Hanneke de Pater-Bakker (1983) is currently a PhD candidate at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, specialising in Contextual Biblical Interpretation and Theologies. Since 2008, she serves as a lecturer in Religious Education and (Systematic) Theology at the Christian University of Applied Sciences in Ede (CHE). At this institution, she is also a member of the research group ‘Verlangen naar het heilige’. Her areas of expertise and interest encompass Scripture, beliefs, and practices, and in particular the role of the Bible in contemporary culture.
Ancient religious texts continue to resonate with millions of people, shaping the lives of individuals and communities. These texts are read in individual and collective settings. This study explores the dynamic relationship between religious texts and their readers and the interactions among readers in the context of reading groups. The central aim in many empirical studies and hermeneutical analyses concerning contemporary readings of religious texts is to explore how people read, focusing on the interaction between the reader and the text. The present PhD-study primarily examines the interaction between readers as they engage with the text, focusing on collective aspects of interpretation. Therefore, the central question is: How do people read together? This research seeks to elucidate the process of collaborative interpretation and the value and complexities inherent in communal interpretation in the quest for meaning.
