Introduction to Lecture Series

When it comes to engaging the Bible, people and place have always mattered. Different cultural contexts, different social circumstances, different historical situations have invited, and sometimes even demanded, that people interpret biblical texts and traditions in different ways. From the beginnings of canon formation, readers have sought, and at times fought, to find what they needed in sacred scripture. The Bible, for its part, has responded with amazing flexibility and exorbitance, lending its words and images to new interpretations to address new social, ethical, and theological urgencies. In this way, both the Bible and its communities of readers have survived and thrived, both perhaps knowing that understanding depends upon continuous reappropriation.

What does it mean to read a global Bible? How can we live in critical intimacy with such an organic, excessive, sprawling presence? What new exegetical vistas await us?

The 2011 Tipple-Vosburgh Lectures at Drew Theological School explored “The Global Bible: Why People and Place Matter.” This theme is directly relevant to the work of The Center for Christianity in Global Contexts. The Luce Fellows and others involved in the center are hard at work creating connections, resources, commentary and insights regarding the diverse contexts in which Christianity is practiced today. The Tipple-Vosburgh lectures this year provided dynamic perspectives and research for which the CCGC is most grateful.

The CCGC has arranged for the full texts of the lectures to be available through this site as well as the accompanying scholarly biographies.

We invite you to explore the texts of the lectures and the accompanying resources as you consider the topic “The Global Bible: Why People and Place Matter.” These resources can be used as the basis for local discussion groups, clergy and lay continuing education courses, and personal study.

Please share your insights with the CCGC as we continue to explore the rich tapestry of Christianity in Global Contexts.

Kah-Jin Jeffrey Kuan