Interpreting the Truth: Changing the Paradigm of Biblical Studies

Interpreting the Truth: Changing the Paradigm of Biblical Studies. By L. William Countryman. Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2003. ix and 245 pages, Paper. $20.00.

Countryman makes a passionate argument in this book for a more synthetic approach to the task of interpreting the Bible. The "paradigm" he sets out is not so much new as one not yet wholly implemented. A little less than half of the book sets out Countryman's view of interpretation as a conversation between text, interpreter, and community. The rest is a demonstration of his approach in readings of Jude, James, and Romans. Countryman is not arguing against historical or analytical study. But he wants to join analytical methods that take the text apart with synthetic methods that help to discover the richness and complexity of the texts. His main target is any reading of Scripture that only reaffirms our cultural assumptions. Rather, we should "read the text attentively enough to allow it to defeat our expectations," to surprise us, to facilitate new discovery of truth.

Although I readily agree that we need to read the Bible to challenge our comfortable assumptions, Countryman seems not to realize how much his views are determined by Western liberal values. In the actual practice of interpreting his model texts, Countryman uses primarily rhetorical approaches, setting a letter in its real-life context, identifying the issue and proposed resolution, and attending to the movement in the letter, particularly reading it from back to front. His readings of the three letters are worth the price of the book, as he successfully shows how a combination of analytical and synthetic methods can shed light both on the text and on our situation.

I recommend this book for preachers who are looking for accessible and practical guidance in their study of Scripture, a book that affirms the complexity of the text and the methods used to interpret it rather than pushing a single way of reading.

David W. Kuck

United Theological College

Kingston, Jamaica

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