1 / 19

Cultural Exegesis: Understanding the Culture behind the Text

Gain insights into the cultural context of a text by asking questions about worldview, societal structures, physical features, economic structures, political climate, religious structures, and more.

mfetterman
Télécharger la présentation

Cultural Exegesis: Understanding the Culture behind the Text

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Session 10 Cultural Exegesis: Behind the Text

  2. Understanding culture helps us better understand words

  3. Learn to ask questions about culture

  4. Worldview: • general values or outlook of those in text or in society at large

  5. Societal structures: • marriage-family patterns, roles of men and women

  6. Physical features: • climate, weather, means of transportation

  7. Economic structures: • means of making a living, wealth vs. poverty, slavery, economic mobility

  8. Political climate: • governing structures, loyalties among groups and leaders, behavior patterns, customs, dress

  9. Religious structures: • practices, power centers, beliefs, rituals, affiliations.

  10. World View Questions • the sources of matter and energy • spirits and spiritual power • cause and effect • animism versus modern and scientific worldviews

  11. Value and Meaning Questions • Meaning from power or meaning from status • Honor and shame established status • Purity, order, and appropriateness • Important values in the ancient world

  12. Value and Meaning Questions (cont.) • Village life and having small circles of known people. • High value was placed on family • The goal of increasing one’s status through honor • Shame was avoided • Patron and client, sponsorship, power and position determined relationships • Limited goods • Certain “taboos” were avoided

  13. Sociological and Psychological Questions • The nature of humans • Group: “Dyadic culture” as primary unit of society • Individual: Platonistic dualism, trichotomist, psychosomatic unity • What does the Bible mean by a person?

  14. Political Questions • Political assumptions • Idea ruler • Ideal versus reality • OT “ideal” = King who fear God • NT “reality” = control of Roman Empire

  15. Economic Questions • “ideal” and the “actual” economic • “money-exchange” or “barter” culture • food, housing, and possessions

  16. Economic Questions (cont.) • World of poverty: affected food, housing • Only a few rich, often condemned in Scripture • Heavy Roman tax burden & many slaves

  17. Educational Questions • Few could read and write but memorized • How did people learn? • Knowledge of Scripture? • Synagogue school • Few copies of Scripture • Oral learning

  18. Religious Questions • View of deity • Religious culture • Rituals • polytheism versus monotheism • People’s knowledge of God • Spiritual formation methods

  19. Customs of Life Questions • marriage, birthing, death, burial, clothing, work, leisure, family life, rites of passage, betrothal and marriage

More Related