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The Method

CLEAR critical thinking

Every lock walks students through one move in the CLEAR cycle. By the win screen they've run the whole loop at least once — make a claim, choose a lens, cite evidence, weigh an alternative, respond.

C
Claim
State what the text is about
L
Lens
Pick the genre / frame to read it through
E
Evidence
Cite lines that prove the claim
A
Alternatives
Test where the reading breaks down
R
Response
Connect it to another text or idea
CLEAR Critical Thinking for Bible as Literature — a respectful, academic frame for studying sensitive texts. Students study biblical texts as literature, history, rhetoric, allusion, poetry, or cultural reference without being asked to accept, reject, practice, or debate a faith claim; CLEAR keeps students grounded in the text and the evidence. The five steps: Claim — state what the text is about; Lens — pick the genre or frame to read it through; Evidence — cite lines that prove the claim; Alternatives — test where the reading breaks down; Response — connect it to another text or idea. Why CLEAR works here: keeps discussion academic, not devotional; focuses students on what the text says; supports close reading and evidence-based thinking; makes space for students of every faith and none. Asking better questions changes the conversation: instead of “What do you think about this story?” ask “What does this clue prove?” — specific, text-based questions keep discussion grounded.
The CLEAR frame applied to Bible-as-literature study.
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