Free Essay

Historical Cultural Context

In:

Submitted By cwoodard3
Words 853
Pages 4
In the assigned reading related to your Discussion Board Forum, Duvall & Hays discussed the importance of the historical-cultural context (Chapter 5). Throughout the chapter, they identify the key aspects you should consider related to the historical-cultural context when you study Scripture. Pulling specifically from the Duvall & Hays text and synthesizing into your own words, write a 250–300-word response to the 3 prompts below. In addition, in the second part of first question you are asked, "Do you care to share any examples from your own experience?" based upon what we have learned in the reading. Answer the three prompts in 3 separate paragraphs.

1. What can happen when people approach the Bible without any concern for the historical-cultural context? Do you care to share any examples from your own experience?

2. Can you think of an example of the historical-cultural context shedding significant light on the meaning of a biblical text?

3. For people living in an “instant application” society such as ours, what can persuade them to put forth effort to study the historical-cultural context?

“Historical-cultural context relates to just about anything outside the text that will help you understand the text itself.” (Duval & Hayes, pg. 51) Historical-cultural context is imperatively important when reading God’s word. When people approach the Bible without concern for the historical-cultural context it can lead to gross misunderstanding of the divine text. If someone reading biblical text is to fully understand the revelations being brought forth in a particular book from the Old Testament they must understand the culture in that point in history, as well as the background, circumstances, relationships and many other factors. If we take time to understand the context, we will more fully grasp the relevance. Not understanding all these different factors will undoubtedly lead to misunderstanding and misinterpreting information and what God was trying to convey to his people of that time period and how it relates to us today.
I haven’t personally experienced any examples of this, however the one thing I could closely relate to would be the Westboro Baptist Church and its extreme ideologies. When my husband died in March 2012, I chose to keep his death out of the media because I was fearful that members of the Westboro Baptist Church would picket his funeral because he had died while serving in the United States Army. There had been many pickets involving Soldiers deaths in that time period. The church’s extreme ideologies are taken from what they say come straight out of the bible. But, they are completely taken out of context. To the extreme. Fortunately, Congress passed a bill on August 2012 that:
“… included restrictions on demonstrators at military funerals, which became law four days later when signed by President Obama. The bill says that for 2 hours before until 2 hours after the funeral service demonstrators must stay at least 300 feet away from the boundary of the funeral location and away from the residence of grieving family members.” (112th Congress, pg. 1195)
An example of historical-cultural context shedding significant light on the meaning of a biblical text could be the parable of the Good Samaritan. “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho.” (Luke 10:30, NIV) If the reader had a better understanding of the actual geography and terrain of the area, they would know that traveling from one city to the other was definitely quite a trek. “The distance is almost twenty miles and would take you through some rugged desert country that offered plenty of hiding places for thieves.” (Duvall & Hayes, pg. 53) Knowing this information puts a new perspective on the fact that the poor man lying on the side of the road was passed by many times by various travelers who just couldn’t be bothered to make the arduous hike (let alone the fact that the man was from a rival camp). Thank goodness for the Good Samaritan who didn’t pass up a chance to help a fellow out and get in some extra exercise. For people living in an “instant application”, I believe that we can persuade them to put forth the effort to study the historical-cultural context. I think that by opening their eyes and hearts to understanding the background of a text in all it’s facets, we can more fully appreciate the breadth of the message and increase our knowledge of it’s meaning. It may seem like a long, drawn-out, boring method of study, however, once all the facts are in an explosion of rich history and faith is laid before us. Once seeing this how can anyone not want to do their research?

Works Cited
Duvall, J S, and J D. Hays. Journey into God's Word: Your Guide to Understanding and Applying the Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2008.

112th Congress (August 6, 2012). The Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012. Retrieved from "The Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012, Public Law 112-154, Section 601 on page 1195".

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Historical-Cultural Context

...When reading the Bible, knowing the historical-cultural context regarding what is being read is very important. The Bible is God’s word, and it is important to understand, as best we can, His message to us. When people approach the Bible without any concern for the historical-cultural context, the message that God is relaying to us can often be misunderstood. The reader will be unable to apply the message to their lives in ways that will be relevant to us today. If readers do not understand the relevance of a particular passage to the biblical audience, they will be on the wrong track to understanding the relevance of that passage to the audience of today. There are many examples of how understanding the historical-cultural context can shed light on the meaning of a specific biblical text. One example is found in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered in My name, I am among them.” Many people associate this verse with attending church. Although church attendance is important, Jesus is actually speaking of the process of church discipline. Jesus said that if anyone has a brother who has sinned against you, then you are to go to him and attempt to work it out. If he refuses to acknowledge his fault, you are to bring one or more witnesses to help work the matter out. Living in an “instant application” society, such as ours, can be very damaging to our understanding of God’s word. It is extremely important to take God’s word seriously and to honor how...

Words: 332 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Historical Cultural Context

...Animation Questions: Digestive System Overview (23 Questions) 1. What are the four main functions of the digestive system? Ingestion Absorption Elimination of wastes 2. Name the types of digestion. Mechanical Chemical 3. Where does digestion begin? How does this occur? Mouth. Where the teeth breaks food into smaller particles during mastication. 4. Another name for chewing is Mastication. 5. What is the function of the salivary glands? Of saliva? Located near the oral cavity secrete saliva, which begins chemical digestion and keeps the food moist. 6. What prevents food from entering the nasal cavity while swallowing? Soft palate 7. What muscles push food particles into the pharynx? Multiple voluntary muscle in the face, neck and tongue. 8. Name the structure that prevents food from entering the respiratory system? Epiglottis 9. Name the structure that connects the pharynx to the stomach. Esophagus 10. Once it has been swallowed, the food mass is called a Bolus. 11. What is the term for involuntary wavelike contractions that propel the bolus to the stomach? Peristalsis 12. What are rugae? What are their functions? Folds in the stomach. Allow for expansion as the stomach fills, and also increases surfaces area. 13. The stomach cells secrete hydrochloric acid, pepsinogen and various regulatory hormones that chemically digest the bolus. 14. What effect do these secretions have on the bolus? Muscular contractions...

Words: 1175 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Historical-Cultural Context of the Bible

...What can happen when people approach the Bible without any concern for the historical-cultural context? When people approach the Bible without any concern for the historical-cultural context, they could interpret the text as misleading and false. People may not understand the many truths of the revelations of God, revealed by parallels of historical-culture norms. People tend to misunderstand what God is saying to us, instead people should reveal the principals and apply them to their life today. To fully understand the meaning of the text in the Bible, people must first understand the text in its own context, with careful observation of what the text says. Then people should investigate the meaning of the text, from an historical approach and what it meant to its original hearers. Besides those examples cited in this chapter, please give and explain an example of how understanding the historical-cultural context can shed significant light on the meaning of a specific biblical text. Cite the specific passage you are discussing in your post. (ex. Is. 40:27–30. In Romans 6:6, "Our old man was crucified", is an example of how understanding the historical-cultural context can shed significant light on the meaning of a specific biblical text. This verse could be misunderstood when someone does not understand the historical-cultural context, some may believe the verse is a reference to the experience of a Christian. Some people may quote "that our old man is crucified", then...

Words: 356 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Discussion Board 1: Historical and Cultural Context

...Attempting to interpret a passage of scripture without the historical and cultural context is akin to trying to choose tires for someone else's car without knowing what car they have. You know they need tires, but you don't know the height or the width of the wheels, if it is front wheel, rear wheel, or  four wheel drive, how they drive it, or on what surface they usually drive. without this background knowledge, you will make the wrong decision. The historical and cultural context allows you to see what is actually valued by those that are involved in the passage. Without this value assignment, the emphasis of a particular passage can be missed entirely.      Philippians 4:13 is an often misinterpreted passage, used with frequency by athletes as an encouragement to to push forward in their strivings for greatness. However, a glance at the context in which Paul is writing this shows that his situation is not one of striving from a good place to improve one's self. We find Paul in a bit of a low spot, imprisoned for his service to God. Yet, despite these harsh negative circumstances, he knows that he can accomplish all that God has for him to do, because it is God's will. Paul is not speaking of an indvidual circumstance or an indvidual task. He is saying that his entire life's work will be accomplished through Christ, no matter what is obstacles are set in his way.      Instant application of passages is based, primarily, on a person's presuppositions. They read a passage...

Words: 365 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Bibl 104 Liberty U

...Forum 1 (Modules 2 and 3): Historical-Cultural Context 1. Historical-Cultural Context - According to Duvall & Hays, in Journey Into God’s Word; the first step in understanding the bible, or any historical text for that matter, is understanding the text as it relates to the original author and his or her specific audiences. If a reader doesn’t have a good grasp of the circumstances surrounding the introduction of the text at the time of authorship, how can he or she begin to understand the author’s original intent? Was the author relating a story to elicit particular feelings or emotions, laying down edicts to be followed without waiver, or just providing a narrative description of actual events? Furthermore, historical and cultural context give us a framework for looking at a passage or literary piece, and applying the information based upon the changes in the current conditions as they exist today. Duvall & Hays use the New Testament passage referencing the difficulty of a rich man entering the kingdom of heaven as a perfect example of the miss-application of historical context. For years children have been taught of a gate in the walls of Jerusalem called the ‘Eye of the Needle’ that was so narrow camels had to thread their way through very carefully. Unfortunately, there is no record of any such gate actually existing; therefore, even though the imagery is poignant, interpreting the meaning of the passage using this false historical context leads readers down a path...

Words: 834 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Bib104 Ds Board

...1. What can happen when people approach the Bible without any concern for the historical-cultural context? 2. Besides those examples cited in this chapter, please give and explain an example of how understanding the historical-cultural context can shed significant light on the meaning of a specific biblical text. Cite the specific passage you are discussing in your post. (ex. Is. 40:27–30). For people living in an “instant application” society such as ours, what can persuade them to put forth effort to study the historical-cultural context? Without any concern or intelligence of the past and cultural context, when people approach the Bible it can create misinterpretation and the theory that God contradicts himself. We need to know the original context and understanding of that. Knowledge of the context will open our eyes to what God was saying back in the times when the Prophets and the Biblical audience was around (Hayes & Duvall). We cannot began to make logic of most of the sections of the Bible without understanding their context. Segregating sections from their context can show a lack of respect to the power of Scripture. If the chapter is read, the understanding of foresight can allow people to see its meaning. Context is so significant in understanding the Bible that in Revelation 22:18 God warns everyone about changing his word and the penalties for doing so. People who read only a small portion of his word and change his message to benefit or accommodate...

Words: 389 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Bible

...1. “Historical-cultural context relates to just about anything outside the text that will help you understand the text itself.” (Duval & Hayes, pg. 51). Historical-cultural context is extremely important when reading God’s word. When people approach the Bible without care for the context it can lead to misunderstanding of the text. The Bible is so important that we as Christians should not want this to happen. Some ways that we can understand the historical- cultural context is by paying attention to the biblical writer and also the audience which it is written to. By learning about the writer and audience it will give you a better understanding of the history behind the passages. A few more examples of things to look out for in each passage are religion, politics, where it takes place, family life, and social acceptable/ no acceptable customs. If we take the time to understand the context, we will more fully grasp the resemblance to our everyday lives. However, not understanding all these different factors will lead to misunderstanding and misinterpreting information that God wants us to understand. The culture which the bible was written in was different than the culture we live in now. This can make it easy to mix up the meaning of specific verses or passages. Easy ways to look up the specifics of Historical- cultural context is by using Bible atlases, Bible dictionaries/ encyclopedias, commentaries, background commentaries, Old and New Testament histories, and special...

Words: 339 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Jewish Objects

...displaying Jewish objects have been created and used in museums, world fairs, and exhibitions. In the years before 1940, there were three main models of display for Jewish objects which drastically influenced the ways in which Jewish objects were both displayed and experienced by both Jewish people and non-Jewish people. The three models which will be discussed in this essay are the decorative model, the religious model, and the historical model. While each different model creates a different type of narrative, one is not inherently better than another. The decorative model discusses the ways in which Jewish objects can be interpreted as art, specifically focusing on visual elements of the objects and not paying explicit attention to the religious and historical context. The religious model seeks to educate people (specifically non-Jewish people) about the Jewish religion by displaying objects in a way which explores the function in relation to religious ceremonies. The historical model explores a combination of religious context and cultural context in order to create a well-rounded documentation of Jewish history. All though each of these models showcases Jewish objects in very different ways, they all have the underlying goal of wanting to display and preserve the history of the Jewish people as well as educate others on the lives of Jewish people. One of the many models of display for the presentation of...

Words: 1797 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Australian Communication Model

...Communication is the process of transferring information and ideas between one another. It is central to ways we experience life and what it is to be human. Communication is the method of transferring information and ideas between one another. It is vital to ways we understand life and what it is to be human. The context in relation to communication fundamentally allows people to function, co-operate and co-ordinate at high levels. The three theories of communication models known as linear, interactive and transactional all rely on context. This essay will examine how communication is influenced by context, as it is an important factor and without it the process cannot occur effectively. An analysis of the four types of context in relation...

Words: 1683 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Historical Contex

...In chapter 5 of the book " Journey Into God's Word" discusses historical-cultural context.  I thought it was a very interesting read.  When people approach the Bible without concern for historical-cultural context the reader can get confused.  The Bible was written many centuries ago to let people know what God was saying.  If you read the Bible just to read it and without understanding its true meaning, you would absolutely have no clue on what is going on in the verses.  So in order to have a good understanding you have to dig deep and open your mind about the time, place, and the author who was writing it. To be honest in my own life, I really have no experiences to share because I’m not a big reader. I believe in God but never really took the time to read the Bible to get very in dept with the scripture. If I had to give and example of an historical- cultural context that shed light on a biblical text it would be the Psalm 23. This scripture gives you several background descriptions that mean more than geographical features. Today we live in a microwaveable world where we want everything in an instant. We don’t want to take the time to read and think about things. Psalm 23, is the perfect biblical text to persuade people to study the discussion board topic. It covers every emotion that a person could possible go through in a day from trust, fear, confidence, and...

Words: 254 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Huckleberry Finn Literary Analysis

...Identify key elements of your own culture and compare your unique cultural contexts with those of the critics. In other words, how are your cultural norms alike or different than the critics that you chose in your research? Because I was born in 2000’s the strive towards openness and acceptance and equality is my history and is my culture so I believe that in that sense my cultural norms are similar but in another sense they are very different because I didn’t come from a time where inequality was acceptable so to come from that mindset and that surrounding you to now switching they have a harder time of choosing what is right and what is wrong which makes their critiques unclear. b. In what ways do you believe that the critics' cultural norms influenced their critiques or analysis? I believe that the critics cultural norms influenced their critiques because they are coming from a time where everything The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is okay to now in a time where it is not so I think that their perception of what is right and wrong can me foggy because of their history and where they were in history at that time. c. In what ways do your cultural norms influence your own critique and cultural analysis of the...

Words: 1462 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Hawthrone Study Critique

...Hawthorne Studies: The Western Electric research in its social, political and historical context. Human Relations” attempted to provide an insight about the Hawthorne study conducted to provide an investigation of organisational history for a company named as “Western Electric”. The article primary objective was to understand organisational behavior within range of social, political and historical factors and to address question around identifying the kind of enterprise was Western Electric (Hassad, 2012). The study was conducted at Western Electric's factory at Hawthorne during the period of late 1920s and early 1930s. There were primary study conducted around the two case studies, and was conducted by Elton Mayo, a Harvard professor of industrial research along with fellow researchers. The two cases were related to neglecting the corporate and cultural context respectively and were reviewed in this article while the first one evolve around welfare capitalism and the another one was about Eastland disaster and to understand the impact of both cases from perspective of social organisation and communal experiences. The article also evaluates the viewpoint of other scholars and historical sources to determine the credentials of the findings (Hassad, 2012). What is the Problem? There were primarily two problems were tried to addressed through this article. The first one is related to the neglected corporate context where the Western Electric’s industrial reputation and corporate philosophy...

Words: 687 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

The Importance of Understanding Culture in International Business

...| Business Management in an International Context | | The increasing number of interactions between independent countries, companies and people has highlighted the importance of an understanding of global cultures, both national and organisational. Culture plays a large role in the way individuals behave and interact with one another and therefore plays an important role in business interactions across cultures. Many definitions of culture are offered, but one more relevant to culture in international business is : “Culture is the way in which a group of people solves problems and reconciles dilemmas.” (E.Schein 1985) The first way in which countries can be broadly categorized is into either a high context or a low context culture. High context cultures place more emphasis on the importance of group identity. They have a high sensory involvement and participate more readily in bodily contact. Low context cultures prioritise individualistic properties. They use body language less frequently and are monochronic thus placing a high importance on timing and scheduling. Most Northern European countries and other western societies are low context cultures. It has been suggested by the acclaimed social scientist, Norbert Elias (1978) that the development of society and the basis of its’ cultural contexts are closely associated with the prominent historical groups of the region leading to an establishment of national cultural values. Countries and even regions of a country...

Words: 1912 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology

...Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology Michael Anson Psy 410 Richard Hill February 28, 2013 Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology Abnormal psychology, also known as psychopathology, studies different behaviors against what society deems normal. The study of abnormal psychology attempts to answer why some people’s behaviors are unusual, different, or abnormal. For some, abnormal behavior is due to mental illness, childhood trauma, or chemical imbalances in the brain. Because abnormal psychology has no definite boundaries, it is often a controversial field of psychology. It is an ever-changing field for the last 100 years, but several core concepts remain unchanged in abnormal psychology. Evolution of Abnormal Psychology The core concepts of abnormal psychology that caused the field to evolve into a scientific discipline are: the importance of context in defining abnormality; the continuum between normal and abnormal behavior; cultural and historical relativism in classifying abnormality; diagnosis advantages and limitations; principle of multiple causality; and the mind-body connection (Hansell, 2008). Context is important to understand abnormal behavior. An otherwise normal behavior becomes abnormal when the behavior is out of context. For example, sadness and grieving are normal behaviors when a loved one dies. Sadness and grieving; however, are abnormal if a person displays these behaviors when there is no reason such as death or other painful...

Words: 783 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Marxist Literary Criticism of Jane Austen's Persuasion

...Marx and his associates. The main idea of Marxism is that “instead of making abstract affirmations about a whole group of problems such as man, knowledge, matter, and nature, he examines each problem in its dynamic relation to the others and, above all, tries to relate them to historical, social, political, and economic realities” (BO). Marx argued that the real foundation of society was the economic structure, that political and legal superstructures rose from this base, and that “[i]t is not the consciousness of men which determines their existence; it is on the contrary their social existence which determines their consciousness” (BO). The most fundamental argument of Marxist literary and cultural theories is that they do not see art as something that is separate from society – art is, as Eagleton says, “part of the ‘superstructure’ of society” (5) – and the central concern of Marxist literary criticism is the relationship between the economy and the literature. Marxist critics argue that art is social because it is produced and received in concrete contexts, and because the creator is someone with a class, gender and racial identity – the author is, unavoidably, “part of her own context” (Haslett 8). Art, in Marxist readings, “is interpreted as a material practice, perhaps because it relies on ‘technology’… is concretely realised in situations which themselves are material… or is bought and sold like other commodities” (8). The first thing that one needs to do...

Words: 740 - Pages: 3