Reading the Bible with the Majority World

When we read the Bible, we bring more to the task than simply our ability to read. We bring our assumptions, our dispositions, our emotions, our wants, needs, and desires. Plus, we bring our western culture.
As a result, sometimes we misread the Bible because we are viewing it through the wrong lenses. As the center of Christian culture moves south to the majority world-South America, Africa, and Asia-we are realizing that our brothers and sisters from other parts of the world read the Bible differently and experience the Spirit uniquely.
In this panel, we gather scholars, pastors, and missionaries who have read the Bible with Christians from Asia, Africa, Indonesia, and Latin America. What you learn will surprise you.
This panel discussion was part of a lecture weekend at the Lanier Theological Library. The following scholars participated in the discussion.
Havilah Dharamraj-Dr Dharamraj, an alumnus of SAIACS (MA, Christian Studies), is Head of the Department of Biblical Studies. She previously served as Head of the Department of Old Testament (2008-20), and then as Academic Dean (2012-20). Two of her research interests are Intertextuality and Comparative Literature, which several of her students have used with skill in their MTh and PhD dissertations. Her interest in Biblical narrative has led her to invest in narrative preaching and storytelling workshops, both undertaken with the intent to re-introduce into Christian ministry the Indian cultural heritage of stories as a didactic oral medium.
Gene Green-Dr. Green, professor emeritus of New Testament at Wheaton College and Graduate School, has been chosen to lead the Trinity Florida campus as its dean, effective April 1, 2020. He has over 30 years of experience in theological education, as an administrator and as a faculty member. Before taking up teaching at Wheaton in 1996, he served for thirteen years in Latin America, spending much of that time working as professor of New Testament, dean, and rector of the Seminario ESEPA in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Randy Richards-Dr. Randy Richards loves training students for ministry, both domestically and internationally. He has been teaching New Testament since 1986 in Texas, Indonesia, Arkansas and now Florida. Dr. Richards joined Palm Beach Atlantic University as the dean of the School of Ministry in 2006 and then as Provost and Chief Academic Officer (2017-2022). He is delighted to be back in the classroom as the Research Professor of New Testament.
Dr. Richards is a popular lecturer, speaker and preacher in conferences, workshops and churches. Dr. Richards has authored, co-authored or co-edited over ten books and dozens of articles.
Dean Flemming-Dean Flemming (PhD, Aberdeen) is Professor of New Testament and Missions and MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, Kansas. He has spent more than twenty years as a missionary educator in Asia and Europe and is author of several books, including Contextualization in the New Testament, which won a 2006 Christianity Today Book Award.
Mark Lanier, Moderator-Mark Lanier is consistently recognized as one of the top civil trial lawyers in America. Best known as a zealous advocate for individuals in personal injury and product liability claims against major corporations, Mark brings passion, creativity and an unparalleled ability to connect with juries in courtrooms across the nation. Mark is also the founder of the Lanier Theological Library, one of the nation’s largest private theological collections. He teaches a weekly, 700-plus-member Sunday school class focusing on Biblical literacy at Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston. Mark is also the founder of the Christian Trial Lawyers Association.
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