His study focused on the parable in Luke 15:11-32 focusing on the prodigal son. He polled 100 North American students, and only 6 out of the 100 mentioned the prodigal son’s experience with a shortage of food. Then he polled 50 russian students in St. Petersburg and 42 out of the 50 mentioned the famine! This is just one prime example of how cultural history has embedded itself in the Eastern European context, which greatly impact the thought process of Russian Christians as compared to North American Christians who have never experienced a famine.
Although interpreting passages is important and admirable, making interpretations and assuming that those are the only meanings in a passage is questionable. This could result in colonization, which bars the freedom of the individual to freely think about salvation in their own context.
To make our contexts clear, it is important to note: that western interpretations are not superior to eastern interpretations, that a man’s interpretations are not superior to that of a woman, that a Caucasians interpretations are not superior to a colored person, etc., etc. . By thinking that one person 's interpretation is superior to others based off their context is truly missing the mark. All humans, regardless of context, view the Bible and salvation though a limited, skewed perspective that hinders their ability to truly understand the grace of