The Reader’s Context(s)

12/2/04

NT 400

Introduction

• modernist approach has been challenged in the past 30 years
• reader-oriented methods
• some behind the text – form criticism
• some in the text – literary methods
• some in front of the text – subject matter to which the text witnesses
• point to reality of the God who has called us
• text is interesting not on its own but because of what it talks about
• extreme position - context of the reader is in control
• hermeneutics of suspicion – of ourselves, of power uses
• theological questions in the subject of God in the text
• Wagner – come to text as a member of the Christian community that is shaped by the Bible and the creeds.
• be honest about our commitments

Steven Bevins – Models of Contextual Tendency

• to the extent that the text witnesses to an entity outside of itself (God)
• eschatological in nature – church never understands the text completely
• the more we see Christ in other cultures we get a bigger picture of Christ
• as we bring Christ in mission, we come to understand the gospel more fully
• open to the future – eschatological function – as it becomes native to more cultures

Return to Babel

• John and Priscilla Levison
• Priscilla – liberation theology
• shape of global theology
• located scholars in Africa, South America, Asia
• exegetical essays for different texts
• respect for text for the other – in other cultures

Jose Miguez-Bonino - Genesis 11:1-9

• A Latin American perspective
• context
• conquest of Inca Empire
• removal of the language in order to establish a new nation
• to accept the new language meant to deny everything that gave meaning to their lives – stories, traditions, the “naming of things”, the music of words, the sounds of love
• example – if you want a good job, then must speak clear, American, English
• traditional reading – human pride, set up as rivals to God, division of languages is punishment
• Miguez-Bonino
• part of that is right – empire-mindset to stamp out difference, arrogance in challenging God by seeking to be god for other people, clear link with Babylon
• diversity of languages is a gift, a different type of unity that perserves diversity
• is there a unity that can preserve diversity?
• people can return to their own nation, place, and language
• question: what is the project? are there human victims in the story?
• what is my context? I am part of the main group. As an American, I am not concerned with globalization in terms of losing my culture.
• Challenges
• Duncan - there is a corrective work, go populate the earth vs. centralization
• JDL – there is a confusion of languages
• if you respect the text as an “other”, then it is still allowed to talk back
• goal of authoer – leave enough room to allow the reader
• Name
• Shem – hebrew word for name
• Genesis 12:3 as alternative to this empire (Abram’s name will be made great)

Jose Miguez-Bonino – Acts 2:1-42

• A Latin American perspective
• instead of going back to one language
• gospel is now available in all languages
• gospel is an opportunity for unity, without being flattened out

Hannah W. Kinoti – John 1:1-18

• an African perspective
• Word for Jews, Logos to Greeks
• Wisdom of the Elders – refers to this text
• 2^nd century apologists – Jesus is the Logos who speaks truly in other cultures
• incorporates Greek philosophy into Christianity
• Reformed notion of common grace
• Acts 17 – “unknown god”
• Kinoti – seers/sages are a bridge to a truth embodied in the Word become flesh
• old approach – stomp out all old traditions (ancestor worship)
• range of struggles
• Cege and the Logos / Justin Martyr and the Logos

George Soares-Prabhu – John 1:1-18

• Asian perspective

Elsa Tamez – 1 Corinthians 15:1-58

• Latin American perspective
• resurrection of the body in light of abuse/rape
• challenging injustice led to this deep humiliation of bodies
• resurrection provides hope
• * to what degree is this faithful to the text or is something being read in?
• Paul wasn’t thinking about Latin American liberation
• remember, there isn’t ONE controllable meaning in this text, not fixed and discernable by historical tools
• is resurrection an event or a principle?
• Tamez is a theologian – she brings that context as well

People do not have an accountability in current church

We have to go find it.

Must read these texts in community where people are accountable

Bonhoeffer – Life Together (?)

• we cannot hear the gospel unless it comes from outside ourselves
• Scripture will never function like it is supposed to outside of community
• we must see it embodied in other people

Mark 10

Introduction

• 8:31-35 – passion prediction I
• 9:30-32 – passion prediction II
• Greatest 10:34-37
• 10:32-34 – passion prediction III
• movement - from Galilee to Jerusalem

Mark 10:35-45

• inside / outside
• James / John – discussion about right / left
• only two, no Peter, two brothers go together, only 2 spots open (Apprentice – let’s get Peter fired!)
• ten
• direct discourse – all except one verse
• slows down the pace of the passage
• Jesus doesn’t answer the question head on
• cup / baptism
• cup – OT - God’s wrath
• Psalms – cup of salvation
• cup – last supper and Gethsemane
• sacramental backcasting? (Duncan)
• historical question – text given by people who celebrated the Eucharist
• where is the beginning of the Eucharist
• Mark is writing to a community that knows the Eucharist
• we are reading it as well who know the Eucharist
• John – no mention of sacraments
• washing of feet instead
• John 6 – bread of life
• baptism
• Matthew abbreviates and gets rid of the baptism
• ties sacraments to baptism
• disciples “yes, we are able”
• John of Zebedee does not die a martyrs death
• disciples – time to take over, going to Jerusalem
• v. 42 – why the Gentiles?
• could have referred to the Pharisees
• ethnos – clearly describes the Gentiles
• Roman rule
• Wagner
• Galileee is under control of Roman rule of one who is a Jew
• no Roman centurions walking around Galilee
• Romans are in control in Samaria and Judea
• moving into territory directly run by
• 6 AD – Romans come in, Herod’s son is taken out of circulation, the Romans take a census to tax people (poll tax), Judas has armed revolt.
• talking about Gentiles because they are on the way
• Wagner
• Isaiah 11
• branch of David that will rise
• Romans 15 quoted
• read Messianicly
• rises to rule the Gentiles
• could Mark be playing with this notion? Messiah will rule the Gentiles
• Mark – seem to rule the Gentiles
• maybe Jesus is pointing to how another will really rule the Gentiles
• contrasting how Jesus’ rule will look like
• preposition emphasizes – oppression

• vv. 43-44
• how do we hear servant and slave? how did they hear servant and slave?
• Jewish people recalls Exodus, exile thoughts.
• early Christian community includes slaves
• slave – they will be real slaves, not just an idea
• being great or having authority includes slave
• v. 45 – ransom
• closest Mark comes to an explicit statement about Jesus’ death
• exodus imagery – freeing slaves imagery?
• Isaiah 53 – many that are made righteous
• Isaiah 53 – reward is seeing his offspring
• we are schooled to be more Stoic – not true love if we benefit from it
• C.S. Lewis – Weight of Glory - Kant and Stoics instead of Christianity

texts used to justify slavery

plantation owners had preachers come out to preach this to slaves to keep them

women justifying their position

Does Mark replicate powers of oppression?

Or is there something that allows me to push back?

POWER OVER PEOPLE?

Wagner

• kai gar
• to be slave of all
• model – is self-giving of Christ
• power, glory, authority shown in slavery
• Christology – would not support call for women to be doormats, or any people group to be less.