Training Lay People to “Practice” Scripture Rhetorically: A Pedagogical Model with Biblical Precedent and Warrant from the Gospel of Matthew

Abstract

Teaching Bible to empower believers for Christian ministry is best done from a “situated” perspective that is contextual, rhetorical, artistic, and reasoned. A situated pedagogy integrates “transformative learning” into broader practices of Christian faith and formation. This kind of training is rhetorical: it pays attention to the ways that words function in Scripture, in life, in church, and in the world. It is artistic: it treats Scripture, scholarship, and social analysis as raw materials or as “points of departure” for creative reworkings of the Christian tradition. It primes students to turn scriptural knowledge into specific, Scripture-based interventions that are fit for purpose. It also encourages and equips them to discern whether these reworkings align with the will of God's Spirit. An emic rationale for this pedagogy is constructed by analyzing the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus calls his disciples to rework and re-purpose scriptural texts, and the Gospel writer, Matthew has put these instructions into practice in the text. This rationale is ecumenical in that it rests equally well on critical-grammatical and critical-historical readings of its supporting biblical texts. Suggestions are offered for parish-based adult educators who want to approach the Bible in this contextual, rhetorical way.