LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Book Critique:
Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Barriers to Better Understand the
Bible
Authored By: Randolph E. Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien
Submitted to Dr. Benjamin Laird in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the completion of
NBST 610 – D07 LUO
Hermeneutics
By
Timothy Wheaton
April 1, 2020
Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Summary..........................................................................................................................................3
Analysis...........................................................................................................................................6
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................8
Bibliography....................................................................................................................................9
Introduction
The indwelling of individual perceptions and cultural norms regularly impact an
individual’s thoughts, motives and actions. These perceptions are often influenced by one’s
locale, family upbringing, experiences and cultures that they live in. These can often cause the
formation of unknown barriers that inhibit one’s understanding of other cultures. As it relates to
the study of the Bible it can manifest in ways not easily recognizable, which then prevents true
understanding and revelation of the Scriptures. This paper will focus on this authors summary,
review and analysis of the book “Misreading Scripture with Western Eye: Removing Cultural
Blinders to Better Understand the Bible by Randolph E. Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien. This
paper will provide insight into the major themes presented within this book, as well as provide an
evaluation of the work of these authors. This will be achieved by providing a detailed analysis of
the books content and the ability for one to productively apply this to these concepts into an
individual’s own study of the Scripture.
Summary
In the book Misreading Scripture with Western Eye: Removing Cultural Blinders to
Better Understand the Bible, authors Richards and O’Brien attempt to bring recognition to the
presence of individualistic cultural mis-presumptions seen through the lens of a western culture,
as it relates to the misinterpretation of Scripture. The authors discuss how they came to the
realization of these barriers while serving as missionaries in Indonesia and provide insight on
how they drew a distinction between the differentiating cultural norms of a western culture and
those of other parts of the world. Through their own personal experiences, the authors were able
to recognize nine primary areas in which these issues customarily take place.
The book begins with focusing its first three chapter on addressing what the authors
characterize as “above the surface” cultural misunderstandings. The authors recognize and
characterizes these cultural differences as Mores Race/Ethnicity Language, and . According to the
authors, Mores are considered to be the “the social conventions that dictate which behaviors are
considered appropriate or inappropriate.” Whereas, are conveyed as biblical
1Race/Ethnicity
prejudices that can remain unexamined while failing to identify personal assumptions about race
and ethnicity and keeping some from grasping the important aspects of biblical teachings.
2
Finally, is said to represent the metaphoric, “ tip of the iceberg, the part of worldview Language
that is clearly visible.”
3
The authors then decided to dedicate the second portion of the book to further addressing
issues described as “just below the surface,” these issues signify less evident ones that pose the
potential to be more harmful than those considered to be easier identifiable. Additionally, this
section of the book also focuses on other significantly cultural concept that also cause problems
such as individualism and collectivism, honor/shame cultures, and concepts of time. During this
section the authors provide a detailed analysis on the noteworthy differences between a Western
based cultural society that stereotypically promotes individualism and that of an Eastern based
cultural society that promotes collectivism.
From the perspective of an individualistic culture, the most important entity for
establishing one’s identity is the individual person. Whereas, in comparison from a collectivist
culture the most important entity to identity is not found in the individual, but from within the
community, the family, the society, the tribe and/or even the country. Elaborating further the
identity is ingrained in an individual’s role in supporting the community from the viewpoint of
the collectivist culture. One noticeable advantage for detailing these differences is found in the
1 Randolph E. Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien, Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural
Blinder to Better Understand the Bible (Downer Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2012), na.
2 Ibid., na.
3 Ibid, na.
individualistic experiences of the authors as they often reflect on their own personal experiences
from their time spent in the mission fields of Indonesian. One noteworthy example comes from
reflection on a situation where the elders of the community had considered preventing a young
couple from participating in church because of their decision to forgo natural cultural norms and
elope. In comparison when evaluating this through the lens of a western cultural perspective, this
could seem farfetched or even ludicrous. However, from the perspective of a collectivist culture,
this decision to forgo tradition and rush into marriage without the consent of the community
would have been considered offensive. This is because from the collectivist culture the
individuals did not have the right to choose their own marriage partners, that decision is one that
is a collective decision of the community to decide.
4
Within the next chapter, the authors go on to address the principles of an honor-shame
culture, which is often seen in Eastern or Asian cultures. The authors provide a great introductory
overview of an honor/shame cultures, which is something often foreign to Western Cultures.
These honor/ shame cultures often encourage individuals to desire morality that focuses on right
decisions and promotes consequences of public scorning and/or shaming as a determent to
making wrong choices. Additionally, the authors provide biblical insight about other similar
biblical cultural norms or views that occur within honor/shame societies that are often seen in
biblical times; as compared to the current views held by a Western based culture that promotes an
individual internal conscience of guilt.
5
Finally, the authors focus the last sections of their book on what is referred to as “below
the surface issues within cultures.” The authors elaborate by defining these issues as being less
obvious, as well as the most dangerous. Metaphoric to that of an iceberg, where one can only see
4 Ibid, na.
5 Ibid, na.
what is above the surface, but not able to see the bigger problem lying under the surface that is
unseen. The authors identify these issues as the rule of relationships, and the implication of
virtues/vices, as well as self-centered views of the individuals within a Western culture.
Additionally, the authors indicate that there is a misunderstanding that commonly tends to be
associated with those previously discussed rules and laws that compare to those discovered
within Scripture. Unfortunately, for those within a Western culture, this can often lead to the
6
misinterpretation of the Biblical text and cause an individual to have an inaccurate understanding
of the Scriptures.
As part of the conclusion of the book, the authors provide “three easy steps for removing
our cultural blinders.” Within this they offer five primary recommendations: embrace
complexity, beware of overcorrection, be teachable, embrace error, and read together. These are
meant to be tools that allow the individual to avoid cultural pitfalls that often occur within a
Western culture.
Analysis
The primary goal of this book was to bring attention to the potential for those within a
Western culture to often misinterpret the Scriptures, this is due to the evaluation of Scripture
through the lens of that culture as well as related to a lack of understanding of non-Western
cultures. This author believes that the authors achieved this mission and was overall successful,
as the authors of the book provided a detailed examination of the cultural differences; as well as
the danger they pose towards the misinterpretation of the Biblical text. Moreover, the authors of
this book recognized the issues that inhibit a Western culture from truly grasping an
understanding of cultural differences that can hinder the interpretation of Scripture. The authors
6 Ibid., na.
were able to achieve this by providing relevant and detailed accounts from their own personal
experience during their time spent in other communities while serving as missionaries in
Indonesia.
This author also believes that these accounts assisted with the recognition of cultural
deviations often seen in Western cultures. It was also instrumental in providing awareness to
those who come from different cultural backgrounds, especially that of a Western based culture
that holds many strikingly different values. However, this author did perceive one glaring
weakness, that is rooted in the examples provided. Since the examples are only coming from an
Indonesian cultural perspective there is a lack of other cultures which does not always
correspond to those portrayed or even a perceived biblical culture. It is this authors position that
the introduction of other varying cultural beliefs with specific examples may have provided
further insight into how far spreading cultural deviations occur across multiple cultures.
Additionally, this author felt that there was some confusion around the example used in
the honor/shame section, where the books authors utilize the example of King David. In this
example the authors prelude that King David’s actions were influenced by an honor/shame
culture, where right or wrong implication of guilt and were not a determinant in the passage.
7
The way that this author perceived this was that it was essentially suggesting that the mere
existence of an honor/shame society automatically eliminates the morality of right/wrong, and
that these principles are not at odds. This idea within this chapter presents the potential for
confusion especially for those newer to this concept of cultural awareness.
Furthermore, this author felt that it was challenging to initially understand the five
applications presented by the authors at the end of the book. However, it is this authors belief
that they hold value worthy of inclusion and utilization once understanding is achieved.
7 Ibid., na.
Ultimately, the insight provided by this book was successful by providing an understanding of
one’s own cultural biases. As well as the significance of cultural deviations provided to the
reader of this book, and the provision of tools that allows the reader to better understand and
apply the Scriptures into an individual’s life
Conclusion
In concluding it is important to recognize that the authors were successful in their
primary goal which was to provide the reader with an awareness of cultural deviations from the
perspective of a Western culture as it relates to the interpretation of Scripture. It is this authors
belief that the authors of this book truly revealed a fatal flaw within Western readers of the Bible.
One that prevents the individual from fully understanding the narrative and teachings within the
Scriptures when viewed though cultural biases. As previously mentioned in the analysis, the only
issue that this author had with this book comes from the exclusivity of examples from an
Indonesian culture’s verses that of a Western Culture. Although, the use of personal experiences
from the mission field was effective in the presentation of differencing cultures as well as the
principles discussed, it would have been better conveyed with other cultures also being
examined. Overall this book was an excellent read and succeeded in providing an individualistic
awareness in the way that Western culture influences an individual’s interpretation of the
Scriptures. This author would highly recommend this book for the value it provides.
Bibliography
Richards, Randolph E. and Brandon J. O’Brien. Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes:
Removing Cultural Blinder to Better Understand the Bible. Downer Grove:
InterVarsity Press, 2012.
