Biblical Hermeneutics in Context and the Struggle for Meaning

The meaningful juxtaposition of academics (';experts') with the day-to-day lives of nonacademics (';nonexperts') has animated Gerald O. West's work from the beginning. Seeking to bridge this chasm, West's approach of reading the Bible with the ';ordinary people' (typically marginalized communities) became a core practice not only of his church work but of his scholarship. West has been a strong proponent of taking seriously the ';ordinary reader' as a viable and legitimate contributor to our understanding of biblical interpretation. Not only does this undo the ';ivory tower' elitism that tends to pervade academic halls of learning, but it also reflects a form of scholarly humility that has been a mainstay of West's and should be perpetuated more broadly in biblical scholarship.