Other Articles and Books by Caldwell
On the Bible and Culture
Below are several resources I’ve written over the years related to the Bible in culture. The first section lists articles in chronological order, giving you a sense of how my thinking in this area has developed over the years. All of these articles can be freely downloaded. The second section highlights three related books; the third book is available as a free PDF download.
Articles
Third Horizon Ethnohermeneutics:
Re-Evaluating New Testament Hermeneutical Models for Intercultural Bible Interpreters Today (1987)
This article addresses the challenge of interpreting the Bible across cultures, especially where Western hermeneutical training meets non Western contexts. It introduces “ethnohermeneutics,” examines the dominant Western model and its limits, explores emerging alternative models, and studies New Testament writers’ own interpretive approaches. The goal is to offer greater freedom and cultural relevance in biblical interpretation.
Cross Cultural
Bible Interpretation:
A View from the Field (1996)
This article explores cross-cultural Bible interpretation and the limits of Western “two horizons” models. It argues that a “third horizon” — the receptor culture’s worldview — is essential for clearer communication. Ethnohermeneutics studies and uses local interpretive methods, under Scripture’s authority, to make biblical truth culturally meaningful while guarding against distortion, paternalism, and unexamined biases.
Towards the New Discipline of Ethnohermeneutics: Questioning the Relevancy of Western Hermeneutical Methods in the Asian Context (1999)
This article calls for a new discipline of ethnohermeneutics to interpret the Bible through Asian cultures’ own ways of understanding. It critiques the dominance of Western historical methods, highlights oral and indigenous approaches like those of the Cotobato Manobo, and urges theological training that equips Asians to interpret Scripture faithfully and meaningfully within their own contexts.
A Response to the Responses of Tappeiner and Whelchel to Ethnohermeneutics (2000)
This article explores ethnohermeneutics as a way to interpret the Bible within diverse cultural and religious contexts. It critiques the universal use of Western historical criticism, highlights the role of worldview in interpretation, and argues that multiple culturally shaped readings can still honor Scripture’s authority while making its message more relevant in cross cultural and multicultural settings.
Towards an Ethnohermeneutical Model for a Lowland Filipino Context (2005)
How does someone “do theology” in a specific cultural context? One answer is a contextualized “ethnotheology” that uses a people group’s own ways of interpreting texts, which “ethnohermeneutics” studies. This article uses Tom Steffen’s “Four-Legged Stool” storytelling model and a case study of lowland Filipinos to reveal each culture’s unique hermeneutical methods.
A Short History of the Reading and Interpretation of the Bible—As Story, Book and Byte—With Some Implications for Bible Reading and Interpretation in the 21st Century (2005)
This paper argues that we are entering a new revolution in Bible reading, like the Reformation, driven by digital technology and changing views of “books.” Past believers always read Scripture using the tools and thought patterns of their time. By tracing two eras—“People of the Story” and “People of the Book”—the paper draws lessons for reading the Bible today as “People of the Byte.”
Scripture in Context
Part I: Reconsidering Our Biblical Roots:
Bible Interpretation, the Apostle Paul and Mission Today (2012)
This article asks why Bible interpreters should use culturally appropriate methods, like Paul’s midrash-shaped approach, instead of relying mainly on the Western Two Step model.
This is a two-part article, consisting of four sections. In Part 1 of this article, Section 1 first gives a brief background of the hermeneutical milieu out of which Paul’s hermeneutical methods arose, especially looking at the method known as midrash. Section 2 then examines several examples of Paul’s first century hermeneutical methods found in his speeches in Acts.
Scripture in Context
Part 2: Reconsidering Our Biblical Roots:
Bible Interpretation, the Apostle Paul and Mission Today (2012)
This article asks why Bible interpreters should use culturally appropriate methods, like Paul’s midrash-shaped approach, instead of relying mainly on the Western Two Step model.
This is a two-part article, consisting of four sections. In Part 2 of this article, Section 3 examines several examples of Paul's first century hermeneutical methods found in his letters. Section 4 gives examples of non-Western approaches to the biblical text that, like Paul’s, have arisen out of their own hermeneutical contexts and cognitive environments.
Interpreting the Bible With the Poor (2013)
This article argues that good Bible interpretation is essential for theology, mission, and transformation among the poor. It critiques the dominance of text-focused exegesis over cultural exegesis and, through global and Philippine case studies, proposes strategies, curricula, and teaching methods that help the poor interpret Scripture in ways that are relevant, empowering, and rooted in their own contexts.
Diaspora Ministry in the Book of Acts:
Insights from Two Speeches of the Apostle Paul to Help Guide Diaspora Ministry Today (2015)
This article explores Paul as a model for diaspora ministry that is sensitive both to audience and message context. Focusing on his sermons in Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13) and Athens (Acts 17), it analyzes how he shapes his message for Jews, God-fearers, and Athenians, and then draws implications for contemporary diaspora ministry.
Teaching Bible Interpretation in Intercultural Contexts: A Plea for Teaching Bible Interpretation Using Only the Bible (2016)
This chapter argues that Bible interpretation should be taught using Scripture alone, not mainly scholarly tools. It critiques Western, resource-heavy methods as elitist and ill-suited to many cultures, and calls for a simple, accessible approach—“Seven Steps to Make the Bible Come Alive”—that equips all believers to interpret the Bible themselves, honoring sola Scriptura and the priesthood of the believer.
Ethnohermeneutics and Advanced Theological Studies: Towards Culturally Appropriate Mthodologies for Doctoral Programs (2018)
This chapter applies ethnohermeneutics to advanced theological studies in the Majority World. It asks why culturally appropriate methodologies matter, proposes a “Culturally Appropriate Strategies for Doctoral Programs” scale, offers four practical examples of such strategies in doctoral-level work, and ends with five recommendations for making advanced theological studies more culturally appropriate.
Towards Ethnohermeneutics:
Contextualization 2.0 and Beyond... (2018)
This document traces how mission theology’s understanding of contextualization (contextualization version 1.0) has now evolved to encompass contextualization ethnohermeneutics (contextualization version 2.0) Ethnohermeneutics uses local, indigenous interpretive methods to read Scripture. It stresses culturally appropriate, multi-generational and multicultural Bible interpretation, and urges teachers to recognize students’ diverse backgrounds, read both Bible and culture, and use holistic processes so interpretation remains relevant in a changing world.
Towards an Ethnohermeneutics of Suffering (2019)
This paper explores how Bible interpretation should change in contexts of suffering and global crises. Using ethnohermeneutics—contextual, culturally rooted methods—it challenges Western evangelical approaches and calls for local communities in suffering contexts to lead. It proposes three emphases: hermeneutics as practical work, as communal work, and as a return to midrash, with implications for global Christian workers.
Rethinking the Old Wineskins of
“Academic” for the New Wine of
Oral and Oral-Preference Learners (2025)
This article argues that Western-dominated models of “academic” theology must be rethought, especially for oral and oral-preference learners. It critiques Western hegemony, introduces “theological intelligence” (TQ), highlights Kairos University’s competency-based approach to bridge readers and non-readers, and offers recommendations so theological institutions can better serve global Christian communities.
Missional Engagement and Bible Interpretation:
The Need for Cultural Exegesis (2026)
This paper argues that evangelical Bible interpretation has overemphasized grammatical-historical exegesis of the text while neglecting the audience and their culture, weakening missional engagement. Using the “Bible in Culture Ethnohermeneutical Grid,” it explores how biblical exegesis and cultural exegesis work together, introduces concepts like “cultural texts,” and concludes that audience and culture analysis are as vital as textual study for faithful interpretation.
Books
Doing Bible Interpretation! Making the Bible Come Alive for Yourself and Your People (2016)
Make the Bible come alive for yourself and your people! For over 40 years Larry W. Caldwell, PhD, has helped train thousands of individuals around the world in doing Bible interpretation. Now his Bible interpretation methods are being made available to a wider audience. By following seven simple steps—and using only the Bible—Dr. Caldwell clearly shows how everybody can do Bible interpretation. He then gives concrete examples of how to use these seven steps in interpreting the major literary forms found in the Bible, like stories, law, parables, and so on. This book is for all who desire to understand, teach and preach God’s Word better: pastors, missionaries, church leaders, Sunday School teachers, and everybody in between. Doing Bible interpretation is for everyone!
Interpretando La Biblia: Haciendo que la Biblia ¡Cobre Vida! Para Ti y Tu Gente
(Spanish Edition, 2017)
Por más de treinta años Larry W. Caldwell ha ayudado a entrenar miles de personas alrededor del mundo en ¡Interpretando! la Biblia. Siguiendo siete sencillos pasos–y usando sólo la Biblia–muestra claramente cómo todos pueden interpretar la Biblia. Este libro es para todos los que desean entender, enseñar y predicar mejor la Palabra de Dios: misioneros, líderes en la iglesia, maestros de la Escuela Dominical y todo en medio. ¡Interpretando la Biblia es por todo el mundo!
How To Do Bible Interpretation! Making the Bible Come Alive for Yourself and Your People (Simplified English Edition, 2020)
It is important for anyone who wants to be a follower of Jesus to understand God's word, the Bible. The apostle Paul was one of the main writers of the New Testament. He thought that it was important too. He wrote: "Do your best to present yourself to God as someone He approves of. Be a worker who has no need to be ashamed. Be someone who deals with the word of truth in the right way"(2 Timothy 2:15). This book on Doing Bible Interpretation will give you the tools to "deal rightly" with God's Word. What is the best way to "deal rightly" with the Bible? To "deal rightly" with the Bible is to discover its meaning and explain it in ways that people can understand. That is what Bible interpretation is all about. This book was written to teach you the skills you will need to interpret the Bible for yourself and for your people.