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published by the faculty of asbury theological seminary spring 2013 • vol. 68, no. 1 EDITOR Robert Danielson EDITORIAL BOARD Kenneth J. Collins Professor of Historical Theology and Wesley Studies J. Steven O’Malley Professor of Methodist Holiness History EDITORIAL ADVISORY PANEL William Abraham, Perkins School of Theology David Bundy, Fuller Theological Seminary Ted Campbell, Perkins School of Theology Hyungkeun Choi, Seoul Theological University Richard Heitzenrater, Duke University Divinity School Scott Kisker, Wesley Theological Seminary Sarah Lancaster, Methodist Theological School of Ohio Gareth Lloyd, University of Manchester Randy Maddox, Duke University Divinity School Nantachai Medjuhon, Muang Thai Church, Bangkok, Thailand Stanley Nwoji, Pastor, Lagos, Nigeria Paul Numrich, Theological Consortium of Greater Columbus Dana Robert, Boston University Howard Snyder, Tyndale Seminary, Toronto L. Wesley de Souza, Candler School of Theology Leonard Sweet, Drew University School of Theology Amos Yong, Regent University Hwa Yung, United Methodist Church, Kuala Lampur, Malaysia All inquiries regarding subscriptions, back issues, permissions to reprint, manuscripts for submission, and books for review should be addressed to: The Asbury Journal Asbury Theological Seminary 204 N. Lexington Avenue, Wilmore, KY 40390 FAX: 859-858-2375 http://place.asburyseminary.edu/asburyjournal/ © Copyright 2013 by Asbury Theological Seminary ISSN 1090-5642 The Asbury Journal VOLUME 68:1 Spring 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS Editorial 4 From the Editor, Robert Danielson Essays 6 Inductive Biblical Study: History, Character, and Prospects in a Global Environment David R. Bauer 37 A Faculty Member’s Response to David Bauer’s Article Ruth Anne Reese 42 Inductive Bible Study: Contextual Appropriation in Northeast India M. Sashi Jamir 56 Colonialism and Post-Colonialism in the Philippine Chinese Context: How IBS Can be a Liberating Methodology to Find the Truth to be Set Free Juliet Lee Uytanlet 69 Of Icons and IBS: Contextualizing the Inductive Bible Study Method Among Eastern Orthodox Background Believers Curtis Elliott 76 Contextualizing Inductive Bible Study (IBS) in a Postcolonial Filipino American Setting Peter Tan-Gatue 86 Ships of the Fleet: An Essay on the Weltanschauung of the Apostolate and the Mission of the Spirit Art McPhee 97 Engaging Witchcraft Accusations among Christians as a Vehicle of African Traditional Religious Self-Advocacy in African Contexts Robert Magoola 108 John Wesley’s Approach to Mission R. Jeffrey Hiatt Features 125 From the Archives 130 Books Received Timoth y C. Tennent President and Publisher Douglas Mathews Provost The Asbury Journal publishes scholarly essays and book reviews written from a Wesleyan perspective. The Journal’s authors and audience reflect the global reality of the Christian church, the holistic nature of Wesleyan thought, and the importance of both theory and practice in addressing the current issues of the day. Authors include Wesleyan scholars, scholars of Wesleyanism/ Methodism, and scholars writing on issues of theological and theological education importance. The Asbury Journal is a continuation of the Asbury Seminarian (1945-1985, vol. 1- ISSN 1090-5642 40) and The Asbury Theological Journal (1986- Published in April and October 2005, vol. 41-60). Articles in The Asbury Journal are indexed in The Christian Articles and reviews may be copied for personal or Periodical Index and Religion classroom use. Permission to otherwise reprint essays Index One: Periodicals (RIO); and reviews must be granted permission by the editor book reviews are indexed in and the author. Index to Book Reviews in Religion (IBRR). Both RIO Postmaster: Send address changes to: and IBRR are published by the American Theological Library The Asbury Journal Asso-ciation, 5600 South Asbury Theological Seminary Wood-lawn Avenue, Chicago, 204 North Lexington Avenue IL 60637, and are available Wilmore, Kentucky 40390 online through BRS Infor- mation Technologies and DIALOG Information Ser- vices. Articles starting with volume 43 are abstracted in Religious and Theological Abstracts and New Test- 2013 SUBSCRIPTION RATES ament Abstracts. Volumes in microform of the Asbury Individual: Seminarian (vols. 1-40) and the $20 (one year); $35 (two years); $50 (three years) Asbury Theological Journal (vols. 41-60) are available from Institution: University Microfilms International, 300 North Zeeb $40 (one year); $75 (two years); $110 (three years) Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106. Student: $10 (one year); $18 (two years); $26 (three years) The Asbury Journal 68/1:4-5 © 2013 Asbury Theological Seminary From the Editor In October 2012, the Post Graduate Colloquium discussed Inductive Bible Study (IBS) and its potential use in global contexts. IBS is a methodology for approaching scripture, developed in large part at Asbury Theological Seminary, through the work of Robert Traina. David Bauer, a student of Traina’s, presented the keynote address, which is printed in this issue. This address was followed by responses from a faculty panel that commented on the paper and the recent book written by Bauer and Traina (Bauer, David R. and Robert A. Traina. Inductive Bible Study: A Comprehensive Guide to the Practice of Hermeneutics. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2011). Ruth Anne Reese’s comments are printed in this issue as an example of some of the faculty feedback. A group of Post-Graduate scholars at Asbury Theological Seminary then presented papers about some of the potential advantages and problems IBS may face in crossing cultural borders: M. Sashi Jamir looks at the application of IBS for tribal communities living in Northeast India. Juliet Uytanlet examines the liberating potential of IBS for the Chinese Filipino context as it emerges from a colonial mindset. Curtis Elliott takes a closer look at the application of IBS in the Eastern Orthodox context of the nation of Georgia, and Peter Tan-Gatue focuses on the post-colonial context of Filipino Americans living in Los Angeles and how IBS can function to increase biblical knowledge through lay training. In addition to these initial papers, several other papers in this issue were not presented at the Colloquium, but raise similar issues. Art McPhee’s article, which was presented as he was formally seated in the Sundo Kim Chair for Evangelism and Practical Theology Expertise: Evangelization Studies, raises the vital question of the role of the Holy Spirit in mission, and how human methodology has often overlooked this important theological key. Robert Magoola’s article on witchcraft accusations in Uganda illustrates how the Church must be flexible to applying scripture to local questions, contexts, and needs. Finally, R. Jeffrey Hiatt’s article examines the application of Wesleyan history and theology to the challenge of other global faith systems and their unique forms of understanding. 4 DANIELSON: FROM THE EDITOR 5 Communicating the message of scripture cross-culturally is an essential task of the Church, and the skills of the entire seminary are needed to accomplish this task. IBS, like any methodology, needs to remain attuned to the cultural context and how that impacts learning. Is the culture more focused on oral methods of learning? Can we adapt the IBS method to various tribal contexts with different ways of understanding the spirit world? We also need to consider the socio-economic issues that impact our effectiveness: basic levels of education and health that may impact learning, work loads and time limitations imposed by poverty, as well as access to books and other educational materials. The historic value of IBS only increases as we as a community think seriously about the many barriers we may need to face in the rapidly globalized world we are challenged to serve. However, this is the challenge we have been given, and with the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, we can fulfill our common mission as we work together as the Body of Christ in the world. — Robert Danielson, Ph.D. The Asbury Journal 68/1:6-35 © 2013 Asbury Theological Seminary DAVID R. BAUER Inductive Biblical Study: History, Character, and Prospects in a Global Environment Abstract In this keynote address at the 2012 Interdisciplinary Colloquium, held at McKenna Chapel on the Kentucky Campus of Asbury Theological Seminary, October 12, 2012, David Bauer examines the history and development of inductive biblical study within its English-speaking environment. In addition, he proposes ways in which this approach can be understood in postcolonial environments as a way to open the methodology of Inductive Bible Study to a larger global audience. Keywords: Inductive Bible Study, methodology, history, development, postcolonial David R. Bauer is the Ralph Waldo Beeson Professor of Inductive Biblical Studies and Dean of the School of Biblical Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky. 6 BAUER: INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDY 7 The invitation to deliver the keynote address at the 2012 Interdisciplinary Colloquium is a singular honor and an exciting opportunity for me. I want to thank Dr. Pachuau for suggesting that we devote this Interdisciplinary Colloquium to the issue of inductive Bible study. Its long history and continuing prominence at Asbury Theological Seminary, and its broad dissemination throughout the world, led Dr. Pachuau to propose this topic as the focus of this Colloquium; and as a practitioner of inductive biblical study I am grateful. I am especially pleased that this Colloquium deals with inductive