Love Sechrest has gifted us with a novel guide. She introduces a particular proposal for biblical interpretation, associative hermeneutics, a mannequin she develops via crucial race idea and womanist sensibilities. Sechrest regularly identifies this mannequin with “rhyming”: figuring out applicable analogies between biblical texts and up to date questions. She fashions her method by making use of it to a lot of the New Testomony: Matthew, Luke, John, Acts, 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, and Revelation. Sechrest’s ardour for instructing shines all through: the guide concludes with a pattern project for college kids.
Few books apply an modern studying mannequin to a large pattern of texts. Even fewer accomplish that by figuring out a particular theological standpoint. Additional, every chapter opens by explicating a difficult concern from up to date life, all backed by spectacular quantities of analysis.
Sechrest opens by linking rhyming to race. “So long as they’ve been preaching,” Black readers of scripture have established associations between their lives and biblical texts. So do most Christian readers of different races, however Black readers habitually learn their very own tales via biblical ones. Sechrest goals to lend rigor and self-discipline to that course of by spelling out how readers could establish resonances between their pursuits and biblical texts—and by assessing the bounds and issues of these associations.
As soon as at house in evangelical establishments, Sechrest has clearly moved on from understanding the Bible as providing direct steering on all questions. As a womanist, Sechrest approaches the Bible with race, gender, and sophistication in thoughts. This intersectional method attracts upon the knowledge of generations of Black girls.
I applaud the hassle to construct analogies between biblical texts and our lives whereas acknowledging the “profound cultural dissimilarities” between them. However I’ve a reservation.
At one level within the guide, Sechrest attracts a number of insights from Acts 6:1–6 (the choice of males to manage meals distribution to widows), together with the suggestion that “if we select leaders with godly character . . . the folks’s financial well-being thrives.” However is that true? At one other level, she acknowledges that 1 Timothy 2:8–15 restricts girls from church management, excludes that lesson as sure to its historic context, after which elevates from it a extra primary precept: believers shouldn’t convey public disgrace upon the church. One might readily think about many classes from these two passages, a few of them fanciful or dangerous, and I’m not sure how Sechrest’s mannequin would help these two specific readings over others. Significant interpretation requires simply the form of disciplined creativeness Sechrest fashions, however I recommend that what generates her interpretations is a deep, communal, and extremely developed knowledge greater than a methodological sequence of operations.
Methodological quibbles apart, all through the guide Sechrest fashions attentive and significant analogical reasoning. John presents the Samaritan girl in chapter 4 and the girl caught in adultery (7:58–8:11) in ways in which problem standard stereotypes, Sechrest reveals, with implications for the way we think about intercourse, marriage, and crime.
Matthew encourages love of enemies however doesn’t persistently exhibit that worth. And womanist readers perceive how “love your enemy” can feed cycles of oppression. Sechrest examines how Matthew frames potential enemies—the demon-possessed Gadarenes and the pigs unworthy of pearls, alongside the centurion and the Canaanite—as case research for the way marginalized folks could assess their very own marginalized neighbors, potential allies, frenemies, and foes.
Sechrest reads Luke as developing a “blended household” that brings collectively Jewish and Gentile sensibilities. The Gospel bears classes relating to intergenerational tensions associated to cultural assimilation. The apostolic council of Acts 15 fashions the form of compromise crucial for intercultural competence, respecting conventional cultural values whereas looking for “susceptible newcomers.” Right here Sechrest cautions that newcomers can’t combine into a brand new setting via one decisive assembly; they require each time and assist to take action. Luke’s very best household is numerous and intercultural.
Sechrest reads Ephesians towards our present political polarization, emphasizing the epistle’s picture of religious leaders who maintain the church collectively like ligaments (4:16). On the similar time, she takes account of interracial church buildings the place White norms are inclined to prevail and argues for the advantages of fashions the place management is plural and distributed.
In 2 Corinthians, Paul grounds his self-defense within the cross, utilizing arguments that honor the worth of Jesus’ struggling and of human embodiment. Sechrest acknowledges that cross theology usually valorizes struggling for its personal sake, deepening the oppression of already victimized teams. She then judges that Jesus’ manner requires giving ourselves for others—a lesson significantly apt for many who get pleasure from privilege, whereas oppressed teams should discern whether or not to applicable Paul’s mannequin of self-giving or to emphasise his boldness in confronting injustice.
She reads Revelation’s fierce critique of Rome towards Paul’s command to undergo the governing authorities (Rom. 13:1–7). Each texts, she argues, problem readers to evaluate our relationship to empire and privilege. All through, she maintains that racism lies on the coronary heart of empire.
Christians with some schooling in biblical research will discover nice worth on this guide. Sechrest writes with college students and lecturers in view. But her deep exegetical argumentation ends in chapters of 40 pages or extra. For that motive, I fear that students can be her main viewers. I’m nonetheless wrestling with whether or not to assign this guide to my college students.
Sechrest understands and demonstrates that appropriating the Bible for our personal contexts requires acts of disciplined creativeness. The Bible doesn’t communicate for itself, regardless of how a lot we might want it to. As an alternative, we should construct imaginative bridges between the Bible and our world, sifting them critically for his or her appropriateness. Sechrest fashions this course of with a uncommon diploma of thoroughness and with frank, gracious speak about race.