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Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible Paperback – November 4, 2012
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What was clear to the original readers of Scripture is not always clear to us. Because of the cultural distance between the biblical world and our contemporary setting, we often bring modern Western biases to the text. For example:
- When Western readers hear Paul exhorting women to "dress modestly," we automatically think in terms of sexual modesty. But most women in that culture would never wear racy clothing. The context suggests that Paul is likely more concerned about economic modesty―that Christian women not flaunt their wealth through expensive clothes, braided hair and gold jewelry.
- Some readers might assume that Moses married "below himself" because his wife was a dark-skinned Cushite. Actually, Hebrews were the slave race, not the Cushites, who were highly respected. Aaron and Miriam probably thought Moses was being presumptuous by marrying "above himself."
- Western individualism leads us to assume that Mary and Joseph traveled alone to Bethlehem. What went without saying was that they were likely accompanied by a large entourage of extended family.
Biblical scholars Brandon O'Brien and Randy Richards shed light on the ways that Western readers often misunderstand the cultural dynamics of the Bible. They identify nine key areas where modern Westerners have significantly different assumptions about what might be going on in a text. Drawing on their own crosscultural experience in global mission, O'Brien and Richards show how better self-awareness and understanding of cultural differences in language, time and social mores allow us to see the Bible in fresh and unexpected ways.
Getting beyond our own cultural assumptions is increasingly important for being Christians in our interconnected and globalized world. Learn to read Scripture as a member of the global body of Christ.
- Length
240
Pages
- Language
EN
English
- PublisherIVP
- Publication date
2012
November 4
- Dimensions
5.5 x 0.8 x 8.3
inches
- ISBN-100830837825
- ISBN-13978-0830837823
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Who Are We?
Since 1947, InterVarsity Press (IVP) has been publishing thoughtful Christian books that shape both the lives of readers and the cultures they inhabit. Throughout these seventy-five years, our books and authors have established a legacy of speaking boldly into important cultural moments, providing timeless tools for spiritual growth, and equipping Christians for a vibrant life of faith.
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Whether rules over relationships or correctness over community, respective Western and non-Western worldviews may differ on appropriate conduct, discretion, and exceptions. Randolph and O'Brien write with grace and clarity. Though evangelical, they steer clear of moral or political agendas and give no hint of anti-Western sentiments; they even suggest someone write a complementary sequel: Misreading Scripture with Eastern Eyes. Their extensive range of biblical and contemporary samples makes this an excellent resource for confessional Bible study contexts or an entry-level textbook in undergraduate courses on biblical interpretation."
-- Martin W. Mittelstadt, Religious Studies Review 39, no. 2, June 2013"Written in engaging prose, Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes is a must-have for students of the Bible, and especially students of biblical apologetics. Any seasoned traveler knows that when someone visits a foreign country for the first time, he or she will be well served by a competent guide. When it comes to the social world of the Bible, Richards and O'Brien serve as tour guides par excellence."
-- James Patrick Holding, Christian Research Journal 36, no. 5"For many, [this] book will offer a dose of humility with hope. One is encouraged to admit, 'I don't know' while at the same time is spurred on to study the Bible more. Missionaries will be challenged to think more theologically and to listen respectfully to nationals who live around them. Theologians will be forced to consider how the adage 'context is king' applies to their own worldview. This is a perfect book to discuss within small groups at church or as teams on the mission field."
-- Jackson Wu, Evangelical Missions Quarterly, July 2013"This is an outstanding treatment of a complex and important topic. . . . This would make a good textbook for courses in hermeneutics or biblical interpretation, cultural studies, prolegomena, or theological method, as well as small-group studies in a local church. The book is written at a level that educated laypeople as well as pastors, teachers, and scholars will find helpful."
-- Glenn Rl. Kreider, Bibliotheca Sacra, October–December 2013"A politely confrontational book that bids you trade in your cultural spectacles and rethink how your worldview distorts your scriptural conclusions. Sex, money, food, self-focus, prejudices, and much more: developed with apt storytelling and enlightening examples."
-- Worship Leader Magazine, May 2013"A fascinating guide for any serious Bible reader! Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes reveals the 'habits of the mind' that might blind us to the Bible's intended message. Richards and O'Brien unpack the intricacies and nuances of cultural communication to help people better understand the Bible. To help you know--and live--the Christian life more faithfully."
-- Nikki Toyama-Szeto, Urbana program director, coauthor of Partnering with the Global Church"Richards and O'Brien open our eyes to the crosscultural nature of the Bible. Their book is a helpful resource in understanding Scripture on its own terms, without imposing our assumptions on the biblical authors and their first readers."
-- Lindsay Olesberg, author, The Bible Study Handbook, and senior associate for Scripture engagement, Lausanne Movement"The authors of Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes make a convincing case that those who trust in the Bible should (for biblical reasons) be more self-conscious about themselves. Their demonstration of how unself-conscious mores influence the understanding of Scripture is as helpful as the many insights they draw from Scripture itself. This is a good book for better understanding ourselves, the Christian world as it now exists and the Bible."
-- Mark A. Noll, Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History, University of Notre Dame, coauthor, Clouds of Witnesses: Christian Voices from Africa and Asia"Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes is an important book that comes along at a critical moment in global evangelical history. Helpful examples reveal our cultural tendencies and biases that could hinder a deeper reading of Scripture. The authors help us to recognize our blind spots and offer insight that honors the intention of Scripture to be read in the context of community. I am grateful to the authors for their effort to be self-reflective and engage in a critical examination of our engagement with Scripture from within Western culture."
-- Soong-Chan Rah, Milton B. Engebretson Associate Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism at North Park Theological Seminary, author of The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural CaptivityReview
"Randy Richards and Brandon O'Brien have written a useful and enjoyable book, which makes excellent use of good stories to illustrate the points they make. The reader will leave the book with plenty of challenging questions to ask about approaches to Scripture. Interesting, thoughtful, and user-friendly."
-- Philip Jenkins, distinguished professor of history, co-director for the program on historical studies of religion, Institute for Studies of Religion, Baylor University, author of The Next ChristendomAbout the Author
E. Randolph Richards (Ph.D., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is dean of the School of Ministry and professor of biblical studies at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida. He is a coauthor of Rediscovering Paul and the author of Paul and First-Century Letter Writing.
Brandon J. O'Brien is editor-at-large for Leadership and an instructor of religion at the College of DuPage. He is completing his doctorate in theological studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. O'Brien is the author of The Strategically Small Church.
Product details
- Publisher : IVP; 1st edition (November 4, 2012)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 240 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0830837825
- ISBN-13 : 978-0830837823
- Item Weight : 9.9 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #12,118 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #6 in Christian Bible Exegesis & Hermeneutics
- #6 in General Anthropology
- #42 in Historical Study (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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About the authors

E. Randolph Richards, PhD. Randy loves training students for ministry, both domestically and internationally. He has been teaching since 1986, originally at a state university and then abroad at an Indonesian seminary. Randy is honored to serve as the provost at Palm Beach Atlantic University, Florida’s premier Christian university and seminary.
He is a popular speaker and teacher in churches and workshops. He has authored and coauthored dozens of books and articles including A Little Book for New Biblical Scholars, Paul Behaving Badly, Rediscovering Jesus, Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes, Rediscovering Paul, The Story of Israel and Paul and First-Century Letter Writing. He is currently writing What Went Without Being Said: Cultural Values in the Biblical World with Richard James, and Rediscovering the New Testament with Capes and Reeves. He is also working on the new John volume in the Word Biblical Commentary series.
His wife Stacia has joyfully accompanied him from jungles of Indonesia to rice fields in Arkansas to beautiful South Florida. They have two fine sons: Josh (Ph.D. 2012, University of St. Andrews, Scotland), an English professor in Arkansas, and Jacob (Ph.D. 2014, College of Medicine, University of Florida), in pharmaceuticals in Illinois.
Missions remain on the hearts of Randy and Stacia. Randy leads mission trips and conducts missionary training workshops and regularly leads tours of the Holy Land, Turkey, Greece and Italy. He has served as interim pastor of numerous churches, but down inside, he is just an old Bible teacher. He and Stacia reside in Palm Beach, Florida.

Brandon J. O'Brien (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is Director of Content Development for Redeemer City to City in New York City. He has published in Leadership Journal, Christianity Today, Relevant, and the Out of Ur blog and has been interviewed by and quoted in USA Today and other national newspapers. He is author of The Strategically Small Church (Bethany House, 2010) and co-author, with Randy Richards, of Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible (IVP 2012) and Paul Behaving Badly (IVP 2016).
He has a wide range of interests, but Brandon's primary goals in writing are to help Christians better understand the Scriptures, themselves, and their place in God's mission in the world. He has spoken to groups of pastors and lay leaders on issues ranging from small-church ministry to national trends in religion and in a variety of formats, from pastors retreats to writing seminars.
Visit Brandon online at www.brandonjobrien.com
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Misreading Scripture With Western Eyes (MSWWE from now on) is a book that helps to expose us to the fact that people are not like us. The authors, E. Randolph Richards and Brandon O'Brien, show numerous examples of the way our culture misreads the Bible based on our Western presuppositions and that people in other cultures are quite different. This can be shown to be the case in Biblical times, but also in modern times as Richards has several examples in his book from his missionary service in Indonesia.
For instance, if you had an affair, would you feel guilty? Here in the West, you would. In Indonesia, there would be no guilt until everyone else said you did something wrong. What time does that church event start? Here, you could say "Mid-day" and most people would be there at Noon. There, you'd say "Mid-day" and most people would show up when it started to get hot. If you say "All people serving in the church must be eighteen", here it'd be a strict rule. Over there, there would be exceptions.
Much of this seems foreign to our experience, and for good reason. It is. One of the greatest signs of this is our intense individualism where we think everything has to be about us. There is even a chapter in the book on how people take a passage like Jeremiah 29:11 and make it to be about God having a personal plan for them. Somehow, all those Israelites that died during the attack of Nebuchadnezzar missed that.
The authors also bring out important realities of the system that was around then and is still around in most countries today, such as the honor/shame system and the patron/client system. Consider the story of David and Bathsheba. That is a story we all learn something from, but when it is read through the lens of honor and shame, all of a sudden several new facets of the story show up that the Western reader would not notice.
What does this mean? It means that there's further reason to drop this nonsense idea that so many have that all we need is to just have the Bible. Now of course, the Bible contains all that is necessary for faith and practice, but if you want to know all that it contains, you will have to study it well, and for many people, that is anathema, and is in fact part of the individualism that we have today. If God wants ME to get something out of the Bible, He will make it plain to ME.
When speaking about the patron/client model then, we actually make it seem like the problem is that God isn't doing what He's supposed to be doing. If an atheist wishes to discuss the problem of divine hiddenness, it's always that God is hiding Himself, instead of realizing that maybe God has revealed Himself and we are the ones hiding from Him. Skeptics today make the most outlandish claims about what they think God is required to do, such as a cross on the moon or everyone having the same dream at the same time, not aware that all of these are actions that would require further explanation through the social context of each culture.
The ideas that could be embraced if we would but study are monumental. How much different will you approach a text like Romans 8:28 if you realize that God is your patron working all things for good. Now I do have a small disagreement with the authors. I do think God does work all things for individual good. The caveat I would add is that some of that might not happen until in what I call, the after-death. Many people will die with suffering on them that I think God will redeem in eternity. I do agree with their collectivist approach and would contend that all those God will work the good for are Israel. The true Israel is really Jesus Christ and all who are "in Him" are in Israel. (I would even contend at this point that Romans could be about identifying who Israel is.)
I am not really including quotes on this because I find quotes to be inadequate for this one. There are such large pieces of thought that you need the whole context to see them all. I think the reader not familiar with the social context will learn something from every chapter, and I think many of us who already are will have our insights greatly expanded by reading this book.
The authors also do not resolve many of the difficulties. They present the scenario and they leave it to you and I to work out the difficulties in our own reading of Scripture and try to learn to read with new eyes. The authors also give points to ponder at the end to show how we can avoid doing what we've been doing. What questions can we start bringing to the text that will help us understand it?
Also, the authors do present points of application for us to consider, which can also make this book an excellent choice for small groups at churches. (All churches could be greatly benefited by having a small group that is based around this book.) The authors don't want to make this just a detached scholarly work, but they want it to be one that will engage us and force us to come to the text and see if we have been projecting our own culture on to it.
Many works in this field have been extremely scholarly, and I applaud those, but I am thankful now that when someone asks me one book I can recommend on the topic, I will not have to hesitate. MSWWE is on the top of the list!
In Christ,
Nick Peters
Through the lenses of the two authors, who have each had significant cross-cultural experiences, they share their experiences of grappling to communicate and understand Scripture cross-culturally. Through their combined experiences, the authors share their blunders and frustrations in trying to convey Biblical truths across cultures. They revealed their own personal biases and the impact that these biases had on their own biblical interpretations. It is through these examples that a student beginning to study hermeneutics can learn not only the principles of biblical interpretation, but also attain awareness of their own cultural biases.
In the first chapter, the premise of the book was presented. The primary goal of this book was to remind, or convince, the reader of the book about the cross-cultural nature of biblical interpretation. Based on the collective cross-cultural experience of the authors, their perceptions were presented of the pitfalls in cross-cultural communication, especially communication of scriptural truth across cultures.
Praises
Written at an 11th grade level, the stories used to illustrate the points being made were told in a perspicuous style. Because the stories were mostly from the authors own collective experience, the stories were unique, illuminating, sometimes humorous, and often fascinating. One of the authors had spent a significant number of years as a missionary in Sulawesi, an Indonesian island north of Australia and to the west of Papua New Guinea. The other author shared from his personal experience in Europe.
As the chapters unfolded, the examples and stories nicely illustrated and contrasted the differences in western verses non-western culture, especially in the area of scriptural interpretation.
Before embarking on a section on criticism of this text, a bit of disclosure is necessary. This was a thoroughly enjoyable and enlightening book from the standpoint of it being a mirror reflecting my own cultural biases, and exposing my own western presuppositions. As a fellow sojourner who has spent time as a missionary in Papua New Guinea, not too geographically distant from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, the stories that were told to illustrate the points of the book were like well-aimed arrows piercing into my consciousness.
However, prior to writing this review, the views of the supporters and detractors of this book, as published online on Amazon.com, were reviewed, causing me to consider this book far more critically.
Somewhat surprisingly, the editors tolerated a literary aberration where the authors used an atypical literary form when referring to their own experiences. This took the form of, “I (Randy)” or “I (Brandon)” to designate which author was sharing his (Randy)’s or his (Brandon)’s experience. At first this left me (Allan), a bit amused, but as the book progressed, the incessant use of this designation of authorship and experience seemed superfluous and somewhat irritating.
Although the stories were appropriate and entertaining, many of the stories were straw man arguments followed by far-reaching generalizations. To illustrate this point, an example of Edgar Allan Poe’s well-known short story, Tell-Tale Heart, was presented to convey that westerners “know right from wrong objectively, and we typically assume that our wrongdoings will find us out because our consciences won’t let us rest until we confess.”
However, this is itself an extreme over generalization of western thought, and certainly is not a cultural norm in American society. It is specious to claim that this attitude of guilty conscience is ubiquitous across all American culture. America’s most famous criminals: Al “Scarface” Capone, Charles Manson, Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, Ted Bundy, and Oklahoma City Bombing mastermind Timothy McVeigh would all be examples of criminals who appeared undaunted and entirely unrepentant by the crimes they committed. The examples of these famous American criminals quickly undoes the broad generalization of uniform criminal remorse presented by the authors. Another comparison would be to ponder the question, “Did former President Clinton ever express publicly his remorse over his adulterous affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky?” From a public perspective, other than his loss of credibility over this liaison with Miss Lewinsky, former President Clinton did not appear personally remorseful over this incident. The point here is that one cannot make an all-embracing generalization about an entire culture, assuming that everyone’s collective conscience is the same as the guilt-ridden murderer in Edgar Allen Poe’s fictional tale or former President Clinton’s liaison.
The authors made an extended argument that in non-western cultures, an individual does not feel shame if the misdeed remains publicly unexposed. The authors then make a long discourse about King David’s adulterous act with Bathsheba; but their entire discussion comes undone when King David admits in Psalm 51 that he did, in fact, have a guilty conscience all along. “For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done evil in Your sight.” (Psalm 51:3-4 NIV)
In another example, the authors make this statement, “While every generation likes to critique the previous one, it seems to us that Americans are becoming more self-centered.” Again, this is an extremely broad characterization of westerners, at a time when many other countries recognize the incredibly generous and selfless nature of westerners, often putting themselves in harms’ way to give and to serve. This poor characterization of America is indeed offensive.
Recently many of my civilian Christian medical colleagues were voluntarily serving at an emergency field hospital (EFH), twelve miles from the battlefront in Mosul, Iraq. When injured Sunni and Shiite Muslims would wake up in the recovery room following emergency trauma surgery, nearly without exception these patients were bewildered to find western Christian doctors and nurses caring for them and loving them. These injured soldiers and civilians verbally inquired as to why these western Christians would put themselves in harms’ way to come and to care for them and bandage their wounds. There exists a plethora of examples in every society of selfishness and selflessness; but broad generalizations are inappropriate characterizations of cultures.
After closing the back cover of the book, there was a disturbing sense that this was not a book about cross-cultural biblical interpretation, but rather an overly critical viewpoint of westerners, and implication that western interpretation of scripture is somehow inferior to a non-western interpretation. Whose lenses provide the best optics through which to view and interpret Scripture? The lenses through which one contemporary culture views Scripture are unlikely to confer any significant advantage compared to the lenses through which western culture views and interprets Scripture.
Classical biblical hermeneutics has to do with the understanding of the original authors’ intended meaning and how the original first century audience would have comprehended that message. Biblical hermeneutics is not about a contemporary cross-cultural understanding of biblical texts. This book is more a book of how other cultures may interpret, or misinterpret, Scripture, based on their own cultural values and biases. But it would be specious to claim that interpreting Scripture through non-western eyes is superior to interpreting Scripture through western-eyes.
Perhaps an alternative title would have been more appropriate for this book. Cross-Cultural Awareness for Christian Missionaries: Removing Cultural Blinders would seem far more appropriate; however, this suggested alternative is not nearly as eye-catching as Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes with several of the letters turned intentionally backward.
Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes is an introductory book on cross-cultural awareness. The authors are correct in reminding the reader, “we need to remember that all people everywhere have their own cultural blinders.” This book nicely illustrates many of these cultural differences, but at the cost of over-simplification and indiscriminate generalizations, some of which are offensive to western readers. Although the stories told illustrate their points nicely, their arguments are rather shallow. There is no need to debase western culture in order to make the points that the authors intended.
This book might be well suited for a young missionary who is about to embark on an international mission trip where they will be exposed to their inaugural cross-cultural experience; especially if this is going to involve sharing their faith and discussing Scripture in another country. A young missionary on their maiden voyage overseas, who is interested in cultural sensitivity, would likely benefit from reading this book, as it would aid their effectiveness in cross-cultural communication of the Gospel and cross-cultural Scriptural understanding.
However, this book humbled me and yet gave me hope in that although I may or may not be one of God’s chosen individuals like Jeremiah or Paul, that didn’t mean God’s hand was not at work in my life. I realized how challenging the Western worldview has been to overcome despite my desire to read and interpret the Word of a God accurately. I’ve been on this journey to find truth for years T and this book is playing a significant role in help me reach those destinations.
You’ll be blessed in reading it and, more so, in applying it.












