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Sanctifying Interpretation: Vocation, Holiness, and Scripture
In this constructive monograph, Pentecostal theologian Chris Green offers an alternative to the standard Evangelical models of Scripture and scriptural hermeneutics. Instead of beginning with the usual epistemological questions about how the biblical texts can be understood as God’s Word, Green’s work begins with soteriological concerns: how does God use the Scripture in readying the church to fulfill her calling? And how are we to read the Scripture so that we are drawn along by the Spirit into Christlikeness? Green explores the profound and dynamic interrelatedness of vocation, holiness, and the interpretation of Scripture. Through close readings of biblical texts and searching engagement with the church’s spiritual and theological traditions, he develops a model that creates room for God to use the always difficult and sometimes overwhelming work of interpreting of the Scriptures to form the people of God for faithful and sanctifying participation in the divine mission. This Second Edition is substantially revised throughout and includes more than 50 pages of new material, which enhances the discussion at many points. Also new are biblical interpretations that illustrate the heart of Green’s significant and engaging proposal.
- GenresTheologyBiblical Studies
253 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 6, 2022
Green’s book is quite excellent in many respects. He draws from so many of the best sources for theology and interpretation and he avoids the errors of others in all the right places. Anyone wanting to read on the wholistic and theotic vocation of creatures made to be sanctifying co-sanctifiers with Christ will find this book exceptionally helpful.
Green’s discussion on the role of scripture within our responsibility of interception is the kind of reconstructive and Orthodox conversation American Christians need most right now.
Green’s discussion on the role of scripture within our responsibility of interception is the kind of reconstructive and Orthodox conversation American Christians need most right now.
August 20, 2020
A rich and compelling work of theology and biblical interpretation. Keep your highlighter handy. I especially appreciated Green's attentiveness to the productive value of struggling, sometimes mightily, with scripture, and not letting go until it yields a blessing. For Green, the challenge of interpretation is not an unfortunate by-product of the fall, but a means by which Christian formation, sanctification, and mission takes place.
February 26, 2021
Reflections on Green’s Sanctifying Interpretation book
As priests, called to “feel” before God
The weight of this world’s horrors
Yet also “the weight of glory”
That marks its future
Through the renewing
Mission of Christ’s Spirit
In us, for healing the world.
We read Scripture that we might “feel” the “weight of the world’s brokenness” yet also— “the weight of glory.”
“The Spirit of Christ saves us for, and into “collaborative participation with God’s mission to reconcile the world to himself.”
Hence, “The truly holy life is a life lived in radical solidarity with sinners just because it is a life consumed by intimacy with the holy God. The Spirit of baptism calls us into the depths – the depths of God’s joy and the depths of the world’s agonies.”
“I would contend that a mark of a ‘redeemed soul’ is its awareness of its own unredeemedness, its anguish for all that is wrong in the world. And so, the Christian life can be understood as a life of deepening intimacy with the redeemer and a deepening awareness of our responsibility in the redemption he is bringing about which inevitably makes us feel more and more the horrible weight of the world’s brokenness so that we are pressed into intercession.
It is perhaps not too much to say, then, that the feeling of that weight pressing down on us is in fact our calling as it is happening on us. Seeing the suffering of others, we are made to feel the weight of glory.”
For a book review, I am now reading through for a third time, Chris Green’s revised work, Sanctifying Interpretation: Vocation, Holiness, and Scripture. Readers may recall my earlier initial comments on this beautiful work of art; yet I want to again stress that even if you have the first edition: GET THIS BOOK!!!
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?stor...
It is imperative reading for it provides a wonder envisioning on reading Scripture in ways significantly congruent to Pentecostal spirituality, and more importantly— to the ethno-centric/”tribal”/exclusionary nature of human conflicts that characterize our world today.
The book’s sub-title identifies the three main parts of Green’s book: Vocation, Holiness, and Scripture. Hence, Green’s broad thesis is that the foremost aim of Bible reading – of the Bible – is sanctifying us for our priestly vocation in the world as partners with God in His mission to heal the world.
With reference to encountered interpretive “conflicts” within Scripture, Green insightfully argues that for this very missional purpose, “God des not . . . save us from interpretation but through it” (p. xi). Hence, by – rather than forcing every seeming Scriptural problem into singular meanings – learning rather how to let Scripture trouble our feelings and cognitive certainties through its many seeming and bewildering incongruencies, contradictions, and narrated horrors, through it the Spirit of Jesus forms us “peace-makers” in the world. For by doing so, the Spirit of Christ thus trains us to embrace rather than exclude human differences within the growing sign of new creation the Bible calls, the Church (pp. xi-xiii). This brief summary in no way does justice to Green’s work, so I aim to comment more on it as time goes on.
In the meantime, let me say I also like – and am personally challenged – by this quote at the end of his chapter titled, “Reading for Christ: Interpretation and (Trans)Formation”:
“We can only draw near to God and stay near him . . . when, sooner than later, he requires us to keep company with people we do not like. . . . After all, if holiness is a name for God’s own way of reading, then our readings of Scripture can be sanctifying only if they actually change our lives so we become more and more strangely roomy and inviting.” (p. 152)
Chris E. W. Green, Sanctifying Interpretation: Vocation, Holiness, and Scripture, 2nd ed (Cleveland, TN: CPT Press, 2020), pp. 18, 25, 28.
As priests, called to “feel” before God
The weight of this world’s horrors
Yet also “the weight of glory”
That marks its future
Through the renewing
Mission of Christ’s Spirit
In us, for healing the world.
We read Scripture that we might “feel” the “weight of the world’s brokenness” yet also— “the weight of glory.”
“The Spirit of Christ saves us for, and into “collaborative participation with God’s mission to reconcile the world to himself.”
Hence, “The truly holy life is a life lived in radical solidarity with sinners just because it is a life consumed by intimacy with the holy God. The Spirit of baptism calls us into the depths – the depths of God’s joy and the depths of the world’s agonies.”
“I would contend that a mark of a ‘redeemed soul’ is its awareness of its own unredeemedness, its anguish for all that is wrong in the world. And so, the Christian life can be understood as a life of deepening intimacy with the redeemer and a deepening awareness of our responsibility in the redemption he is bringing about which inevitably makes us feel more and more the horrible weight of the world’s brokenness so that we are pressed into intercession.
It is perhaps not too much to say, then, that the feeling of that weight pressing down on us is in fact our calling as it is happening on us. Seeing the suffering of others, we are made to feel the weight of glory.”
For a book review, I am now reading through for a third time, Chris Green’s revised work, Sanctifying Interpretation: Vocation, Holiness, and Scripture. Readers may recall my earlier initial comments on this beautiful work of art; yet I want to again stress that even if you have the first edition: GET THIS BOOK!!!
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?stor...
It is imperative reading for it provides a wonder envisioning on reading Scripture in ways significantly congruent to Pentecostal spirituality, and more importantly— to the ethno-centric/”tribal”/exclusionary nature of human conflicts that characterize our world today.
The book’s sub-title identifies the three main parts of Green’s book: Vocation, Holiness, and Scripture. Hence, Green’s broad thesis is that the foremost aim of Bible reading – of the Bible – is sanctifying us for our priestly vocation in the world as partners with God in His mission to heal the world.
With reference to encountered interpretive “conflicts” within Scripture, Green insightfully argues that for this very missional purpose, “God des not . . . save us from interpretation but through it” (p. xi). Hence, by – rather than forcing every seeming Scriptural problem into singular meanings – learning rather how to let Scripture trouble our feelings and cognitive certainties through its many seeming and bewildering incongruencies, contradictions, and narrated horrors, through it the Spirit of Jesus forms us “peace-makers” in the world. For by doing so, the Spirit of Christ thus trains us to embrace rather than exclude human differences within the growing sign of new creation the Bible calls, the Church (pp. xi-xiii). This brief summary in no way does justice to Green’s work, so I aim to comment more on it as time goes on.
In the meantime, let me say I also like – and am personally challenged – by this quote at the end of his chapter titled, “Reading for Christ: Interpretation and (Trans)Formation”:
“We can only draw near to God and stay near him . . . when, sooner than later, he requires us to keep company with people we do not like. . . . After all, if holiness is a name for God’s own way of reading, then our readings of Scripture can be sanctifying only if they actually change our lives so we become more and more strangely roomy and inviting.” (p. 152)
Chris E. W. Green, Sanctifying Interpretation: Vocation, Holiness, and Scripture, 2nd ed (Cleveland, TN: CPT Press, 2020), pp. 18, 25, 28.
July 31, 2023
Chris Green eloquently writes a book weaving together the threads mentioned in subtitle to present a compelling vision of the Christian life and the role Scripture plays. This was a stimulating work, evidenced by the amount of underlining and notes I wrote in the margin (both affirmative and argumentative). It's theological and spiritual depth is vast and give the reader much to mull over concerning some of the most important aspects of the Christian life.
Central to the whole book is that as Christians, we must let the Bible interpret us before we begin to interpret the Bible. Even in it's difficult parts, Scripture is shaping us to be a certain kind of person as it reveals Christ. Also, his discussion on vocation is excellent. I think he excellently articulates the priesthood of the believer in his discussion on holiness in a way that would make Baptists jealous.
I think overall Green portrays a beautiful and nuanced portrait of the life of faith. There would be times I felt myself wanting to pump the breaks on a statement he would make because it seemed to push a corrective too far. However, upon further reflection I believe that his nuances often landed in about the right spots.
Yet, especially when it concerned Scripture, I think there are times through when Green overstated his claims to the point of creating false dichotomies. When discussing troubling biblical texts, he states, "We must begin, I believe, with a clarification, distinguishing the God who inspires and interprets the OT texts from the one described in the texts themselves." I think it wise to heighten our awareness of what the text is and is not saying about God, less we rush to illformed conclusions. But I think it is an overstatement to say that the God presented in certain OT texts is different from the God who inspires the texts (primarily due to violence). He says, "God is [at times in the OT] here and now putting us to the test by describing himself at least somewhat misleadingly." But how does one adjudicate the truthfulness of texts (apparently) inspired to mislead us?
Such statements give me pause. Yet I still believe that Green has much to offer about how we can be formed individually and as a community through Scripture, for holiness, accomplishing what God has prepared for us to do in the world. As the reader (mainly pastors and theology students) wrestle with this work, they will benefit.
Central to the whole book is that as Christians, we must let the Bible interpret us before we begin to interpret the Bible. Even in it's difficult parts, Scripture is shaping us to be a certain kind of person as it reveals Christ. Also, his discussion on vocation is excellent. I think he excellently articulates the priesthood of the believer in his discussion on holiness in a way that would make Baptists jealous.
I think overall Green portrays a beautiful and nuanced portrait of the life of faith. There would be times I felt myself wanting to pump the breaks on a statement he would make because it seemed to push a corrective too far. However, upon further reflection I believe that his nuances often landed in about the right spots.
Yet, especially when it concerned Scripture, I think there are times through when Green overstated his claims to the point of creating false dichotomies. When discussing troubling biblical texts, he states, "We must begin, I believe, with a clarification, distinguishing the God who inspires and interprets the OT texts from the one described in the texts themselves." I think it wise to heighten our awareness of what the text is and is not saying about God, less we rush to illformed conclusions. But I think it is an overstatement to say that the God presented in certain OT texts is different from the God who inspires the texts (primarily due to violence). He says, "God is [at times in the OT] here and now putting us to the test by describing himself at least somewhat misleadingly." But how does one adjudicate the truthfulness of texts (apparently) inspired to mislead us?
Such statements give me pause. Yet I still believe that Green has much to offer about how we can be formed individually and as a community through Scripture, for holiness, accomplishing what God has prepared for us to do in the world. As the reader (mainly pastors and theology students) wrestle with this work, they will benefit.
June 5, 2021
Wow! This is an absolutely amazing book. It is NOT for the feint of heart, though. This book will do much more than educate you. It will challenge you, tick you off, make you think the author is a heretic, change your life, and make you want to buy the author a drink and become best friends. If you are not prepared for such a roller coaster and willing to have your view of scripture challenged in a way you didn't see coming, you might not want to read this book. You may not be ready. There was a time when I wasn't ready and I would have rejected it outright. I am not there any more, and I think I'm at least close to ready for a challenge to be challenged in my study, view, interpretation, and use of scripture. My thanks to Dr. Green for writing this profound book.
July 17, 2021
One of the best, most challenging, books I’ve read in a long time.
February 11, 2021
Green has written one of the first truly innovative works of Pentecostal theology. And here in the second he has updated and expanded it. With his usual eclecticism, he weaves together disparate ideas and thinkers into a complex tapestry of spiritual and theological insight. This work will provoke year's of study and commentary.
June 15, 2024
I mean this in the most Christlike and polite way possible, but this book’ll blow your kneecaps clean off
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews