Millions of people around the world still wait for the Bible in their own language. Most of them belong to the Oral Majority—communities that live by story, memory, and spoken word rather than books. Traditional translation methods, built for literate cultures, often struggle to reach them.

The Disciple-making Oral Bible Strategy (DOBS) offers a revolutionary solution. Grounded in adult education, critical pedagogy, and cognitive neuroscience, DOBS is designed to fit the true nature of oral cultures. It moves away from “book-dependency” and transforms translation into an act of discipling the church, enabling spiritual growth within the language community.

At the heart of DOBS is a simple, repeatable process. Bilingual Mother-Tongue Translators (MTT) are equipped through Developmental Spiral Syntax (DSS) and Metacognitive Scaffolding (MCS)—tools that engage the Head, Heart, and Hand. Quality assurance is built into the community itself, through Peer, Community, and Leadership Checking.

The ultimate measure of success is not a perfect text but spiritual transformation—disciples multiplied, churches strengthened, and communities renewed. This book introduces a practical, shareable method that anyone can grasp. Discover how DOBS is accelerating Bible translation worldwide and helping fulfill the Great Commission today.

by Larry W. Caldwell

How to Read and Interpret Scripture Across Cultures

How can believers across cultures faithfully read and apply Scripture in a way that honors both the biblical text and their unique cultural contexts? In The Bible in Culture, Larry Caldwell introduces ethnohermeneutics—a revolutionary yet biblical approach to reading Scripture with, rather than for, the world.

Drawing from decades of experience living overseas, Caldwell demonstrates that every culture has its own tools for understanding meaning and shows how God uses these to communicate the truth of his word. This approach is rooted in observing how Jesus, Paul, and others in the early church interpreted Scripture and in following their examples. Through real-life illustrations, interactive activities, and case studies, readers will discover how they can also read and interpret God’s word in their own cultures. This book will challenge your assumptions about the interpretive task, encouraging and equipping you to rethink how the Bible can be understood across every people group in various cross-cultural, multicultural, and multigenerational contexts.