The Accessorized Bible: Interpretation, Responsibility, and the Ethics of Reading / David Dault

About this episode

David Dault discusses the ethics of reading the Bible and the responsibility of readers in shaping its meaning.

What happens when we stop treating the Bible as a sacred object and start paying attention to how we actually use it? In this conversation, theologian David Dault reflects on interpretation, responsibility, and the ethics of reading scripture in a fractured world. In this episode with Evan Rosa, Dault reflects on interpretation, responsibility, and how readers shape the meaning and moral impact of the Bible. Together they discuss the materiality of scripture, translation and betrayal, moral seriousness, scriptural reasoning across traditions, catastrophic love, and the ethical responsibility readers bear for how sacred texts are used. Episode Highlights “To assume that we know what a text is telling us is a matter of hubris.” “The Bible doesn’t tell you to do anything. You as a reader decide what to do.” “Violence is always an act of interpretation.” “We never get to a place where everything is clean and everyone benefits.” “We have to take responsibility for the violence we involve ourselves in.” About David Dault David Dault is a theologian, journalist, and media producer whose work explores religion, culture, ethics, and interpretation. He is Executive Producer and host of…

People in this episode

Host: Evan Rosa

Guest: David Dault

Topics covered

• Bible interpretation
• ethics of reading
• responsibility
• scriptural reasoning
• materiality of scripture

Keywords

• Bible
• interpretation
• ethics
• responsibility
• scripture
• theology
• violence

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University Chicago

Books & works: Things Not Seen: Conversations About Culture and Faith

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