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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.

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Cultural Exegesis: Understanding the Culture behind the Text

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  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

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