Reading the Bible outside the Church

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In many places in the Western world, churchgoing is in decline and it cannot be assumed that people have a good grasp of the Bible's content. In this evolving situation, how would "the person on the street" read the Bible? Reading the Bible Outside the Church begins to answer this question. David Ford spent ten months at a chemical industrial plant providing non-churchgoing men with the opportunity to read and respond to five different biblical texts. Using an in-depth qualitative methodology, he charts how their prior experiences of religion, sense of (non)religious identity, attitudes towards the Bible, and beliefs about the Bible all shaped the readings that occurred. "This is a fascinating book, exploring detailed, practical, and careful research on how a variety of nonchurch-going men read the Bible. While some of the findings reinforce what many of us have long suspected, other findings cast intriguing new light on biblical interpretation. This is an important piece of work and well worth reading and reflecting on." --Paula Gooder, Director of Mission Learning and Development, Birmingham Diocese, Church of England "David Ford sits with readers outside the church to learn what the Bible looks like to them. First, Scripture appears through a maze of prejudgments and personal factors, but which ones matter most? Secondly, the text strikes back, refashioning readers rather than just confirming biases. Ford introduces us to bitter and detached readings, fair and doubting readings, and transformative counter-readings. A fascinating study opening up new worlds of potential scriptural engagement on our own doorsteps." --Richard S. Briggs, St. John's College, Durham University, UK David G. Ford is a post-doctoral researcher at the CODEC research center (St. John's College, University of Durham).