Methods of Biblical Interpretation in the Black Church

You have your way of interpreting the Bible, and I have mine! So what?

The Black Church is not a monolithic institution. Within the Black Church are different musical preferences, various governmental structures, and diverse views of Scripture. Just because a church has Baptist, AME or Pentecostal on the marquee, doesn’t mean its theological convictions are predictable. You cannot walk into a church and assume it embraces or exemplifies a robust Bibliology, simply because it’s a church.

Raising your awareness by viewing a church’s doctrinal statement is a good start. However, you can’t assume the doctrine that’s displayed on the website, will be reflected in the life and practice of the congregation. The inconsistency creates a quandary for those seeking a congregation to settle into.

While there isn’t one uniform approach to Scripture within the Black church, there are foundational “traditions” upon which an approach is built. Understanding these foundations and traditions assists in detecting how a congregation genuinely views the Bible. If you possess a high-view of Scripture, and you expect your congregation to do the same, you need to know the interpretive well from which they draw.

Check out the conversation on this here.