Social Criticism Nick Elder
The Iliff School of Theology 10.17.2011
Introductory Remarks “for all non-Mediterraneans, including all Americans, reading the Bible is always an exercise in cross-cultural communication. It is only a question in doing it poorly or doing it well.” (Richard L. Rohrbaugh, The Social Sciences and New Testament Interpretation, 1) “Our reading of the New Testament is also a social act. For us, howeve r, reading the New Testament is a cross- cultural experience.” (David Rhoads, Social Criticism: Crossing Boundaries, 145)
Backgrounds to Social Criticism “[Social-scientific criticism] emerged as a programmatic methodological enterprise in the 1970’s. This effort as a self-conscious merger of exegesis and the social sciences was not without notable predecessors who had seen the value of the social sciences for biblical interpretation…” ( Elliott, 17) o Troeltsch, Weber, etc. are in mind here Gerd Theissen: “Wanderradikalismus: Literatursoziologische Aspekte der
Überlieferung von Worten Jesu im Urchistentum” (Itinerant Radicalism: The Tradition of Jesus Sayings from the Perspective of the Sociology of Literature) o Reopens the door to social criticism o No longer can the radical (but domesticated) words of Jesus be divorced
from the material and social conditions of Jesus’ time What is Social Criticism “Social-Scientific Criticism of the Bible is that phase of the exegetical task which analyzes the social and cultural dimensions of the text and its environmental context through the utilization of the social sciences.” (Elliott, What is SocialScientific Criticism, 7)
“Our concern is primarily to understand the NT by placing it more nearly in the social world out of which it came.” (Rohrbaugh, Social Sciences, 10) “The purpose for using cultural anthropological models in New Testament study is precisely to hear the meaning of the documents in terms of social systems in which they were originally proclaimed.” (Bruce J. Malina, The New Testament World: Insights from Cultural Anthropology, xi)
Presuppositions Presuppositions of Social Criticism (Elliott, 36-58) 1.) All knowledge is socially conditioned and perspectival in nature (36-37) a. Applies to both the interpreter and the author and groups under examination b. Total objectivity is illusory
Elder, Social Criticism
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c. “The social-scientific critic at the outset of an investigation considers her or his own personal and social location and its influence on the interests, presuppositions, preunderstandings, theories, methods, and goals of the analysis” (37) This implies that the method of analysis must include means for distinguishing and clarifying the differences between the social location of the interpreter and the social location of the authors and objects to be interpreted. (37-40) a. Being “respectful visitors” to a foreign culture Theories and models have always played an essential role (40-48) a. Because theories and models dictate both materials to be examined and the process of interpretation it is imperative they are states at the outset of an investigation b. Models are consciously structured to organize interpretation of raw material Importance of abduction (over against deduction or induction) (48) a. Back and forth movement Social-scientific criticism insists on situating biblical texts within their appropriate geographical, social, and cultural contexts. (49) a. Encodements of the cultural values and scripts typical of the CircumMediterranean and Near Eastern culture regions summarized by Mediterranean anthropologists Texts are meaningful social discourse in oral or written form (50-55) a. Contains social data we may not understand, implied relationship between author and target reader, a specific textual mode of organizing discourse Social-scientific criticism presumes that this method is different from but complementary to a historical orientation (55)
8.) Study of “religion” in the bible and its environment requires a study of social structures and relations (57) 9.) The practitioner of Social Scientific Criticism may draw on the full range of social-science theory, methods, and research. (58) 10.) Social Scientific Criticism is concerned not only with original meanings of the biblical documents but also with the aggregations of meanings down through the centuries (58)
Approaches to Social Criticism Criticism Social Description/Investigation of Social Realia Social History Use of Social Theory/Models Sociology of Knowledge o Marking Cultural Assumptions (and challenged assumptions) Identifying Social Location Of the Author/Hearer
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Models
“Models from cultural anthropology do not offer an alternative explanation of the
Bible, nor do they do away with literary critical, historical, and theological study. Rather, they add a dimension not available from other approaches, along with a way to check on the hunches of interpreters when it comes to questions of what any given author said and meant to say.” (Malina, New Testament World , xi) “Models are abstract, simplified representations of more complex real-world objects and interactions. Like abstract thought, the purpose of models is to enable and facilitate understanding.” (Malina, New Testament World , 18)
“Models really cannot be proved right or wrong. After all, they are postulated;
that is, they derive from a sort of insight that seems to hold experiences together in such a way as to make sense. Models can only be validated.” (Malina, New Testament World , 18)
Question for Discussion/Consideration Discussion/Consideration Many of the advocates of Social Criticism view it as an aid to the more historical-critical exegetical task, in what ways can it be used in the methods we have been discussing throughout the quarter?
Respectful Visitors
“A text from the first century is like a door, an opening through which to look into ferent world.” (Rhoads, Social Criticism, 146) another culture, a dif ferent Code of Ethics for Travelers o
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Travel in a spirit of humility and with a genuine desire to meet and talk with the local people. Be aware of the feelings of other people, thus preventing what might be offensive behavior. Remember this especially with photography. Cultivate the habit of listening and observing, rather than merely hearing and seeing. Realize that people in the country you visit often have time concepts and thought patterns different from your own. Not inferior, just different. Discover the enrichment that comes from seeing another way of life, rather than looking for the 'beach paradise' of the tourist posters. Acquaint yourself with the local customs. Respect local customs; people will be happy to help you. Cultivate the habit of asking questions instead of knowing all the answers. Remember that you are one of thousands of visiting tourists. Do not expect special privileges. If you really want a home away from home, why travel? Spend wisely. Remember when shopping that the bargain you obtain is only possible because of the low wages paid to the maker. Make no promises to local people unless you are certain you can fulfill them. Reflect daily on your experiences; seek to deepen your understanding. "What enriches you may rob or violate others." Choose to be surprised, not disappointed, when places and people do not match
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Social Criticism thus far in the Gospel of Mark Mark 1.16-45 Calling the Disciples, Coalitions/Factions 1.16-20 Fishing Mark 1.40, The Leper kneels to Jesus, Patron/Client Mark 2.8-9 Challenging Jesus, Honor/Shame 2.12-14 Tax-Collectors 2.18-20 Fasting 2.23-28 Purity/Pollution 3.20-30 Accusations against Jesus, Deviance Labeling that must be validated by public opinion Mark 4.10-20 Jesus obscures his teaching, In-group/Out-group Mark 4.26-29 Rich, Poor and Limited Good Mark 5.24b-24 Woman with the flow of blood, Purity/Pollution and Healing/Health Healing/Health Care Mark 6.30-44 The bread and fish, Meals, Money, and Patron/Client Mark 7.6-7 Old Testament quotation, Oral Poetry Mark 7.22 Envy, The Evil Eye Mark 8.27-30 Who do the others/you say that I am? Collectivist Personality Mark 9.2-10 The Transfiguration, Altered Transfiguration, Altered States of Consciousness Mark 9.30-37 Receiving like a Child, Children Mark 10.1-12 Teaching on Divorce, Wife/Daughter, Challenge-Riposte, Challenge-Riposte, Betrothal and Betrothal and Divorce Mark 10.17-31 The Rich Man, Rich, Poor and Limited Good Mark 10.46-52 Jesus heals a Blind Man, Healing/Health Healing/Health Care and Patron/Client Recurring Themes: Holy Man, Demon/Demon Possession, Gossip, Secrecy
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Practicing Social Social Criticism in the Gospel of Mark Mark 12.13-17 NA27 Mark 12.13 Καὶ ἀνζηέιινπζλ ξὸο
αὐηόλ ηλαο ηῶλ Φαξζαίωλ αὶ ηῶλ Ἡξῳδαλῶλ ἵλα αὐηὸλ ἀγξεύζωζλ ιόγῳ. 14 αὶ ἐιόληεο ιέγνπζλ αὐηῷ · δδάζαιε, νἴδακελ ὅη ἀιὴο εἶ αὶ εἶ αὶ νὐ κέιε ζν εξὶ νὐδελόο· νὐ γὰξ βιέεο εἰο ξόζωνλ ἀλξώωλ, ἀιι᾿ ἐ᾿ ἀιείαο ηὴλ ὁδὸλ ηνῦ ενῦ δδάζεο· ἔμεζηλ δνῦλα ῆλζνλ Καίζαξ ἢ νὔ; δῶκελ ἢ κὴ δῶκελ; 15 ὁ δὲ εἰδὼο αὐηῶλ ηὴλ ὑόξζλ ηὴλ ὑόξζλ εἶελ αὐηνῖο· ηί κε εξάεηε; θέξεηέ κν δλάξνλ ἵλα ἴδω. 16 νἱ δὲ ἤλεγαλ. αὶ ιέγε αὐηνῖο· ηίλνο ἡ εἰὼλ αὕη αὶ ἡ ἐγξαθή; νἱ δὲ εἶαλ αὐηῷ· Καίζαξνο. 17 ὁ δὲ Ἰζνῦο εἶελ αὐηνῖο· ηὰ Καίζαξνο ἀόδνηε Καίζαξ αὶ ηὰ ηνῦ ενῦ ηῷ εῷ. αὶ ἐμεαύκανλ ἐ᾿ αὐηῷ.
-Challenge-Riposte
-Religion, Economics, and Politics
NRSV Mark 12.13 Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said. 14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? 15 Should we pay them, or should we not?” But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it.” 16 And they brought one. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.” 17 Jesus said to them, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him.
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More Questions: I know we have been jumping the gun on Postcolonial Criticism, but do these social aspects make it easier or more difficult for a postcolonial interpretation? Does this text change when understanding these social elements? If so, how? Are you convinced that we are able to ‘reconstruct’ social models and then apply them to draw something out of the text? te xt?
Bibliography Blasi, Anthony J., Jean Duhaime and Paul Andre Turcotte, eds. Handbook of Early Christianity: Social Science Approaches. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 2002. Elliott, John H. What is Social-Scientific Criticism. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993.
Horsley, Richard A. A. Sociology and the Jesus Movement . Movement . New York: The Continuum Publishing Company, 1994. Malina, Bruce J. The New Testament World: Insights from Cultural Anthropology. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004.
Malina, Bruce J. Windows on the World of Jesus: Time Travel to Ancient Judea . Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1993. Malina, Bruce J. and Richard L. Rohrbaugh, eds. Social Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels. Gospels . Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003. Rhoads, David. “Social Criticism: Crossing Boundaries ” Pages 145-180 in Mark and Method . Edited by Janice Capel Anderson and Stephen Moore. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2008. Rohrbaugh, Richard L., ed. The Social Sciences and New Testament Interpretation. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, 1996.
