Lee University’s Dr. Jerome Boone recently presented at the international conference of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL). His presentation discussed a recent publication by Jacqueline Grey titled “Three’s a Crowd: Pentecostalism, Hermeneutics, and the Old Testament.”

The conference, held each year outside the United States in order to accommodate international society members, took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“It was a privilege to share and explain to others in the Christian community about Pentecostal Bible interpretation,” said Boone. “Being different from other faith traditions does not equate to being wrong. All Christian faith traditions emphasize certain aspects of the faith. Pentecostals emphasize engagement with the Spirit of God and spiritual transformation when interpreting Scripture.”

According to Boone, a significant difference between Pentecostals and Evangelicals is the Pentecostal emphasis on engaging with the Holy Spirit in the process of biblical interpretation, or hermeneutics.

“Grey’s hermeneutical model parallels a well-accepted Protestant model of biblical interpretation in order to utilize it for Pentecostal hermeneutics,” said Boone. “She believes that Pentecostal hermeneutics have a distinct contribution to make to the broader Christian community, and that the Pentecostal community needs the critical engagement of the wider Christian community to refine its own perspective.”

Boone joined the Lee faculty in 1976 and is currently a professor of Old Testament and Christian formation. His current research interests lie in the area of Pentateuch, Old Testament prophets and the Bible’s perspective on worship. He has received both the Excellence in Teaching and the Excellence in Scholarship awards from Lee, in addition to a grant from the Appalachian College Association.

Originally from Michigan, Boone is married to Sandi, and has two adult children, Darla and David. He enjoys reading, hiking, camping, and traveling. Boone also enjoys teaching in mission Bible schools, having taught seminars in schools on four continents: South America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

The Society of Biblical Literature is the oldest and largest international scholarly membership organization in the field of biblical studies. Founded in 1880, the Society has grown to over 8,500 international members including teachers, students, religious leaders and individuals from all walks of life who share a mutual interest in the critical investigation of the Bible.