Online / zoom

What if the way we read scripture is part of the problem?

This Radix Live event offers a chance to learn and and dialogue about how we can join a growing, creative, justice-minded conversation on what it means to read scripture missionally in today’s world.

In Liberating Scripture: An Invitation to Missional Hermeneutics, authors Michael Barram and John R. Franke propose a bold rethinking of biblical interpretation. Rooted in the “mission of God” and informed by postcolonial and postmodern insights, their work invites us to unshackle the Bible from the theological and cultural chains that often distort its liberative power.

This live conversation will explore how Liberating Scripture reframes the why and how of biblical interpretation. The book offers an accessible yet groundbreaking introduction to “missional hermeneutics”—a fresh approach to reading scripture through the lens of God’s ongoing mission of justice, healing, and reconciliation. Rather than treating the Bible as a static set of doctrines, this perspective emphasizes dynamic, community-rooted engagement. How do our cultural assumptions shape the questions we ask of scripture? How might diverse voices and global experiences help us decolonize Christian witness?

With a double meaning in its title, Liberating Scripture not only lifts up the theme of liberation at the heart of the gospel—it also challenges us to liberate the Bible from the tendency to tame its radical force. Barram and Franke trace the development of missional hermeneutics, reflect on its theological foundations, and offer concrete practices for readers of all kinds—scholars, pastors, and church groups alike.

Michael Barram is Professor of Theology & Religious Studies at Saint Mary’s College of California. His research explores how scripture shapes moral imagination around issues like economic justice. He co-chairs the Forum on Missional Hermeneutics and teaches regularly with New College Berkeley.

John R Franke is affiliate professor at Fuller Theological Seminary and the executive director of the Gospel and Our Culture Network. He is a widely published author and co-chairs the Forum on Missional Hermeneutics.