Introduction

In recent years, concerns about biblical literacy have gained increasing attention across global Christianity.¹ Churches, seminaries, and mission organizations lament that many believers lack a basic understanding of Scripture. They struggle to interpret it as a whole and often find it difficult to integrate it into their daily lives. While such concerns are valid, they are mainly framed by assumptions shaped by Western contexts, where the Bible is widely available, culturally familiar, and historically embedded in public life. In much of Asia, however, this assumption does not hold.

The inquiry into biblical literacy in the Asian context takes on a fundamentally different dimension. It is not merely a matter of how well Christians interpret a familiar text, since in many Asian societies the Bible remains unfamiliar, culturally distant, and even unintelligible. Recent data underscores this point. The Patmos World Bible Attitudes Survey indicates that in a “religiously diverse” cluster associated with major East Asian societies, only 6 percent of respondents express interest in learning about the Christian Bible, while 76 percent report knowing nothing about it, and 56 percent say they have never heard of it at all.² Even though the recent remarkable growth in Bible translation, distribution, and digital access presents exciting opportunities for Asia,³ the challenge remains how Bible readers could move from awareness to understanding, and from understanding to faithful practice.

Therefore, the question of biblical literacy must be reframed. It is not simply about increasing knowledge of Scripture, but about cultivating the ability to encounter, interpret, and embody the Bible within diverse contexts. Biblical literacy in the Asian context must be reconceived as a multi-layered process involving awareness, access, interpretation, contextualization, and formation. By examining the structural and cultural dynamics shaping biblical engagement in Asia, and by proposing context-sensitive approaches to Scripture, this article seeks to contribute to a more robust and realistic vision of biblical literacy for the Asian church.

Rethinking Biblical Literacy: Beyond Knowledge Acquisition

Biblical literacy is frequently defined in terms of content knowledge: familiarity with biblical narratives, doctrines, and key themes. While such knowledge remains essential, this definition is insufficient, especially for the Asian context, due to a reality: the Bible was brought to Asia by Western missionaries. As a result, the Bible often remains, in the words of some Asian theologians, a “foreign” book—a text that has not yet found a cultural “landing pad” within local traditions and patterns of thought.⁴ When Scripture is perceived as culturally external, literacy cannot be reduced to technical interpretation; it must include processes of translation, appropriation, and embodiment. Hence, the concept of biblical literacy must be defined more broadly. It includes at least five interrelated dimensions:

(1) awareness of the Bible’s existence and significance,
(2) access to Scripture in appropriate languages and formats,
(3) interpretation that respects context, genre, and canonical coherence,
(4) contextualization that connects Scripture to local cultural and social realities, and
(5) formation, in which Scripture shapes belief, character, and communal life.

Before diving into the challenges Asian Christianity now faces, we should recognize that “Asia” is not a monolithic entity, and this term cannot adequately reflect the regional differences among various Asian cultures. In the Philippines, for example, Christianity is embedded in society, and Bible reading is relatively widespread, though the extent of engagement also depends on the region. In India, there are sharp contrasts between regions with a strong Christian presence and those where access to Scripture is limited or restricted. In South Korea, despite a history of vibrant church growth, public trust in Christianity has declined in recent years, raising questions about the relationship between biblical knowledge and social credibility.⁵ In brief, there is no single model of biblical literacy that can be applied uniformly across Asia. However, some shared challenges can still be discerned, as summarized below.

Structural and Cultural Challenges

1. Religious Plurality and Competing Sacred Texts

One of the defining features of Asia is its rich religious diversity. In many societies, Christianity exists alongside long-established traditions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Islam. Within such environments, the Bible is just one sacred text among many, and often a minority one. This plurality shapes how Scripture is perceived and received, as the Bible lacks the cultural authority or familiarity enjoyed by indigenous religious texts. Even for Christians, faith is often negotiated within a broader social framework shaped by multiple religious influences. As a result, biblical literacy involves not only understanding Scripture internally, but also situating it within a complex religious landscape.

2. Linguistic Diversity and Modal Gaps

Unsurprisingly, Asia is marked by extraordinary linguistic diversity. While significant progress has been made in Bible translation, many communities still lack access to Scripture in their primary language or preferred mode of communication. In some oral cultures, print-based approaches to biblical literacy may be ineffective or exclusionary. These realities invite a broader conception of access. Scripture must be communicated not only in multiple languages, but also through multiple modalities—oral storytelling, audio recordings, visual media, and sign language. Without such adaptation, access could be partial, and biblical literacy would remain limited.

3. The Legacy of Imported Theology

Another challenge lies in the historical development of theological education in Asia. Much of it has been shaped by Western missionary movements and academic models. While these contributions have been valuable, they inevitably impose some theological concerns that are insufficiently attuned to, and even alien to, the local context. This dynamic has been described metaphorically as “banana” theology—Asian in appearance but Western at its core.⁶ When theological frameworks fail to address local questions, they can create a disconnect between Scripture and lived experience. Biblical literacy then becomes an informative exercise rather than a transformative engagement.

4. Digital Expansion and Its Ambiguities

Living in the 21st century, one should not overlook how modern technology affects Bible reading habits. The rapid growth of digital technology has no doubt increased access to the Bible. Mobile apps, online platforms, and social media have made Scripture more available than ever before. Digital distribution even begins to surpass print. Yet increased access does not automatically lead to deeper engagement. Digital consumption might cause fragmented reading, superficial interpretation, and passive reception. The rise of AI-generated content further complicates the picture, raising questions about authority, accuracy, and discernment. Thus, while digital tools offer unprecedented opportunities, they also require careful evaluation and integration into practices of biblical formation.

Toward Asian Biblical Literacy

Having described the current challenges (and opportunities!) for Asian Christians, what might a more adequate approach to biblical literacy look like?

1. From Information to Formation

The remarkable expansion of Bible translation and distribution should be celebrated. However, having access to biblical information alone is not sufficient. Churches and organizations must move beyond measuring success in terms of access, and instead focus on Christians’ spiritual formation. This involves guiding them through a process that includes engagement, reflection and interpretation of the Bible, as well as application to their lives. In other words, biblical literacy is not yet achieved for a believer until Scripture becomes a shaping force in their life.

2. Multi-Modal and Contextual Pedagogy

Apart from distribution, communication matters. Effective biblical literacy requires pedagogical flexibility, attentive to local situations. In literate urban contexts, this may involve training in historical context, literary genre, and canonical theology. In oral contexts, storytelling, memorization, and communal recitation may be more appropriate. In Deaf communities, sign-language translation and leadership development are essential. The principle is simple: methods must correspond to the needs, capacities, and cultural patterns of the community being served.

3. Integrating Scripture with Local Realities

As the methods should be relevant, so should the content. The real questions people are facing should be the central concern of Scripture teaching. In many Asian contexts, these include issues of family obligation, economic pressure, social harmony, political instability, and interreligious relationships. When Scripture is taught in ways that engage these realities, it is no longer a distant text. It becomes a living word that speaks into people’s lives. This requires not only exegetical skill, but also cultural sensitivity and theological creativity.

4. Cultivating Communal Reading Practices

Asian cultures value relationships. Communal identity is often emphasized over individual autonomy. This provides a natural context for communal engagement with Scripture. Hence, reading and studying the Bible in a group setting may be more effective than learning independently. Reading Scripture in groups, families and congregations also offers a way to foster accountability. Such practices could potentially deepen understanding, and eventually integrate Scripture into the social fabric of the community.

5. Developing Indigenous Theological Voices

Finally, to avoid the situation that the Bible becomes a foreign book, Asia must develop indigenous theological voices of its own. Local scholars, pastors, and lay leaders, drawing on both global scholarship and local wisdom, must be empowered to interpret Scripture as rooted in their own contexts. This does not mean abandoning theological rigor. Rather, it means pursuing a form of theology that is both faithful to Scripture and responsive to cultural realities. In this way, the Bible could become a solid source of guidance relevant to Asian believers’ lives.

Conclusion

In sum, biblical literacy in the Asian context cannot be reduced to the acquisition of Bible knowledge or the pursuit of interpretive acumen. It must be understood as a holistic process that begins with informative awareness and extends to formative practice. It involves not only reading the Bible, but learning to hear it, interpret it, and embody it within the cultural and social settings of the Asian Church.

The challenges are numerous. Religious plurality, linguistic diversity, inherited theological models, and digital technology all shape how Scripture is encountered in modern Asian societies. Yet these challenges also present opportunities. They invite the church to rethink its assumptions, to adapt its methods, and to pursue a more suitable, more contextual engagement with the Bible.

In order to build a future where Asian churches are both rooted and resilient, biblical literacy must become more than information in the head. It should be achieved through encouraging contextual interpretation, communal practice of faithful reading, and embodied obedience. Only then can Scripture fulfill its role as God’s living word, not as an irrelevant voice from outside, but as a rooted conviction within them.

Shih-En Kuo, also known as Andy, received rigorous training at China Evangelical Seminary (MDiv), Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (ThM), and Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto (PhD), and now serves as Assistant Professor of Old Testament at China Lutheran Seminary in Taiwan. He is also a marathon runner, a husband to his lovely wife, and a father to four adorable children.