1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910454013503321

Autore

Bielo James S

Titolo

Words upon the Word [[electronic resource] ] : an ethnography of evangelical group Bible study / / James S. Bielo

Pubbl/distr/stampa

New York, : New York University Press, c2009

ISBN

0-8147-8999-4

1-4416-1571-7

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (198 p.)

Collana

Qualitative studies in religion

Disciplina

277.74/27083

Soggetti

Evangelicalism - Michigan - Lansing Region

Small groups - Religious aspects - Protestant churches

Church group work - Protestant churches

Christian sociology - Protestant churches

Electronic books.

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (p. 173-182) and index.

Nota di contenuto

Introduction : group Bible study in American evangelicalism -- Doing Bible study ethnography -- Reading the Bible -- Cultivating intimacy -- Integrating participant interests -- Preparing to witness -- Negotiating self and other -- Conclusion : group Bible study in American evangelicalism (reprise).

Sommario/riassunto

Evangelical Bible study groups are the most prolific type of small group in American society, with more than 30 million Protestants gathering every week for this distinct purpose, meeting in homes, churches, coffee shops, restaurants, and other public and private venues across the country. What happens in these groups? How do they help shape the contours of American Evangelical life? While more public forms of political activism have captured popular and scholarly imaginations, it is in group Bible study that Evangelicals reflect on the details of their faith. Here they become self-conscious religious subjects, sharing the intimate details of life, interrogating beliefs and practices, and articulating their version of Christian identity and culture.In Words upon the Word, James S. Bielo draws on over nineteen months of ethnographic work with five congregations to better understand why



group Bible study matters so much to Evangelicals and for Evangelical culture. Through a close analysis of participants' discourse, Bielo examines the defining themes of group life—from textual interpretation to spiritual intimacy and the rehearsal of witnessing. Bielo's approach allows these Evangelical groups to speak for themselves, illustrating Bible study's uniqueness in Evangelical life as a site of open and critical dialogue. Ultimately, Bielo's ethnography sheds much needed light on the power of group Bible study for the ever-evolving shape of American Evangelicalism.