Rethinking biblical interpretation in mission theology: A case study in Luke-Acts

Mission theology has often been preoccupied with a way of doing theology with the Bible that is largely ignorant to the hermeneutical nature of biblical interpretation. In this essay, I argue that mission theology must reconsider the ways it has interpreted the Bible by reflecting on older approaches of biblical interpretation and drawing critically on newer currents in biblical scholarship. Using Luke-Acts as a case study, I trace the development of Lukan scholarship over the last seventy years, with particular attention to literary, postcolonial, and theological approaches. I then situate David Bosch’s and Dean Flemming’s work within this trajectory, assessing how their contributions align with or diverge from recent developments. The essay concludes with several constructive suggestions for future engagement.