ABSTRACT
This chapter develops the hermeneutical and empirical foundations of the study by bringing intercultural Bible reading (IBR) into dialogue with methods for empirical research, particularly Grounded Theory. It elaborates the theoretical evolution of IBR as both a communal practice and an academic field, tracing its development through influential models such as Werner Kahl’s Interkulturelles Bibelgespräch and Hans de Wit’s project Through the Eyes of Another. These traditions highlight the significance of ordinary Bible readers, the intercultural dynamics shaping interpretation, and the importance of dialogical encounters for ecumenical understanding. Building on insights from liberation theology, reader-response criticism, and cultural studies, the chapter argues for a hermeneutical paradigm attentive to contextual complexity, transcultural exchanges, and the ethical demands of hospitality and mutual transformation. It further introduces intercultural empirical hermeneutics as a methodological approach capable of analysing how meaning is constructed, negotiated, and actualized within discussion among diverse communities. Grounded Theory is then adapted for theological purposes, emphasizing its constructivist orientation, its capacity to identify discursive patterns, and its role in generating theory from empirical exchanges. Finally, the chapter explains the coding strategies used in the study and reflects on the conditions that distinguish successful from less effective intercultural encounters, establishing the analytical framework for the book’s subsequent chapters.
