Byberg Preaching Workshop 2010 Developing skills of ELCA preachers Through Mediterranean Eyes Richard Rohrbaugh May 3, 4 & 5, 2010 Trinity Lutheran Church 812 N 5th St Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho Through Mediterranean Eyes The New Testament was not written for 21st century Americans. Rather, it speaks the language, metaphors and issues of the ancient Mediterranean world. In the same way, Jesus spoke primarily to and about Mediterranean peasants. It was their lives that provided the material for the stories he told and it was to them that he announced the coming kingdom of God. His audience could never have imagined the fast-paced, individualistic, guilt-oriented, introspective lives of modern Americans. For Americans, reading the Bible is therefore quite similar to a cross-cultural conversation -- subject to all kinds of cultural misunderstanding. So how did ancient Mediterranean peas- ants understand Jesus’ stories? Did they see in them the same things we do? Or did they pick up things we miss? Moreover, is it possible that we unknowingly import our culture into the stories, thereby distorting what they once meant? In this workshop we will look at a series of stories in the Gospel of Luke in order to ask: How did Jesus’ stories look through Mediterranean eyes? And is it possible for 21st century Americans to cross the cultural divide and gain common ground with the ancient peasant audience of Jesus? Richard Rohrbaugh Richard Rohrbaugh is the Paul S. Wright Professor of Christian Studies at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. He teaches the courses on Jewish and Christian origins, including courses on both the Old and New Testaments. His special area of research is the anthropology of the early Christian period and especially the social and cultural world of the New Testament. He is the author of six books exploring the social and cultural context of the earliest Christian writings, especially the Gospels in the New Testament. These documents have been provided with permission by Richard Rohrbaugh. Thank you Richard! Please attribute him when you use them!

American Patterns of Thinking (Adapted from Stewart and Bennett, American Cultural Patterns)

S & B Thesis: American ways of thinking are nearly unique in the world and in world history. Cross-cultural misunderstanding and miscommunication should thus surprise no one. Both can be anticipated and explained.

Example: American road signs are placed at a divide in the road, indicating which way leads to the desired destination. Japanese road signs are placed at the destination informing you that you made the right choice.

Our Thesis: The disconnect between our way of thinking and that of persons in the biblical world is nearly total. Thus misunderstanding (or acculturation) of biblical texts by Americans should not surprise anyone either.

Unique American Ways of Thinking

a. Fact oriented - truth is: 1. Empirical, observable, measurable 2. Reliable 3. Objective 4. Measured in time and space 5. We are able to engage in counter-factual speculation

b. Analytical 1. We take things, ideas, situations apart to see how they work 2. We assume that knowing how something works will enable us to change it, improve it or fix it c. Pragmatic/technical

1. Problem-solving stance on all issues/conflicts 2. Weigh alternatives 3. Develop criteria 4. Estimate probability 5. We trace lines from problems, to alternative solutions, to

measurable results. 6. We make "How to..." manuals for everything 7. What works has priority

d. Inductive thinkers – reasoning from data to general principles. 1. We collect data in order to discern patterns from which we can draw universal principles

2. We assume that these principles/truths should work or apply everywhere e. Future oriented -

1. Anticipate consequences 2. Stress delayed gratification 3. Believe hard work succeeds

f. Achievement oriented 1. Americans value "doing" rather than "being" - we are what we do 2. We honor achievement; hence accomplishment counts for more

than birth status

NOT A SINGLE ONE of these patterns is characteristic of the ancient Mediterranean/biblical world Example: In the Mediterranean world (and much of non-western world) people are relational thinkers – context, relationships and status determine meaning and validity. "Facts," analysis, problems, possibilities and solutions are all irrelevant. Who says something is far more important than the content of what is said.

The Evil Eye Do not eat the bread of one having the evil eye (NRSV: the stingy); do not desire their delicacies; for like a hair in the throat, so are they. "Eat and drink!" they say to you; but they do not mean it. You will vomit up the little you have eaten, and you will waste your pleasant words.

Proverbs 23:6-8 The man with an evil eye (NRSV: miser) is in a hurry to get rich and does not know that loss is sure to come.

Proverbs 28:22

For a good man does not have an evil eye, but he is merciful to all, even though they may be sinners.

Testament of Benjamin 4:2-4

Remember that an evil (NRSV: greedy) eye is a bad thing. What has been created more evil (NRSV: greedy) than the eye? Therefore it sheds tears from every face.

Sirach 31:12-13 Some people believe that friends and relatives, and in some cases even fathers, have the evil eye, so that their wives will not show them their children nor allow the children to be gazed upon by them for very long.

Plutarch, Quaest. Conv. 682A The eyes of God are ten thousand times brighter than the sun.

Sirach 10:1

Terms for the Evil Eye Gaelic droch shuil German böser Blick Italian mal’ occhio French mauvais oeil Norwegian skjoertunge Persian aghashi Latin oculus malus, occulus malignus, occulus invidus Hebrew ayin Horeh Arabic ayin Harsha Modern Greek vaskania, matiasma Spanish mal ojo Ancient Greek o0fqalmo\j ponhro/j Ancient Hebrew Nyi( f(ra Assyrian i-ni li-mut-tum

Other Terms Ayin al-h ̣asad (Arabic) eye of envy Fascinatio (Lat.) evil eye attack Ba/skanoj (Grk.) one possessing the evil eye Prosbaska/nion (Grk.) a safeguard against the evil eye Jettatore (Ital.) one possessing the evil eye Jettatura (Ital.) casting the evil eye Invidere (Lat.) cast an envious eye upon Praefiscini dixerim no malice or fascination intended Mashallah (Arabic) God be praised Grazia a Dio (Ital.) God be praised Digitus infamis (Lat.) rigid middle finger gesture Mano cornuta (Lat.) horn gesture Mano fica (Lat.) fig gesture Kein ayin horeh (Heb.) “No evil eye intended” Similia similibus like with like

How the Evil Eye Works When one looks at what is excellent with an envious eye he fills the surrounding atmosphere with a pernicious quality, and transmits his own envenomed exhalations into whatever is nearest to him

Heliodorus (3rd c.) Thea.i.140 It does happen sometimes, as I have said, that people are injured by a mere look; but because the reason is hard to track down, the fact is not believed. Indeed, I answered, in a way you yourself have found the track and trail of the reason at the point were you came to effluences from bodies. For odor, voice, and breathing are all emanations of some kind, streams of particles from living bodies, that produce sensation whenever our organs of sense are stimulated by their impact. ...In all probability the most active stream of such emanations is that which passes through the eye. For vision, being of enormous swiftness and carried by an essence that gives off a flame-like brilliance, diffuses wondrous influence.

Plutarch, Quaest. Conv. 680F … diseases of the eye are more contagious to those exposed and more instantaneously so than other diseases, so penetrating and swift is the power of the eye to admit or communicate disease.

Plutarch, Quaest. Conv. 681D But as regards the psychical [effects], including the casting of spells, how precisely can harm spread to others by a mere glance of the eye? I answered, Don’t you know that the body is sympathetically affected when the mind is subject to any influence? Amorous thoughts will excite the sexual organs... Envy, which naturally roots itself more deeply in the mind than any other passion, contaminates the body too with evil... When those possessed by envy to this degree let their glance fall upon a person, their eyes, which are close to the mind and draw from it the evil influence of the passion, then assail that person as if with poisoned arrows.

Plutarch, Quaest. Conv. 681D-E

Self-bewitchment is most frequently brought about by the streams of particles reflected from sheets of water or other mirror-like surfaces; these reflections rise like vapor and return to the beholder, so that he is injured by the same means by which he has been injuring others.

Plutarch, Quaest. Conv. 682F

Jesus, on the Evil Eye Matthew 6:22-23

The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is generous [NRSV: healthy], your whole body will be full of light; but if you have the evil eye [NRSV: if your eye is unhealthy], your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Paul, on the Evil Eye Galatians 3:1

O foolish Galatians, who has put the evil eye on you [NRSV: who has bewitched you], you before whose eyes Jesus Christ was proclaimed as crucified.

Protection against the Evil Eye

... a person should he on his guard against an evil eye... Go and hide yourselves in the forests so that an evil eye may have no power over you.

b. Baba Batra 118a If a man on going into a city is afraid of the evil eye, let him take the thumb of his right hand in his left hand and the thumb of his left hand in his right hand, and say: I, so-and-so, am of the seed of Joseph

over which the evil eye has no power... If he is afraid of his own evil eye, he should look at the side of his left nostril.

b. Berachoth 55b

Amulets for Protection Against the Evil Eye

What I have said shows why the so-called amulets are thought to be a protection against the evil eye. The strange look of them attracts the gaze, so that it exerts less pressure upon its victim.

Plutarch, Quaest. Conv. 682A

Winged Eye of Horus Egypt, 19th Dynasty or later (after 1250 b.c.e.)

Roman Amulets for Protection from the Evil Eye

Terracotta figure featuring female genitalia as a form of protection against the evil eye

The protective horn sign employed as an amulet

A complex Roman bronze amulet incorporating three symbols: the fig gesture, the phallus and the crescent

Hand Gestures to ward off the Evil Eye

Hand gestures used by a Libyan tribe (Meshwesh) and the Philistines to ward off attacks by the Egyptian Pharoah Seti I (c. 1300 b.c.e.)

Spitting as a means of warding off the Evil Eye ... though my condition put you to the test, you did not scorn or spit at (RSV: despise) me, but welcomed me as an angel of God. What has become of the good will you felt? For I testify that, had it been possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.

Gal 4:14-15 [Paul] a man small of stature, with a bald head and crooked legs, in a good state of body; with eyebrows meeting and nose somewhat hooked, full of friendliness; for now he appeared like a man, and now he had the face of an angel. d Acts of Paul and Thecla 3

Honor-Shame Honor is a claim to worth…

and the public acknowledgement of that worth

• Public recognition equals “reputation” or “face” • To claim honor the public does not recognize is to play

the fool Types of honor

• Ascribed: the result of birth, power or position • Acquired: gained by virtuous conduct or excelling in the

game of challenge-response Honor determines everything in life:

• Who speaks and who listens • Who can marry whom • Who eats when, where and with whom • What one can wear • Where one can fix the gaze, etc.

The Game

Challenge

• Positive challenges (e.g., gifts) leave one indebted • Negative challenges (e.g., insults) cause shame if not

returned Response

• Positive rejection of the challenge (scorn), usually

toward an inferior • Negative rejection of the challenge (cowardice) results in

shame • Accepting the challenge: requires an equal (balances) or

greater (one-upmanship) response • Failure is less shameful than not responding • The game is one of wits. A resort to violence is an

admission of failure

Shame The “shame” role is a private, internal role played mostly by women. It requires sensitive monitoring of the honor-status of the family in the village.

• Having shame means being sensitive to one’s public status and to behavior that could potentially damage it

• Being shamed is losing honor and suffering disgrace

The Love of Honor Desert is relative to external goods; and the greatest of these, we should say, is that which we render to the gods, and which people in position most aim at, and which is the prize appointed for the noblest

deeds; and this is honor; that is surely the greatest of all external goods.

Aristotle, Nichomachaen Ethics, II Being loved seems akin to being honored, and that is what most people aim at. … For most people enjoy being honored by those in positions of authority because of their hopes (for they think that if they want anything they will get it from them; and therefore they delight in honor as a token of favor to come); while those who desire honor from good men, and men who know, are aiming at confirming their own opinion of themselves; they delight in honor, therefore because they believe in their own goodness on the strength of the judgment of those who speak about them.

Aristotle, Nichomachaen Ethics, VIII A consideration of the prominent types of life shows that people of superior refinement and of active disposition identify happiness with honor, for this is, roughly speaking, the goal of the political life.

Aristotle, Nichomachaen Ethics, I Athenians excel all others not so much in singing or in stature or in strength, as in love of honor, which is the strongest incentive to deeds of honor and renown.

Xenophon, Memorabilia 3.3.13

The Love of Honor For the glory that the Romans burned to possess, be it noted, is the favorable judgment of men who think well of other men. For he [God] granted supremacy to men who for the sake of honor, praise and glory served the country. Thus for once vice, that is, love of praise, they overcame the love of money and many other vices.

Augustine, City of God, 5.12.13 In this man differs from other animals – I mean in this craving for honor. In meat and drink and sleep and sex all creatures alike seem to take pleasure; but love of honor is rooted in neither the brute beasts nor in every human being. But in they in whom is planted a passion for honor and praise, these are those who differ most from

beasts of the field, these are accounted men and not mere human beings.

Xenophon, Hiero, 7.3 Wealth, fame, official posts, honors and everything of that sort are that which with the majority of mankind are busy.

Philo, Det., 122 Fame and honor are a most precarious possession, tossed about on the reckless tempers and flighty words of careless men.

Philo, Abr., 264

When they meet each other in the streets, you may know if the persons meeting are of equal rank by the following token: if they are, instead of speaking, they kiss each other on the lips. In the case where one is a little inferior to the other, the kiss is given on the cheek; where the difference of rank is great, the inferior prostrates himself upon the ground.

Herodotus History, 1.134)

Honor and Age

Do not pay undue or equal respects to them [his sons], but to every one according to the prerogative of their births; for he that pays such respects unduly, will thereby not make him that is honored beyond what his age requires so joyful, as he will make him that is dishonored sorrowful.

Josephus, BJ 1. 459 Egyptians… were careful of the order of precedence, and knew how to discriminate between younger and older in the honors which they paid them.

Philo, Jos 203

To all older persons, too, should one give honor appropriate to their age.

Aristotle, Nichomachaen Ethics, 9.2

Having Shame For men who feel shame often show the same faults as those who feel none, with this difference, however: they are grieved and distressed at their errors, unlike the shameless, who take pleasure in theirs.

Plutarch, Moralia, VI

Honor and Banquet Seating Arrangements To me, however, the matter of making distinctions among one’s guests does not seem very hard. In the first place, it does not easily happen that many men who are rivals in honor meet at one party. Next, inasmuch as there are a number of places which have come to be held in honor, their distribution does not arouse jealousy if the host is able to guess rightly and give each of the so-called dignitaries the place he likes – because it is the first, or in the middle, or beside the host himself, or some friend of the guest, an intimate, or teacher – and receive the other guests with gifts and friendly courtesies, an undisturbed tranquility rather than honor of place. But if the honors are hard to decide, and the guests are touchy, then see what device I apply. If my father is present, I do him the honor of putting him in the most distinguished place; if he is not present, I honor my grandfather, or my father-in-law, or my father’s brother, or any one among those guests who admittedly have a particular claim to precedence at the hands of the host, and it is from the poems of Homer that I get this rule of propriety.

Plutarch, Moralia, Table-Talk 1,2, VIII: 615D

Luke’s Defense of Jesus’ Honor

The Genealogy of Jesus

Luke 3:23-38

23 Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was thought) of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38 the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

Luke’s Defense of Jesus’ Honor

An Honor Test: Challenge and Response Luke 4:1-13

1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. 3 The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread." 4 Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'" 5 Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And the devil said to him, "To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours." 8 Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'" 9 Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,' 11 and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'" 12 Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" 13 When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Public Recognition of Acquired Honor Luke 4:14-15

14 Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. 15 He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

Home Town Honor Challenge Luke 4:16-30

16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." 20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" 23 He said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, 'Doctor, cure yourself!' And you will say, 'Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.'" 24 And he said, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown. 25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27 There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian." 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.

Limited Good: The Peasant Worldview

… broad areas of peasant behavior are patterned in such fashion as to suggest that peasants view their social, economic and natural universes – their total environment – as one in which all of the desired things in life such as land, wealth, health, friendship and love, manliness and honor, respect and status, power and influence, security and safety, exist in finite quantity and are always in short supply as far as the peasant is concerned. Not only do these and all other “good things” exist in finite and limited quantity, but in addition there is no way directly within peasant power to increase available quantities. It is as if the obvious fact of land shortage in a densely populated area applied to all other desired things: not enough to go around. “Good,” like land, is seen as inherent in nature, there to be divided and redivided, if necessary, but not to be augmented. George Foster, Peasant Society: A Reader “Every rich person is either a thief or the heir of a thief.”

St. Jerome, In Hieremiam, II, CCL, LXXIV 61 The rich take what belongs to everyone, and claim they have the right to own it, to monopolize it.

St. Basil Honorable is he whom God remembers in granting him a due sufficiency. But if a man abound over much, he sins. Sufficient are moderate means with justice.

Psalms of Solomon 5:19 Private property is theft.

St. Basil

Matthew 25:14-29

For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' But his master replied, 'You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.

Luke 19:11-27

19:11 As they were listening to this, he went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 19:12 So he said, "A nobleman went to a distant country to get royal power for himself and then return. 19:13 He summoned ten of his slaves, and gave them ten pounds, and said to them, 'Do business with these until I come back.' 19:14 But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to rule over us.' 19:15 When he returned, having received royal power, he ordered these slaves, to whom he had given the money, to be summoned so that he might find out what they had gained by trading. 19:16 The first came forward and said, 'Lord, your pound has made ten more pounds.' 19:17 He said to him, 'Well done, good slave! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small thing, take charge of ten cities.' 19:18 Then the second came, saying, 'Lord, your pound has made five pounds.' 19:19 He said to him, 'And you, rule over five cities.' 19:20 Then the other came, saying, 'Lord, here is your pound. I wrapped it up in a piece of cloth, 19:21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man; you take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' 19:22 He said to him, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked slave! You knew, did you, that I was a harsh man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 19:23 Why then did you not put my money into the bank? Then when I returned, I could have collected it with interest.' 19:24 He said to the bystanders, 'Take the pound from him and give it to the one who has ten pounds.' 19:25 (And they said to him, 'Lord, he has ten pounds!') 19:26 'I tell you, to all those who have, more will be given; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 19:27 But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them -- bring them here and slaughter them in my presence.'"

Deuteronomy 23:19 You shall not charge interest on loans to another Israelite, interest on money, interest on provisions, interest on anything that is lent.

Luke 6:34-35 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish.

Interpolated story A nobleman went to a distant country to get royal power for himself and then return. But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to rule over us.' When he returned, having received royal power ...[he said]... as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them -- bring them here and slaughter them in my presence.'"

THE GOSPEL OF THE NAZOREANS Eusebius, Theophania 22 on Mt. 25:14ff.

But since the Gospel [written] in Hebrew characters which has come into our hands enters the threat not against the man who had hid [the talent], but against him who had lived dissolutely -

For he [the master] had three servants: A one who squandered his master's substance with harlots and flute girls, B one whom multiplied the gain,

C and one who hid the talent; and accordingly... C' one was accepted (with joy), B' another was merely rebuked, A' and another cast into prison.

- I wonder whether in Matthew the threat which is uttered after the work against the man who did nothing may refer not to him, but by epanalepsis, to the first who had feasted and drunk with the drunken.

Application

• U.S. capitalism legitimates greed • “Private” property is the sacred cow of American life • Many Americans even think it proper to profit from disasters or

the troubles of others • So-called “success theology” or “prosperity theology” tries to

baptize this kind of greed and make it “Christian” • We twist the parable of the talents to make it do this

• The obvious conclusion is that American values count

more than biblical values

Parable of the Wicked Tenants

Gospel of Thomas 65 He said: A usurer (creditor?) owned a vineyard. He gave it to some farmers so that they would work it (and) he might receive its fruit from them. He sent his slave so that the farmers might give him the fruit of the vineyard. They seized his slave, beat him (and) almost killed him. The slave went (back) (and) told his master. His master said: 'Perhaps he did not recognize them.' He sent another slave, (and) the farmers beat that other one as well. Then the master sent his son (and) said: 'Perhaps they will show respect for my son.' (But) those farmers, since they knew that he was the heir of the vineyard, seized him (and) killed him. 'Whoever has ears should hear.'

A Critique of Power and the Pursuit of Wealth In Thomas the story is part of a cluster of parables criticizing the aggrandizing, acquisitive schemes of the wealthy: • The rich fool who died - Thomas 63 • Merchants cannot inherit the kingdom of God - Thomas 64 • The usurer who lost his heir - Thomas 65

Mark 12:1-12

Then he began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower; then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 2 When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 4 And again he sent another slave to them; this one they beat over the head and insulted. 5 Then he sent another, and that one they killed. And so it was with many others; some they beat, and others they killed. 6 He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 7 But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' 8 So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy

the tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this scripture: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 11 this was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing in our eyes'?"

12 ¶ When they realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowd. So they left him and went away. And they tried to arrest him, but feared the multitude, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them; so they left him and went away.

An Allegory of the Death of Jesus and the Prophets

In Mark the parable has become an allegory of the death of Jesus and the prophets before him. It is told to the Chief priests, Scribes and Elders as the plot leading to Jesus' death begins to emerge.

History of the use of the parable

Irenaeus (Adversus Haereses 4.36.1-2, ca. A.D. 180) - an allegory of human history and its failures until the death and resurrection of Christ. Eusebius (Commentaria in Esiam, ca. A.D. 324) - an allegory of the rejection of Christ by the Jews and the eventual triumph of Christianity at the time of Constantine. Aquinas - the vineyard is the soul of each believer that requires faithful tending rather than rebellious disobedience. Luther - the vineyard was the Kingdom of God which God took from the former tenants (the papists) and gave to the churches of the Reform and to the German princes. Calvin - a double allegory: (1) Jewish rejection/Christian triumph and (2) of the cultivation and control of the self. Geneva Translation, A.D. 1599 - After the execution of Charles, during the reign of Cromwell and the anti-royalists.

Anti-monarchists allegorized the biblical idea of the "chosen" people, arguing that the new chosen ones were the English people and the "reign of the saints" was the utopia that would emerge when the king was overthrown. "Cain" represented the English landlords and generals, the anti-Christ was the Pope and his bishops or Charles I and his magistrates. Marginal notes in the Geneva Bible on verse 12: "Jesus sheweth the plague that shall befale these ambitious and covetous rulers, whose hearts are hardened against Christ.

King James, A.D. 1611 At the time of the Restoration in 1660, the "Authorized" Version (KJV), promoted by the resurgent royalists, eliminated the marginal notes of the Geneva Bible. The new (mandatory) Book of Common Prayer (1662) used the parable of the Tenants in the liturgy of January 30, the date commemorating the death of the "martyr," Charles I, establishing the crime of regicide as an offence against God and Christ. William Arnot, A.D. 1884, The Parables of our Lord - argued the parable situation was like that of colonial India under British rule, and especially during the Great Revolt of 1857-59 when Muslim and Hindu forces rebelled against British rule.

What has Happened?

• The parable originally was a critique of wealth and power • Mark turned it into an allegory of the death of Jesus • From the time of Luther to the present it has been used to justify

and legitimate power and property

The Big Conclusion

The situation of the interpreters, not the intention of Jesus, has been the governing factor in the interpretation of the parable

Social World of Early Christianity Bibliography

1. Bennett, Milton J. and Edward C. Stewart, American Cultural Patterns: A Cross-Cultural Perspective. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press, 1991.

A classic in the field of cross-cultural understanding. Describes in great detail how and why Americans misunderstand people from other cultures.

2. Elliott, John H., What is Social-Scientific Criticism? Guides to Biblical Scholarship,

New Testament Series. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1993.

A good intro the field. Demonstrates why it is necessary to understand the culture to which the NT is addressed if one is to hear it correctly.

3. Esler, Philip F., The First Christians in their Social Worlds. London: Routledge,1994.

A series of essays by the best scholars in the field. Wide variety of topics.

4. Herzog, William, Parables as Subversive Speech. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1994.

The most extensive (and provocative) socio-cultural examination of the parables of Jesus.

5. Malina, Bruce, The New Testament World: Insights from Cultural Anthropology (3rd

edition). Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 2001.

Good basic primer on the cultural world of Jesus and the Gospels. Highly readable.

6. Neufeld, Dietmar and DeMaris, Richard, Understanding the Social World of the New

Testament. London: Routledge, 2010. Essays by 15 scholars on the basic topics of Mediterranean anthropology that are relevant to New

Testament study. A good primer for the whole field of social scientific criticism. 7. Neyrey, Jerome, The Social World of Luke-Acts. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1991. A series of groundbreaking essays on the social/cultural world of Luke. 8. Pilch, John J. and Bruce J. Malina (eds.), Biblical Social Values and Their Meaning: A

Handbook. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson,1993.

An alphabetically arranged series of short capsules on a wide variety of social/cultural topics. A small dictionary of cultural info.

9. Pilch, John, The Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday, Cycle A. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1997.

Brief cultural commentary on each lectionary text in the cycle.

10. Pilch, John, The Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday, Cycle B. Collegeville,

MN: The Liturgical Press, 1997. Brief cultural commentary on each lectionary text in the cycle.

11. Pilch, John, The Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday, Cycle C. Collegeville,

MN: The Liturgical Press, 1997. Brief cultural commentary on each lectionary text in the cycle.

12. Pilch, John, Healing in the New Testament. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2000.

The healing stories of the New Testament are examined with the aid of medical and Mediterranean anthropology.

13. Pilch, John, ed., Social Scientific Models for Interpreting the Bible. Leiden: Brill,

2001.

Essays by 14 scholars from around the world, each describing a different anthropological model for use in biblical interpretation.

14. Stegemann, W., Malina, B. and Theissen, G., eds., The Social Setting of Jesus and

the Gospels. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2002.

Essays by 19 of the best scholars in the world on the social/cultural world of Jesus. 15. Rohrbaugh, Richard (with Bruce Malina), Social Science Commentary on the

Gospel of John. Minneapolis: Fortress: 2001. The first cultural commentary on the Gospel of John. Meant as a supplement to traditional theological/historical commentaries.

16. Rohrbaugh, Richard (with Bruce Malina), Social Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels (2nd edition). Minneapolis: Fortress: 2003. The first cultural commentary on the Synoptics. Meant as a supplement to traditional theological/historical commentaries.

17. Rohrbaugh, Richard, The New Testament in Cross Cultural Perspective. Eugene,

OR: Cascade Books, 2007.

A collection of groundbreaking articles on the social/cultural world of Jesus and the Gospels.