The Bible and Lay People (Explorations in Practical, Pastoral and Empirical Theology)

Contents......Page 8
List of Figures......Page 10
List of Tables......Page 12
Preface......Page 14
List of Abbreviations......Page 16
1 Introduction......Page 18
Methods of Empirical Research......Page 24
The Bible and Lay People Study......Page 28
Philosophy and Culture Shaping Biblical Studies......Page 36
Changing Methods in Biblical Studies......Page 37
Theological Approaches to Biblical Studies......Page 39
Implications for Ordinary Churchgoers......Page 40
Implications for an Empirical Study of Bible Reading......Page 44
Attitude, Belief and Behaviour......Page 46
Attitude towards the Bible among Ordinary Readers......Page 48
Beliefs about the Bible among Ordinary Readers......Page 50
Use of the Bible by Ordinary Readers......Page 59
Theological and Practical Implications......Page 65
Further Research......Page 70
Biblical Literalism in Academy and Church......Page 74
Previous Empirical Studies on Literalism......Page 78
Biblical Literalism in the Bible and Lay People Study......Page 79
Literalism and Ordinary Readers......Page 86
Theological and Practical Implications......Page 88
Further Research......Page 91
The Concept of Horizon in the Philosophy of Hermeneutics......Page 94
The Concept of Horizon in Biblical Studies......Page 96
Horizon and Ordinary Readers......Page 98
Theological and Practical Implications......Page 106
Further Research......Page 111
Psychology and Religion......Page 114
Psychology and the Bible......Page 116
Psychology and Readers......Page 117
Personality and Religion......Page 120
Personality, Scripture and Ordinary Readers......Page 127
Theological and Practical Implications......Page 136
Further Research......Page 139
7 Interpretative Communities and Scripture......Page 142
The Concept of Interpretative Communities......Page 144
Are Congregations Interpretative Communities?......Page 148
Theological and Practical Implications......Page 155
Further Research......Page 159
8 The Holy Spirit and Biblical Interpretation......Page 162
Charismatics in the Church of England......Page 163
Charismatic Belief and the Bible and Lay People Study......Page 164
Charismatic Experience and Biblical Interpretation......Page 166
Theological and Practical Implications......Page 168
Further Research......Page 174
Summary of the Main Findings......Page 176
How Useful is the Empirical Study of Bible Reading?......Page 179
An Empirical Theology of Scripture?......Page 181
Appendix......Page 186
Bibliography......Page 188
B......Page 204
H......Page 205
P......Page 206
V......Page 207