring to the text. Also, Traina focuses on study of the vernacular English text. I saw no discussion of how this works in other languages. In 2014, an updated posthumous work, co-authored work with David R. Bauer was published under the title Inductive Bible Study. At least from the table of contents, I see no discussion of the cross-cultural applicability of these methods, although there is an appendix discussing the use of original language resources. This is increasingly urgent as abolitionist, decolonized, and feminist readings of scripture (responses to oppressive, Western imperialist, and patriarchal readings) are put forward. Inductive study at its best comes to the text with a radical openness to what we might find in the text. However without clarity and discernment about the implicit biases each of us bring (true of all the readings just mentioned), and perhaps study with those who come from different cultural situations, we will simply reproduce these biases in our study findings, apart from the radical intervention of God’s Spirit.
The overall experience of reading this book left two impressions. One was, “so that’s where the training came from that so influenced me!” I found myself profoundly grateful for that. Second, I was reminded of the rigor and care we learned in studying a passage of scripture. I recognize in myself the times when I’ve cut corners or prepared sloppily to teach or lead others into the text. I suspect for many of today’s readers, Traina may seem “over the top.” But I also realize the hours of work any musician or other artists, creating works of excellence, put into their craft. Traina’s work seems directed to forming individuals who will become like these in their study of scripture and like Ezra, who “devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel” (Ezra 7:10).
I am a product of inductive Bible study. As a young Christian, I struggled to understand the meaning of scripture for myself and to be sure that the ways in which I applied it didn’t simply reflect an imposition of my own desires on the text of scripture. My life was revolutionized by a soft-spoken woman of scripture at an InterVarsity training conference in the summer of 1974. Barbara Boyd taught us how to carefully observe what was in a passage of scripture, giving titles to paragraphs, observing repeated words, contrasts, comparisons, and other of what she termed “laws of composition.” She taught us to identify significant observations, that tied parts of passages together and to turn them into interpretive questions that led us to wrestle with the passage’s meaning, often distilling that into a sentence describing a central theme. She then suggested ways we might apply this truth–a promise to trust, an example to follow or avoid, a command to obey, and so forth. She taught us how to turn our own study into Bible studies we could lead with fellow students. What I learned that summer not only made me a better student of scripture–it made me a better student as I applied what I learned to carefully reading other texts–whether the poetry of Wordsworth or a text in physiological psychology. And what I learned that summer, I continue to use and teach to this day.
I don’t know whether it was Ms. Boyd or someone else who mentioned that this approach derived from the work of Dr. Robert A. Traina, He served as a professor at the Biblical Seminary in New York, and later at Asbury Theological Seminary. Methodical Bible Study was first published in 1952. It quickly became the reference text for the growing inductive Bible study movement. “Inductive” refers to the inference of general principles from particular observations. It contrasts with deductive reasoning, which begins with general principles and infers particular instances from them. With regard to Bible study, it is the process of coming to the text, as far as possible, without preconceptions of what one will find, and carefully observing the details of the text using the reporters questions (who, what, when, where, how), our senses and imagination with narratives, and looking for the devices writers use to point to meaning.
Traina’s text truly is methodical, offering very detailed instruction. For example, the outline of his chapter on observation covers three pages. He begins with definition, purpose, and requisites of observation, and then looking at various kinds of things one observes in the text: definitions of terms, the atmosphere of the passage, the structure of a passage, utilizing paragraphs in the English Bible, various literary devices that reveal structure (what we later called “laws of composition”), and the various literary forms of scripture. Similar outlines follow for the steps of interpretation, evaluation and application, and correlation. He provides exercises for the student throughout the process.
The bulk of the book is devoted to observation and interpretation. In interpretation, he teaches moving from observations to interpretive questions. He gives an example of a study of Psalm 23 where he has 52 observations about which he asks interpretative questions. He recognizes both subjective factors in interpretation including personal experience, and objective factors including etymology, inflections, context, literary forms, atmosphere, author’s viewpoint, historical background, and other factors. The challenge is to integrate and summarize all these factors. He allows that there is never a perfect or uniform outcome, but that the outcome should arise from careful interpretive questioning of our observations of the text.
The last two parts concern, first evaluation and application, and second correlation. In the first, the focus is on discerning between the the truths that are local and particular to the original readers, and those of timeless character that bear on our own lives. Correlation then relates the insights from a particular passage to our study of other passages within a book, and to other books in scripture. In my experience, this step is often omitted, which can be a serious problem of inductive study. We see the “trees” of particular passages, but miss the “forest” within which they live in scripture. Sadly, Traina spends only five pages on this final step.
Traina also includes appendices on the use of charts in study, on word studies using the example of the word “Holy,” various kinds of logical outlines, and how to use the book (which he refers to as a manual) in teaching.
Inductive Bible study has been criticized as being too “cognitive.” The terms “inductive” and “methodical” no doubt contribute to this perception. Traina encourages the use of imagination, and affective aspects in one’s work. What is evident is a disciplined and rigorous approach to biblical texts, considering them worthy of the careful study we give other texts.
As mentioned above, failing to correlate what we learn with other scripture, can lead either to fragmented understanding, or sometimes doctrinal distortions built around one text the neglect of others. I also think greater thoughtfulness about the role of deduction in this process could be helpful. Would not our understanding of larger themes of scripture sometimes inform or even modify truths inductively arrived at in a particular text?
I would also like to see a greater consciousness of the cultural backgrounds and other presuppositions and preconception we bring to the text. Also, Traina focuses on study of the vernacular English text. I saw no discussion of how this works in other languages. In 2014, an updated posthumous work, co-authored work with David R. Bauer was published under the title Inductive Bible Study. At least from the table of contents, I see no discussion of the cross-cultural applicability of these methods, although there is an appendix discussing the use of original language resources. This is increasingly urgent as abolitionist, decolonized, and feminist readings of scripture (responses to oppressive, Western imperialist, and patriarchal readings) are put forward. Inductive study at its best comes to the text with a radical openness to what we might find in the text. However without clarity and discernment about the implicit biases each of us bring (true of all the readings just mentioned), and perhaps study with those who come from different cultural situations, we will simply reproduce these biases in our study findings, apart from the radical intervention of God’s Spirit.
The overall experience of reading this book left two impressions. One was, “so that’s where the training came from that so influenced me!” I found myself profoundly grateful for that. Second, I was reminded of the rigor and care we learned in studying a passage of scripture. I recognize in myself the times when I’ve cut corners or prepared sloppily to teach or lead others into the text. I suspect for many of today’s readers, Traina may seem “over the top.” But I also realize the hours of work any musician or other artists, creating works of excellence, put into their craft. Traina’s work seems directed to forming individuals who will become like these in their study of scripture and like Ezra, who “devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel” (Ezra 7:10).
March 8, 2018
This was ok. This class almost gave me a heart attack from how stressful it was.
August 10, 2011
The only person I would suggest this book to is to Jack Bauer to use as a torture device.
March 26, 2016
I first read this in seminary and it still remains one of the best books on inductive Bible study ever written. It has guided my study of the Bible for the past 30 years.
June 7, 2023
More a resource of inductive bible study than a book to read through as it's technical. It is METHODICAL, no lie in the name. Good examples when discussing the minutia throughout. There is something in the process given for application that I differ with though I can't put my finger on the exact reason, but it seems to put OT/NT teaching as such odds one wonders how the OT is applicable except as a historical document. There is too much discontinuity between the two testaments in the author's view perhaps. . . . The usefulness of the book is really in the methodical observation phase at the beginning, which would be helpful in trying to help others in noting the concrete structural elements of a text.
June 3, 2017
Read this book for an interpretation of Romans class. Wow! Some very dry, technical stuff here, but if you eat the meat and spit out the bones you'll gains some good insights to biblical interpretation. I found it to be lacking in stories or examples, which would have helped greatly, but I did enjoy the breakdown of Psalm 23. This one will stay on the shelf for future reference.
November 13, 2023
Read this as a requirement for one of my initial courses as a seminary student. The methods and truth presented in this book are extremely helpful for anyone wanting to learn how to study the Bible. However, I found some of the language and syntax in the book to be quite antiquated. Good tool but would like to see it revised/updated to more modern language.
April 25, 2024
Very concise and suitable for every layman or Bible scholar that wants to learn how to interpret the Bible well. Dr. Robert Traina does a great job of explaining clearly the process of a methodical bible study.
April 20, 2018
This is a fantastic manual for learning the principles of inductively studying the Bible. If one is looking to begin studying the Bible or sharpen their skills, this book will be useful!
August 6, 2020
Great book that I'll keep as a resource and reference
July 16, 2021
It’s a dense book, but there’s a reason all the other books on Bible Study quote from this one!
January 21, 2017
Very unassuming.
Want to read
February 18, 2008Contribution: This is the book that Dr. Hendricks at Dallas Seminary bases his class on. This book gives you a methodical system that is sound and reproducible. By using the 4 Step process of Inductive Bible Study (Observation, Interpretation, Application or Evaluation, and Correlation) he is able to equip you with tools that will exponentially benefit you in your personal Bible Study. He does not only teach you that you should read and study your Bible, but he also tells you how.
May 1, 2021
It was okay. The content is good and helpful but it's fairly technical and not something I'd recommend to most people. It hasn't been revised since 1985 and it's writing style shows that it's almost 40 years old. This is a book I'll keep on my bookshelf and may return to occasionally but rarely. The highlight for me was Traina's section on "Evaluation" which I found to be very good, practical, and helpful.
Want to read
January 13, 2012Excerpt of Chip Ingram's thoughts: "Stresses looking closely at the words and structure of the passages you are studying. Encourages making observations, interpretations and applications of what you read."
July 21, 2008
This book reads like a technical manual. I wish all books were written like this. ;) Peter and Mike's comments are accurate and helpful.
April 8, 2008
Difficult. More of a handbook than a straight through read.
July 7, 2009
Very technical, but stimulating to a practioner of inductive Bible Study.
October 28, 2009
Main text for a class on Inductive Bible Study. Helpful though it is academic and, not surprisingly, methodical. Still worth the effort and recommended.
March 11, 2010
Very practical, well laid out material on studying the Bible in a systematic, methodical way.
November 16, 2015
This is a wonderful resource for Bible study. It is dry. I agree with another reviewer who said that taking it in small pieces is a good way to incorporate the method.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews