Peter Ochs Demonstrates and Discusses Scriptural Reasoning
In a recently published episode of the Theology for Our Times podcast, Peter Ochs joins host Joshua Mauldin to demonstrate and discuss the practice of “Scriptural Reasoning.” This unique method of interfaith dialogue, which Ochs co-founded some 30 years ago, seeks to bring Christians, Jews, and Muslims together around their sacred scriptures to foster deeper understandings of these texts and new intellectual friendships.
The episode begins with a live demonstration of Scriptural Reasoning using Psalm 82. Rather than approach the text from the vantage of historical criticism or religious doctrine, Ochs and Mauldin examine what Ochs characterizes as an “in-between space” that balances the intellectual pluralism of the university with the spiritual dedication of a worshipping community. This space enables participants to remain deeply rooted in their own traditions while opening themselves to the “resonances” they discern in others’ interpretations. It also allows ancient texts to serve as a site where members of an increasingly polarized world may reason together.
During their study of the Psalm, which describes God presiding over a “divine council,” Ochs and Mauldin ponder the complexities of the Hebrew term Elohim, which can mean “God,” “divine beings,” or even “judges.” Ochs encourages Mauldin to pursue what “hits” or “puzzles” him rather than to seek to delineate a singular, definitive meaning. This attentiveness to the multiplicity of potential readings is central to the practice of Scriptural Reasoning, since it allows the text to remain “holy” without preluding dialogue with those outside one’s own religious tradition.
Having demonstrated Scriptural Reasoning, Ochs recounts its origins at CTI in the mid-1990s. Alongside Christian colleagues David Ford and Daniel Hardy, Ochs sought to bring the “joy and intensity” of Jewish textual study—known as “Textual Reasoning”—into a broader interfaith context. The practice soon expanded to include Muslim scholars and developed by trial-and-error, prioritizing the “doing” of Scriptural Reasoning before extensive theorizing about it. This “performance-first” approach is inspired by the rabbinic interpretation of Exodus, in which the Israelites commit to “doing” before “understanding” the divine words heard on Mount Sinai.
Ochs distinguishes Scriptural Reasoning from traditional interfaith dialogue, which he depicts as often concentrating on comparing beliefs and relying upon a “visit your neighbor” approach. In contrast, according to Ochs Scriptural Reasoning involves “jumping into each other’s scriptures” and thereby forging a shared language. As Ochs explains, in Scriptural Reasoning “we’re not talking about our traditions; we’re talking about our scriptures,” which requires a “radical vulnerability” that is frequently “mysterious.”
Looking ahead, Ochs anticipates two primary opportunities for SR: sharing the “elemental practice” with more congregations and universities globally, and deepening the academic reflection on how this communal reasoning can reshape discourse within religious traditions and universities. Ochs concludes by identifying CTI as a vital “home” for pursuing these possibilities and commends the Society for Scriptural Reasoning as a resource for those interested in learning more about the practice.
Peter Ochs is the Edgar M. Bronfman Professor of Modern Judaic Studies Emeritus at the University of Virginia and a co-founder of both the Society for Scriptural Reasoning and the Children of Abraham Institute.