Methodical Bible Study [Paperback]

Robert A. Traina (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2002

Inductive study compares related Bible texts in order to let the Bible interpret itself, rather than approaching Scripture with predetermined notions of what it will say. Dr. Traina's Methodical Bible Study was not intended to be the last word in inductive Bible study; but since its first publication in 1952, it has become a foundational text in this field. Christian colleges and seminaries have made it required reading for beginning Bible students, while many churches have used it for their lay Bible study groups. Dr. Traina summarizes its success in this comment: 'If the truths of the Bible already resided in man, there would be no need for the Bible and this manual would be superfluous. But the fact is the Bible is an objective body of literature which exists because man needs to know certain truths which he himself cannot know. There are two main approaches open to the Bible student. One is deduction, which begins with generalizations and moves for their support to the particulars. By its very nature deduction tends to be subjective and prejudicial. Its opposite, induction, is objective and impartial; for it demands that one first examine the particulars of the Scriptures and that one's conclusions be based on those particulars. Such an approach is sound because, being objective, it corresponds to the objective nature of the Scriptures.' This book fills the need for a simple, practical textbook in hermeneutics. It encourages the serious Bible student to practice the best kind of hermeneutic, which allows the Word of God to speak for itself.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Inductive study compares related Bible texts in order to let the Bible interpret itself, rather than approaching Scripture with predetermined notions of what it will say. Dr. Traina’s Methodical Bible Study was not intended to be the last word in inductive Bible study; but since its first publication in 1952, it has become a foundational text in this field. Christian colleges and seminaries have made it required reading for beginning Bible students, while many churches have used it for their lay Bible study groups. Dr. Traina summarizes its success in this comment: "If the truths of the Bible already resided in man, there would be no need for the Bible and this manual would be superfluous. But the fact is the Bible is an objective body of literature which exists because man needs to know certain truths which he himself cannot know. There are two main approaches open to the Bible student. One is deduction, which begins with generalizations and moves for their support to the particulars. By its very nature deduction tends to be subjective and prejudicial. Its opposite, induction, is objective and impartial; for it demands that one first examine the particulars of the Scriptures and that one’s conclusions be based on those particulars. Such an approach is sound because, being objective, it corresponds to the objective nature of the Scriptures." This book fills the need for a simple, practical textbook in hermeneutics. It encourages the serious Bible student to practice the best kind of hermeneutic, which allows the Word of God to speak for itself.

About the Author

Robert A. Traina was Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore KY. He held the STB and STM degrees from Biblical Seminary in New York and the PhD degree from Drew Uinversity.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (January 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310246024
• ISBN-13: 978-0310246022
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #75,688 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Robert A. Traina is Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore KY. He holds the STB and STM degrees from Biblical Seminary in New York and the PhD degree from Drew Uinversity. He lives in FL.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not very useful for most of us, December 17, 2001

By 

Sven Allenbach-Schmidt (Greenbelt, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Methodical Bible Study (Hardcover)

This guide to Bible study would be of use to some folks, but not most. The limited appeal of it doesn't really have anything to do with a reader's level of experience with the Bible, a novice could start off with Robert Traina's technique as well as a seminarian could adopt it, if they had the right 'reader personality'. This book would, I believe, appeal to the sort of reader who diagrams sentences, flow charts plot lines, draws up Venn diagrams to show relationships. For most readers, who take notes but don't process the information into formal presentations for themselves, the method taught would seem tedious. For the rest of us, I would recommend Fee & Stuart's "How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth".

All in all, Traina's isn't a bad book, just not very accessible.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction to the Inductive Method, April 2, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Methodical Bible Study (Hardcover)

For those who want to look at the Bible in a objective manner, this book presents the tools needed to accomplish such a task. How can one construe Biblical passages in such a way that his interpretation is not tainted with his own pre-conceived ideas? This book shows the method that makes this goal available to all. For the layman of the Bible these techniques are not vital, but they are worthy of consideration for any student of the Bible. The methods laid out in this book will help aid the student of the Bible to be able to make the best interpretation possible in the given context of a passage. This could be a tedious process for anyone but beneficial to the dedicated reader of scripture.

Most of this books content is useful for all but not the entire book. That is why I gave it four stars.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tough but good., July 13, 2008

By 

Katie "Wannab Writer" (Allentown, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Methodical Bible Study (Paperback)

I'm reading Traina's book for an internship I'm doing with a college ministry. It has been a great help in understanding how to prepare for doing Bible studies on a college level and even during devotions and daily reading. However, the book can be dry and sometimes difficult to get through. It is worth the struggle, though, for anyone wanting to learn how to dig deeper into God's Word.