Introduction: A Point of Departure (7)

1. The Scriptures Through the Eyes of Grandparents and Parents (19)
T. Shelt Taylor
Agnes M. (Taylor) Olbricht
Benjamin J. Olbricht

2. Interpretation in the Churches: 1938-1947 (49)
Our Revivalist Roots
Gospel Meetings in Southern Missouri
The Churches in Mammoth Spring and Thayer
Defining the Church: Historical Roots
Dispensational Hermeneutics: The Scripture that Really Counts
My Decision

3. Expanding the Base of Scriptures to be Interpreted: 1947-1949 (87)
New Preunderstandings: Andy T. Ritchie, Jr.
Preaching: The Emotive Side
The Encouragement of Rodney Wald
Preaching: The Empirical Side
Command/Example/Inference: Origins
J.D. Bales

4. A Constant Interpreter in a Growing Church: 1949-1951 (135)
The First Summer in Madison, Wisconsin and DeKalb, Illinois: 1948
The Return to DeKalb as Minister: 1949
Campbell's Hermeneutical Ancestry
A Common Understanding?
Northern Illinois State Teachers College
Controversies in Northern Illinois

5. Interpreting Texts: Iowa City, 1951-1954 (179)
The Church in Iowa City
Hermeneutics: An Inventory
The Image of the Preacher
The University of Iowa

6. Conventional Christian Interpreters: 1954-1959 (209)
The Church in Monticello, Arkansas
Politics and Religion at Harding
The Church of Christ in Dubuque
Basil, Homiletics, and Hermeneutics
One More Time Around: Plans for Seminary

7. Larger Contexts for Interpretation: 1959-1962 (251)
The Church of Christ in Natick
Theological Education in the Churches of Christ
Harvard Divinity School
Preacher's Meetings, New Testament Theology and Hermeneutics

8. The Word in the Church and in the Academy: Pennsylvania, 1962-1967 (295)
The Church
Pennsylvania State University
Pedagogies, Publications and Perspectives
Missions and Apologetics
The Move to Abilene

9. The Heart of the Scriptures: Abilene Christian University, 1967-1976 (329)
Developed Perspectives on Hermeneutics
The Teaching of Biblical Theology
Old Testament Theology
New Testament Theology
Church Life
Restoration Quarterly

10. New Topics for Interpretation: 1977-1996 (371)
Two Examples
The Church's Worship
The Role of Women
What Does it Mean, and How Does it Apply?

11. The Church in the World: Controversies and Conclusions (419)
The Rising Controversy over the New Hermeneutics
A Critique from the Scriptures
By Way of Conclusion
The Unfolding of My Reflections on the Nature of Scripture