Jun 26, 2012

Finding Themes in Acts

  
Walter Liefeld has noted that there are two ways to identify themes in a book. He notes that themes may be identified either inductively or deductively. An inductive approach would involve examining the text carefully and then summarizing and generalizing the data. That is, noting themes that appear bubble up from the text. A deductive approach begins with specific categories (prayer for example) and then working through the text to see what it has to say about that particular category. Students of the Scriptures have utilized both methods with different degrees of success. One might want to begin deductively and then follow it with an inductive investigation.

Walter L. Liefeld,
Interpreting the Book of Acts (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1995), 79–80. 
  

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