Story, Ritual, Prophecy, Wisdom, Mark W. Hamilton and Samjung Kang-Hamilton. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (ISBN: 9780802883186), 2024.

Summary: Four modes of scripture for religious education and their use in teaching the Bible: story, ritual, prophecy, and wisdom.

The Bible has played a central role in the church’s worship and the formation of Christians through the ages. Yet in contemporary times, many within the church have felt distant from lists of names, stories set in different cultures, and moral injunctions at variance with contemporary practice. Alternatively, some have tried to carry over structures of authority without consideration of differing contexts and tried to treat the Bible as a rulebook. The writers of this text for religious educators assume the use of the Bible as “taught text” to be used in a variety of church contexts from worship and religious instruction to catechesis of new and young believers.

The co-authors propose four modes for instruction: story, ritual, prophecy, and wisdom. Firstly, they explore story, how it works in scripture, and the use of various media in teaching. Secondly, the authors consider key biblical rituals, and the observance of baptism, eucharist and other ritual practices. Thirdly, prophecy envisions an imagined world shaped by God’s justice. Finally, wisdom passages from Proverbs to the Sermon on the Mount invite us into prudent living toward God, others, and our own desires.

But what does all this mean for how we teach the Bible? In light of our rapidly changing culture, the authors advocate going forward the Bible rather than back. For example, rather than simply trying to inculcate truth, they advocate approaches allowing for discovery. This requires a teacher who:

• encourages students to reflect on and share their feelings with others;
• invites holistic awareness of body and mind, of the whole person;
• has well thought-out convictions but creates space for those of others;
• establishes an atmosphere of trust and care;
• builds trust among students;
• mentors students in their discovery of faith, hope, and love;
• helps with critical reflection on the past so as to build a meaning-making self;
• identifies aspects of the Bible both to learn and to unlearn; and
• questions easy assumptions about theology and other aspects of human existence. (quoted from p. 151)

For whom is this book written? Given the stance of the authors regarding issues of justice, this book serves those in progressive settings who take the Bible seriously. This includes religious educators and their students in seminaries, directors of Christian education in churches. Directors of worship and spiritual formation will also profit. Reading and teaching scripture for understanding and transformation is urgent in today’s churches. Thus, these four modes of scripture for religious education offer a vital rubric for religious educators.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.