04332nam 2200853 a 450 991077802770332120230721022254.00-8147-8999-41-4416-1571-710.18574/9780814789995(CKB)1000000000786051(EBL)866076(OCoLC)779828403(SSID)ssj0000273826(PQKBManifestationID)11244246(PQKBTitleCode)TC0000273826(PQKBWorkID)10322779(PQKB)11030050(MiAaPQ)EBC866076(OCoLC)429905084(MdBmJHUP)muse10240(DE-B1597)547423(DE-B1597)9780814789995(Au-PeEL)EBL866076(CaPaEBR)ebr10313204(EXLCZ)99100000000078605120081107d2009 uy 0engur|n|---|||||txtccrWords upon the Word[electronic resource] an ethnography of evangelical group Bible study /James S. BieloNew York New York University Pressc20091 online resource (198 p.)Qualitative studies in religionDescription based upon print version of record.0-8147-9122-0 0-8147-9121-2 Includes bibliographical references (p. 173-182) and index.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).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.Qualitative studies in religion.EvangelicalismMichiganLansing RegionSmall groupsReligious aspectsProtestant churchesChurch group workProtestant churchesChristian sociologyProtestant churchesAmerican.Bible.Bielos.Evangelicalism.ethnography.ever-evolving.group.light.much.needed.power.shape.sheds.study.EvangelicalismSmall groupsReligious aspectsProtestant churches.Church group workProtestant churches.Christian sociologyProtestant churches.277.74/27083Bielo James S1047825MiAaPQMiAaPQMiAaPQBOOK9910778027703321Words upon the Word3867263UNINA