Reading the Bible Outside the Church: a Case Study
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Reading the Bible Outside the Church: A Case Study Thesis submitted in accordance with the requirements of the University of Chester for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by David George Ford October 2015 DECLARATION I declare that this thesis is my own work, and has not been submitted in substantially the same form for the award of a higher degree elsewhere. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis does not belong to me. I have written every word of it and my name is connected with it, but it is the product of a much wider collective. Therefore thanks are due. To Andy K, Andy G, Anthony, Bob, Dave, Derek, Ethan, Gary, John, Matty, Mick, Paul, Peter, Phil, Richie, Sam, Stewart, Tony, Victor and Zadok, the 20 men who volunteered to take part in this Bible reading research. To George and the wider management at the Chemical Industrial Plant who facilitated my entry into that setting and to the Mission in the Economy and the Salt of the Earth Network who were also active in the establishing of my fieldwork. I am very grateful for all that these friends have done in contributing to this thesis. Out of the kindness of their hearts they helped me, taking a risk when others would not. It is a privilege to have known them. To the staff and students at International Christian College, Glasgow, who provided the stimulating environment which led me towards a PhD. More latterly the staff and students at the University of Chester who have encouraged me over the past four years, in particular David Shepherd and Wayne Morris who played pivotal roles at different times. My supervisor Dawn Llewellyn has fought my corner and persevered with a somewhat unwieldy PhD student. Her professionalism and thoroughness has pushed me to produce my best. My thanks go especially to her. To our friends and family at Kirkintilloch Baptist Church who have supported us financially and in prayer, as too our friends and family at Matthew Henry Evangelical Church, who have directly journeyed with us over the past four years. These communities have not only inputted to this thesis, but have sustained us as a family, walking with us and sharing our load. To the Bible Society of England and Wales who took an active interest in this research project, graciously providing me with a three year research grant which they extended to four. So too friends in Edinburgh, who also sponsored this project for the four years and were a real encouragement. These grants kick started this research endeavour and kept our heads above water. ii To the Ford side of the family: my Mum and Dad; Aunty Margaret; the Scotts - Liz, Andy, Hannah, Julia, Martha and Naomi; the Mackays - Rebecca, Steve, Abi, Chloe, Lois and Esther; Matt; John, Jo, Luke and Sam. To the Dring side of the family: Robert and Christina; Pete, Jen and Daniel. These different family units have supported me, and us, not only for the duration of this doctorate but for many years before. This support has involved finances, proof reading, long discussions, Tesco shops, holidays, removals, visits, a car, coffee money, consistent encouragement, prayer and a whole lot more. It has at times been overwhelming, often very timely and always with love. My heartfelt thanks for all you have done, but more importantly for all you are. To Anna, Molly and Tom who have kept me sane and made sure my feet remained firmly on the ground. They have not shied away from the unknown and have coped with disappointment and less, bringing colour to life by getting up every morning and choosing to laugh rather than cry (most of the time). Thank you for joining in the doctoral experience, and for your sacrificial love and patience. My final word of thanks goes to my loving heavenly father, who in a world, and a life, of uncertainty and mess is my hope. iii ABSTRACT Reading the Bible Outside the Church: A Case Study By David George Ford Biblical studies and theology have been impacted by the “turn to the reader” in literary theory, and scholars are now more aware of the significance of the reader in the activity of Bible reading (Davies, 2013). However, most of the research exploring Bible readers has concentrated on active members of faith communities (Village, 2007; Rogers, 2009; Strhan, 2013) and University staff (Clines, 1995; Hull, 2001; Pyper, 2006). In Britain, those outside of the church and the academy are missing from this research, that is, the majority of the population. This thesis considers how people who are not regular Bible readers might read five biblical texts. In particular I focus on men, as the cohort of British society least likely to read the Bible (Field, 2014). Ten months of fieldwork was undertaken at a Chemical Industrial Plant in North West England, where 20 men read through five biblical texts. Using annotation, questionnaires and interviews I examined how the texts were read. The data which emerged shows that the men’s relationships with the five biblical texts shaped their readings of those texts. By “relationship” I am principally referring to the associations evoked in a reader as they come to a text. I argue for this relational reading practice in three ways. First, using Louise Rosenblatt’s transactional theory of reading (1995 [1938]; 1994 [1978]; 2005) I suggest that these readers and texts are not unconnected entities but exist within the same dynamic system. A reader brings all that they are to a text, and the aspects of each reader considered most salient to the anticipated reading assume an influential role in the reading transaction. Second, under the headings: “experience,” “identity,” “attitude’” and “belief,” I provide examples from my case study to illustrate this practice. These explore the various ways in which the men shaped their readings, indeed typically dominated them, as reading the texts reaffirmed their relationship with them. Third, however I also note a few occasions when the texts stimulated the reader into an atypical reading. This challenged the readers’ prior relationship with the texts and further demonstrates the relational nature of these readings, one involving both parties. iv CONTENTS FIGURES .................................................................................................................................. ix TABLES ................................................................................................................................... ix INTRODUCTION: The Relational Nature of Reading ............................................................. 1 Overview of Thesis ................................................................................................................ 3 The Readers and the Reading Site.......................................................................................... 6 Overview of Chapters............................................................................................................. 9 PART ONE .............................................................................................................................. 15 CHAPTER 1: An Unheard Voice ............................................................................................ 16 The “Turn to the Reader” in Literary Theory ...................................................................... 16 The “Turn to the Reader” and the Bible ............................................................................... 21 Social-Scientific Approaches ............................................................................................ 23 Social Locations and Bible Reading ................................................................................. 25 Bible Reading Methods ..................................................................................................... 28 Summary ........................................................................................................................... 30 An Unheard Voice ................................................................................................................ 31 Comparable Research ........................................................................................................... 34 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 37 CHAPTER 2: Research Design – Methodology, Sample and Texts ....................................... 39 Methodology – A Qualitative Case Study............................................................................ 39 Theoretical Sampling – A Focus on Men............................................................................. 44 Five Biblical Texts ............................................................................................................... 48 Selection Criteria .............................................................................................................. 48 2 John ............................................................................................................................... 51 Proverbs 10:1-11 .............................................................................................................. 53 2 Samuel 5:17-25 .............................................................................................................. 54 Matthew 18:21-35............................................................................................................. 55 Psalm 88 ..........................................................................................................................