Article Reflection: Ekblad Article
John McHugh
GLST 650: Intercultural Communication
October 27, 2023
Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................................1
Critical Review..............................................................................................................................1
..........................................................................................................................................................
Reflection and Analysis.................................................................................................................2
Pitfalls of Heroism and Exemplarism......................................................................................2
Reading with Jesus...................................................................................................................2
Bible Study...............................................................................................................................3
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................3
Bibliography...................................................................................................................................4
ii
1
Introduction
There can be no doubt that the reading of any text, especially the Bible, is done through
the lens of our experiences, cultures, and backgrounds. It is important to understand the cultures
and backgrounds involved in the diverse settings we encounter in our walk, whether church,
missions, or daily life. This is the challenge addressed by Bob Ekblad in “Reading Scripture for
Good News That Crosses Barriers of Race/Ethnicity, Class, and Culture.”
Critical Review
Bob Ekblad introduces his article as such – “This essay identifies common pitfalls
to individual and group discovery of good news in Scripture, and presents effective
pedagogies and communication strategies to facilitate transformational encounters with
God in diverse settings.”1 This is a solid representation of the article that follows. Ekblad
gives relevant information concerning the multiple facets of intercultural communication,
arranged in clearly marked sections. The article closes with a valuable example of a role-
play Bible Study for John 8 that focuses on the inclusion of multiple cultures within the
group.
The body of the Ekblad article is divided into six main points of discussion. The
author gives extra attention to the awareness of pitfalls, expectations of hearing the good
news, discernment, and implementing pedagogies and strategies.2 The enumerated and
bullet-pointed topics within each section gave easy reference to the most important
concepts. I found the discussion of pitfalls and the study of Jesus’ reading and use of
Scripture to be of the highest value. All of the sections, but especially the two noted
1 Bob Ekblad, “Reading Scripture for Good News That Crosses Barriers of
Race/Ethnicity, Class, and Culture,” Interpretation, 65, no. 3 (2011), 229.
2 Ibid., 232-240.
2
sections, provided good practical examples and relevant Bible references. It is important
to see these practices and ideas tied to real-life examples and scriptures.
Reflection and Analysis
Pitfalls of Heroism and Exemplarism
The pitfall of heroism exists when readers search for the heroes of the Bible, like Jesus or
Paul, to emulate and turn a blind eye to the unheroic nature of other characters.3 This tendency
should be avoided in any setting, especially a multicultural setting. There are valuable lessons to
be learned throughout the Bible from all characters, not just the heroes. We are called to emulate
Jesus, but not to the exclusion of the lessons from Jacob or Peter. This pitfall serves as a valuable
reminder as we navigate Scripture.
Reading with Jesus
The premise of the “Reading with Jesus as our Rabbi” section of the article is solid. I
found it applicable as a guide and reminder of how Jesus used and shared Scripture. The
enumerated talking points in the section reflected aspects of Jesus’ referencing of Scripture.
However, I did find a challenge in topic #3 – “Jesus interprets the OT as witnessing to himself as
Israel’s and the world’s Messiah Savior”4 – concerning the relationship between Jesus, the Law,
and the Prophets. Ekblad asserts that “Jesus’ teaching and person trumps the Law and the
Prophets.”5 This is a theological point that is argued from both sides. The statement could be
divisive and cause distraction from the rest of the article. As stated above, the premise of this
section was valuable, even if I disagree with the author based on my personal background when
reading.
3 Ibid., 233.
4 Ibid., 235.
5 Ibid.
3
Bible Study
The final, and possibly most valuable, section of Ekblad’s article takes the form of a role-
played Bible Study on John 8:1-11. This example is provided in a step-by-step manner that is
easy to follow and understand. I benefit most from seeing a concept applied and Ekblad
delivered on this Bible Study. I have saved this example to my personal files to be used in the
future. This role-played example gives a tangible guide to how these conversations should look
when applied to our ministry.
Conclusion
Reading the Scriptures in a manner that crosses all boundaries successfully is a challenge.
Conquering this challenge is essential to the success of our ministries and conversations with
others. Bob Ekblad’s article provides a broad cross-section of pitfalls, practices, guidance, and
examples. Although I was not in agreement with every statement in the article, the overall
message was beneficial and holds value in my future communications.
