This academic work, "Congregational Hermeneutics" by Andrew Rogers, explores how Christian communities, specifically two English churches, Holder Evangelical Church and Fellowship, actually interpret the Bible in their daily lives. It argues that understanding "how we read" Scripture is as vital as the act of reading itself, emphasizing that ordinary Christians develop unique hermeneutical practices often overlooked by traditional academic approaches. The book delves into how epistemology, or how these congregations justify their beliefs, shapes their interpretations, revealing a spectrum from foundationalist stances, where the Bible is seen as direct truth, to more flexible and individualistic approaches. It also highlights the crucial role of mediation—how sermons, songs, Bible study groups, and personal habits influence biblical understanding—and proposes a framework of hermeneutical virtues like faithfulness, openness, and humility, suggesting that reading the Bible is an apprenticeship fostering spiritual transformation.

This is a book review or commentary on an academic subject with content curated by Ivelisse Valentin-Vera and recorded with the power of NotebookLM to ensure every AI generated conversation is accurate, deep and accessible, and does not represent the opinion of the authors.

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