The Context Group is a
working group
A working group, or working party, is a group of experts working together to achieve specified goals. The groups are domain-specific and focus on discussion or activity around a specific subject area. The term can sometimes refer to an interdis ...
of international
biblical
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
scholars who promote research into the Bible using
social-scientific methods such as
anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of behavi ...
and
sociology
Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...
.
Founding
The Context Group is an international team of scholars that merges historical
exegesis
Exegesis ( ; from the Ancient Greek, Greek , from , "to lead out") is a critical explanation or interpretation (logic), interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Bible, Biblical works. In modern usage, ...
and the
social sciences
Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of soci ...
to
interpret the Bible in its social and cultural contexts. It initially organized in 1986 as the "Social Facets Seminar," headed by
John H. Elliott as chair, meeting in conjunction with the
Jesus Seminar
The Jesus Seminar was a group of about 50 critical biblical scholars and 100 laymen founded in 1985 by Robert Funk that originated under the auspices of the Westar Institute.''Making Sense of the New Testament'' by Craig Blomberg (Mar 1, 2004) ...
under the direction of Robert W. Funk and the Westar Institute. In 1989 it broke ties with the Jesus Seminar and reorganized in Portland, Oregon, as The Context Group, A Project on the Bible in its Social and Cultural Environment.
Two seminal publications by founding members were
Bruce J. Malina's ''The New Testament World: Insights from Cultural Anthropology'' (1981) and John H. Elliott's ''Home for the Homeless: A Sociological Exegesis of 1 Peter'' (1981). Elliott's ''What is Social-Scientific Criticism of the Bible?'' (1993) coined a new term for the group's methodology and provided a bibliographic survey. Other key figures who published on the subject during this era (all of whom eventually became part of the Context Group) include Dennis Duling, Philip Esler, Douglas E. Oakman, Jerome Neyrey SJ, John J. Pilch, Richard L. Rohrbaugh, and Wolfgang Stegemann.
The work of the group has had considerable influence in the field, but also has attracted a variety of criticisms.
Main ideas
At the root of the Context Group's social-scientific method is the belief that biblical scholars have taken
western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
cultural
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human Society, societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, and habits of the ...
assumptions for granted when interpreting the Bible, an ancient document produced in a much different culture.
The key difference is that the modern western world is an
individualistic
Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology and social outlook that emphasizes the intrinsic worth of the individual. Individualists promote the exercise of one's goals and desires and to value independence and self-relianc ...
,
industrial
Industrial may refer to:
Industry
* Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry
* Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems
* Industrial city, a city dominate ...
society, whereas the society of the ancient
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
world was
collectivistic and
agrarian.
The ancient Mediterranean was also a
high-context society, where discourse took shared cultural values for granted. This contrasts with the modern western world, which is a low-context society in which discourse tends to be more specific and specialized (i.e. to particular groups, subcultures, etc.). According to the Context scholars, the interpreter must learn the cultural assumptions and values behind the text in order to understand it correctly. This involves understanding values such as
honor
Honour (British English) or honor (American English; see spelling differences) is the idea of a bond between an individual and a society as a quality of a person that is both of social teaching and of personal ethos, that manifests itself as a ...
and
shame
Shame is an unpleasant self-conscious emotion often associated with negative self-evaluation; motivation to quit; and feelings of pain, exposure, distrust, powerlessness, and worthlessness.
Definition
Shame is a discrete, basic emotion, d ...
, for example, which Malina calls "pivotal cultural values."
Other common themes in Context analysis of the Bible include patron-client relationships, the "
evil eye
The Evil Eye ( grc, ὀφθαλμὸς βάσκανος; grc-koi, ὀφθαλμὸς πονηρός; el, (κακό) μάτι; he, עַיִן הָרָע, ; Romanian: ''Deochi''; it, malocchio; es, mal de ojo; pt, mau-olhado, olho gordo; ar ...
",
kinship
In anthropology, kinship is the web of social relationships that form an important part of the lives of all humans in all societies, although its exact meanings even within this discipline are often debated. Anthropologist Robin Fox says that ...
,
purity
Purity may refer to:
Books
* ''Pureza'' (novel), a 1937 Brazilian novel by José Lins do Rego
* ''Purity'' (novel), a 2015 novel by Jonathan Franzen
** ''Purity'' (TV series), a TV series based on the novel
*''Purity'', a 2012 novel by Jackson P ...
codes, and dyadic/group-oriented personalities.
Context scholars and publications
The Context Group's founding and early members include important scholars in the field today:
John H. Elliott,
Bruce J. Malina,
Philip Esler
Philip Francis Esler (born 27 August 1952) is the Portland Chair in New Testament Studies at the University of Gloucestershire. He is an Australian-born higher education administrator and academic who became the inaugural Chief Executive of the ...
,
Jerome H. Neyrey SJ,
John J. Pilch,
Wolfgang StegemannK.C. HansonDouglas E. OakmanDennis C. Duling S. Scott Bartchy and
Richard L. Rohrbaugh.
Important publications include the following:
* Craffert, Pieter F. ''The Life of a Galilean Shaman: Jesus of Nazareth in Anthropological-Historical Perspective.'' Matrix. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2008.
* Crook, Zeba A. ''Reconceptualising Conversion: Patronage, Loyalty, and Conversion in the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean. BZNW 130; Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2004.
* DeMaris, Richard E., ''The New Testament in Its Ritual World''. London: Routledge, 2008.
* DeMaris, Richard E., Jason T. Lamoreaux, and Steven C. Muir, eds. ''Early Christian Ritual Life''. London: Routledge.
* Duling, Dennis C. ''The New Testament: History, Literature, and Social Context.'' Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2003.
* Elliott, John H., editor. ''Social-Scientific Criticism of the New Testament and Its Social World.''
Semeia
''Semeia'' was a journal published by the Society of Biblical Literature, "devoted to the exploration of new and emergent areas and methods of biblical criticism."
Semeia Studies
After 2002, the journal Semeia was replaced by the book series S ...
35 (1986).
* .
* .
* .
* Esler, Philip F. ''Conflict and Identity in Romans: The Social Setting of Paul's Letter.'' Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003.
* .
* Esler, Philip F., editor. ''Ancient Israel: The Old Testament in Its Social Context.'' Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2006.
* Hanson, K. C., and Douglas E. Oakman, ''Palestine in the Time of Jesus.'' Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1998; 2d ed., 2008.
* Malina, Bruce J. ''The New Testament World: Insights from Cultural Anthropology.'' 3d ed. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2001.
* .
* .
* .
* .
* Neufeld, Dietmar. "The Social Sciences and Biblical Translation." Symposium Series 41. Atlanta/Leiden: Society of Biblical Literature, 2008.
* Neyrey, Jerome H. ''Paul, in Other Words: A Cultural Reading of His Letters.'' Louisville: John Knox Press, 1990.
* Neyrey, Jerome H. ''Render to God: New Testament Understandings of the Divine.'' Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004.
* Neyrey, Jerome H., editor. ''The Social World of Luke-Acts: Models for Interpretation.'' Peabody: Hendrickson, 1991.
* Oakman, Douglas E. ''Jesus and the Peasants.'' Matrix. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2008.
* Oakman, Douglas E. ''The Political Aims of Jesus.'' Minneapolis: Fortress Pres, 2012.
* Oakman, Douglas E. ''Jesus, Debt, and the Lord's Prayer: First-Century Debt and Jesus' Intentions''. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2014.
* Oakman, Douglas E. ''The Radical Jesus, the Bible, and the Great Transformation.'' Matrix. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2021.
* Pilch, John J., editor. ''Social Scientific Models for Interpreting the Bible.'' Biblical Interpretation Series 53. Leiden: Brill, 2001.
* Pilch, John J. & Bruce J. Malina, editors. ''A Handbook of Biblical Social Values.'' Peabody: Hendrickson, 1998.
* Rohrbaugh, Richard L. ''The New Testament in Cross-Cultural Perspective.'' Matrix. Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2007.
* Rohrbaugh, Richard L., editor. ''The Social Sciences and New Testament Interpretation.'' Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996.
* Stegemann, Ekkehard S., and Wolfgang Stegemann. ''The Jesus Movement: A Social History of Its First Century.'' Translated by O. C. Dean Jr. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1999.
* Stewart, Eric C., "Gathered around Jesus : An Alternative Spatial Practice in the Gospel of Mark". Eugene, Or. : Cascade Books, 2009.
References
*Coleman, John A. 'The Bible and Sociology.' 1998 Paul Hanly Furfey Lecture. ''Sociology of Religion'' (Summer 1999) on line at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0SOR/is_2_60/ai_55208516/pg_1
*Elliott, John H. ''What is Social Scientific Criticism of the Bible?'' Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993.
*-----. 'From Social Description to Social-Scientific Criticism: The History of a Society of Biblical Literature Section 1975-2005.' ''Biblical Theology Bulletin'' 38 (2008): 26–36.
*Esler, Philip F. 'The Context Group Project: An Autobiographical Account.' In ''Anthropology and Biblical Studies: Avenues of Research,'' edited by Mario Aguilar and Louise Lawrence, 46–61. Leiden: Deo Publishing, 2004.
*Herzog II, William R., Foreword to Bruce J. Malina, ''The Social Gospel of Jesus: The Kingdom of God in Mediterranean Perspective.'' Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2001.
*Malina, Bruce J. ''The New Testament World: Insights from Cultural Anthropology.'' 3rd ed. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001.
*Oakman, Douglas E. 'After Ten Years: A Draft History of the Context Group.' Private Circulation only, 1996.
External links
Context GroupOfficial site
S. Scott Bartchy Faculty PageAlicia Batten Home PageDavid Bossman Home PageDennis Duling Home PagePhilip F. Esler Home PageK.C. Hanson Home PageJohn S. Kloppenborg Home PageJerome Neyrey Home PageDouglas E. Oakman Home PageMauro Pesce Home PageRichard L. Rohrbaugh Home PageCraig de Vos Home PageRitva Williams Home PageDietmar Neufeld Home Page
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