Observing the literary type (fourthly) also provides clues as about meaning -- whether the work is a parable, law, a prophesy, or a song will determine if the passage should be read allegorically, literally, as foreshadowing, or as a form of celebration (Thompson 36). Finally, making a chart to look at while reading the Bible can be useful: it allows us to better understand characters' extended relationships when we are interpreting the passage.

Thompson's stress upon asking questions is also revelatory of the inductive nature of IBS -- the more fully we ask questions, the more actively we enter the Biblical world and mindset. Questions such as who, what, and why, are important, observational questions. So are questions about what is implied, rather than directly spoken as in allegorical passages like the Song of Solomon and the parables of Jesus, as are asking questions about the speaker's historical context. What...
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