Rating: 
Summary: A Thoroughly Useful Book
Review: A member of our small group Bible study who has been a Christian for a short while asked, "How do you know what's right when it comes to interpreting a Bible passage? I mean, can it just mean whatever you want it to?" We ordered copies of this book and we proceeded to read it aloud to one another for the next 5 weeks, skipping a few chapters, but covering most of it. The resulting discussion was just great! Fee/Stuart show how the mere fact of reading a translation plunges you into the middle of a tradition of interpretation. The key is to recognize that the text operates on multiple levels, each of which we grasp clearly only by Divine inspiration. Everyone in the group remarked on how learning about the need to do exegesis before doing hermeneutics was so critical. People who've been Christians for a long time said they wished they'd had this book years before. Personally, if I'd had this book in seminary years ago I'd have been helped along greatly. The book is aimed at intelligent laypeople. Very readable and covers some very technical stuff with ease and clarity. Definitely 5 stars!
Rating:
Summary: A Thoroughly Useful Book
Review: A member of our small group Bible study who has been a Christian for a short while asked, "How do you know what's right when it comes to interpreting a Bible passage? I mean, can it just mean whatever you want it to?" We ordered copies of this book and we proceeded to read it aloud to one another for the next 5 weeks, skipping a few chapters, but covering most of it. The resulting discussion was just great! Fee/Stuart show how the mere fact of reading a translation plunges you into the middle of a tradition of interpretation. The key is to recognize that the text operates on multiple levels, each of which we grasp clearly only by Divine inspiration. Everyone in the group remarked on how learning about the need to do exegesis before doing hermeneutics was so critical. People who've been Christians for a long time said they wished they'd had this book years before. Personally, if I'd had this book in seminary years ago I'd have been helped along greatly. The book is aimed at intelligent laypeople. Very readable and covers some very technical stuff with ease and clarity. Definitely 5 stars!
Rating:
Summary: A book for beginners that solves misconceived doubt...
Review: Actually, this was a textbook for my Biblical Interpretation class at TIU. However, I wanted to get ahead in my reading, so I read it over Christmas break before the class even started. i must say that this book hits every basic ever needed to know the concept and purpose of Hermeneutics, as well as how to successfully perform exegesis successfully and with little doubt remaining. It starts off with how to know which translation will get the most out of the Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic texts, goes on to help outline and teach how to understand the different literary genres in the Bible (Historical Narratives, Apocalypses, Epistles, Gospels, Prophetic Oracles, etc.) and ends with a very good list of commentaries for each book of the Old and New Testaments, though they could've been a bit more comprehensive. All in all, this book has taught me how to increase my understanding of God's Word, as well as decrease the doubt and confusion/misunderstandings that are leftover afterwards. I highly recommend this book to any student or just reader of the Bible as a starting point. It is a scratching the surface book meant for beginners ONLY.
Rating: 
Summary: Get the Book
Review: All who read the Bible must interpret it. Too often we think that the Bible interprets itself or it there are places that we think are completely clear that do not need any interpretation. Simply put we all interpret the Bible. We either do it with known rules or we do it haphazardly. Simply put, the Bible was written over a span of many years by many different writers. If you don't take this into account you will have problems. This books equips the reader of the Bible in interpreting the Bible it talks about the different genres of writing in the Bible and how this affects interpretation. For example, you do not interpret a Psalm the same way that you would interpret a historical book. One of the books greatest strengths is that it is accessible to laity. You do not have to go to seminary to understand it. The reader of the book will understand how we got the Bible, how to evaluate different translations, and how to interpret the different parts of the Bible. It is a good book that I highly recommen
Rating:
Summary: Nice book on Scripture reading
Review: Although a lot of individuals may feel they do not require any hermeneutical training, I think a cursory read of a book like this should be a requisite for all Christians serious about studying Scripture. I think the rules and guidelines established in this book are excellent and are some of the best developed for the purpose of understanding and interpreting Scripture. Epistles: When it comes to New Testament Epistles I think Fee gives some excellent advice when he says these books should be treated like letters. That means an individual should read through the text several times as they would any letter from a friend or correspondance and then begin breaking it down to understand it. Moreover, the concept that these texts could not mean something they did not mean to their original audience is crucial to grasp. A reader cannot be overly subjective and begin applying various Scripture passages to his or her life, when a particular passage does not mean what they think it means. Historical books: I think Fee and Stuart make some great points when it comes to understanding the historical books of the Old and New Testaments. First, they argue that we should read these books to see God's activities in the affairs of Israel and His Church. Therefore, these texts are better understood when broken up into smaller sections and read as a progressive accout of salvation history. In addition, the authors warn against decontextualizing and allegorizing passages which is always a temptation when reading a historial narrative that doesn't seem to have much theological or spiritual significance. The Gospels: Fee makes some great points when it comes to understanding the gospels. First, he argues that familiarity with the historical context is crucial and vitally important. If one is not remotely familiar with 1st century Mediterranean culture then they are at a disadvantage. Second, reading similar gospel accounts side by side and analyzing the minor differences can also shed light on which audience the gospel was intended and what message the author is attempting to convey in that instance. Also, established as a rule throughout is that one should read and think in paragraphs as a helpful guide to understanding these books. The Laws: I like Stuart's treatement of the Hebrew legal books. First, he argues that these laws were given to Israel to benefit them and therefore must be understood as applying to the kingdom of Israel and not us, since we are not Israel. Although, this is a valid point I think the argument that unless a specific teaching of the law wasn't reiterated in the New Testament, then it isn't binding on us today is not a good argument. What about the laws condemning bestiality, homosexuality, incest, and rape? None of these were specifically mentioned by Jesus, but I don't think anyone would argue that they are no longer binding upon us today. The books closes by dealing with the Psalms, Wisdom literature, and Revelation. Again, nothing new or groudbreaking here, just solid and sound advice with a few minor points of contention. Although, not as good as it could be, I think this book is the best out there as a guide to reading and understanding Scripture.
Rating:
Summary: A user-friendly tool for Christians at any stage of growth
Review: An extremely readable book about how to read the Book. This gem is usable from anyone in any stage of growth in Christian life, from 'just started Bible reading' to seminary student. It is also useful for almost any Christian faith tradition, whether evangelical, main-line, conservative or liberal. Whether the reader believes in biblical inerrancy or that the Bible is an inspired work, "How to Read.." will help them get more out of the Bible. The authors explain how to watch out for basic exegetial fallicies, reading things into the Bible instead of out of it. Then they discuss different translation philosophies with examples of each. The bulk of the book is a description of the different genres of literature that make up the Bible, and specific ways to deal with each. The book concludes with recomendations for commentaries on specific books of the Bible, and all through the text are recommendations for further reading and good biblical reference materials. The one point I want to reemphasise, this is a very readable book, accessible to anyone. It will enhance your Bible reading.
Rating:
Summary: A must have for every Christian
Review: Fee and Stuart, two well known and respected bible scholars, have transformed years of study in the fields of exegesis and hermenuetics and translated that into a simple, straight forward explanation of biblical interpretation. This book is a must have for any person who desires to understand the great truths presented in the bible and apply them to everyday life. If you have ever asked the question "How will I ever understand this?" about the bible, this book will show you how.
Rating: 
Summary: It's an intro book for studing the Bible.
Review: Fee is a member of the Assemblies of God Church, and it is what he brings to his own style of Hermeneutics that everyone needs to be aware of. Because in chapter 4 and 6 He pushes his theology on you in how he studies the Bible using Acts and 1 Corinthians as his examples. This is an issue that could be considered an conflict or a contradiction to HONEST Hermeneutics. Like He said in the book, everybody brings something to the table when they read the Bible, and He is no exception.
It is good for basic bible study, but the flow is sometimes difficult because he doesn't have a polished style of communicating. If you are looking for an intro to Bible study this could work, and he does go into Hermeneutics to a degree, but there are other books out there that are more helpful.
Rating:
Summary: Shows you how to get the most out of your Bible reading
Review: Fee is a New Testament scholar and Stuart is an Old Testament scholar. But they write in plain English. They explain how to read God's Word for information and for transformation. And they use specific Scripture passages as examples of how to interpret chapters and stories from the Bible. They also recommend purchasing dictionaries and concordances and several translations of the Bible as aids to study. And at the end of the book, they recommend good Bible commentaries to purchase for further study. It is a very satisfying and helpful volume from two seasoned, reliable Bible scholars.
Rating:
Summary: A good starter in hermeneutics
Review: Hermeneutics is the technical term for how do you approach studying something in a book. This is a good survey of how a Christian should approach learning from the Bible. It gives you some useful techniques to learn from and is an introduction into the mysterious world of textual criticism. That is, how do you know the text you have is really the original text. Books like this are essential for anyone who is going to teach the word. It may challenge you at times, but when you find your way through it you will be better for it.
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