Global Interpretation of
Christian Scriptures
RLST 206 AND DIV 3845
February 28, 2011
Leviticus and Romans
Today
 a) 3:10 Context for Interpreting Leviticus
and Romans
 b) 4:00 Group Discussion (comparing
multiple readings with yours):
 Leviticus
Romans
 c) 5:00 Strategies for developing your
paper
Signing up for the rest of the
semester
 Adelekun, Adesewa
Galatians
 Aluoch, Wendy Joel,
 Ankrom, Iris Ruth,
 Calderwood, Matthew
Revelation,
 Dillon, Chance Matthew,
 Higgins, Erin Job,
 Holland-Shuey, Bayse
Genesis,
 Keith, Anna Leigh







Corinthians,
McReynolds, Anna
Hosea,
Pflederer, Ben
Ecclesiastes
Schomp, Taylor James,
Scott, Lakendra Daniel,
Wells, Mark Haggai,
Williams, Arlonzo, Acts
Wong, Annie Psalms
Today…
Knowing that you focus your attention on
other things…your Proposals
Let me take the time to present to you the
GBC readings on Leviticus and Romans
Questions raised in discussion about
1-2 Samuel -- 1
 Concerning both the oppressive and liberative usage of the Bible,
some tried to make a distinction between the Bible and the
interpretations of the Bible.
 The Bible is not oppressive; certain interpretations are oppressive
 The Bible is not concerned with social, economic, cultural
liberations (only certain interpretations are)
 I agree: this is true. The Bible is neither oppressive nor liberative;
neither concerned with spiritual salvation nor concerned with social
and political issues … ALL OF THESE ARE INTERPRETATIONS =
interpretive choices.
 The Bible makes (positive or negative) sense only when it is read as
Scripture! Word to live by = related to life.
 But, is it not clear that the Bible does have oppressive passages?
No. This is not clear. Passages that we (in a certain context) see as
oppressive, where not perceived as oppressive in other contexts.
Questions raised in discussion about
1-2 Samuel (2: Mission)
 Then what if the missionaries’ “oppression" (as
expressed by Africans in West’s commentary) was
genuinely deemed "good“ by the missionaries? They did
what they did because they thought that by doing so they
were saving "souls"?
 The question is: what is “mission” all about? What is the
problem it seeks to address?
 It depends on how the missionaries interpret the
Scriptures.
What is the teaching on Mission in
Romans (Rom 15:14-24)? (1)
 Paul’s mission is a model for the missionaries’ activity.
 Emulating Paul’s model, they need to preach the gospel message
(15:19-20 read together with e.g., 1:15, 10:8, 10:14-15) to people
who do not know it so that they might believe and be saved (from
eternal condemnation, 6:22) by being justified by faith (e.g. 5:9-10
and 10:1-17).
 Problem = human sinfulness; humans are under God’s
condemnation (God is angry; or God’s honor has been
transgressed and need to be repaired).
 Root Problem: NOT KNOWING (not believing = not having the right
knowledge] about Christ’s death for us
 Solution: putting oneself in the benefit of Christ’s death by believing
= justification by faith >>> eternal life with God.
 LAMP TO MY FEET, RULE OF THE COMMUNITY, GOOD NEWS
What is the teaching on Mission in
Romans (Rom 15:14-24)? (2)
 BOOK OF THE COVENANT/FAMILY ALBUM
 Model: The missionary activity of the churches Paul describes.
 Paul plants small communities, then moves on (Spain, 15:23-28),
but the mission continues: these communities (the body of Christ,
12:4-5) are missionary centers called to carry out in their Gentile
contexts a special mission – bringing the Gentiles to glorify God,
15:7-12 – just as Christ did among the circumcised (15:8), and as
Israel was and remains called by God to do as the People of God
(11:28-29).
 As Paul is, Gentile Christians are “called” or “chosen” (Rom 1:6) to
be “saints,” i.e., set apart from the world for a twofold mission, a
priestly service: collectively glorifying God in worship services
(15:6); and bringing others to glorify God, by words and deeds,
through their ways of life in which they offer themselves as living
sacrifice (12:2; 15:18-19).
What is the teaching on Mission in
Romans (Rom 15:14-24)? (2b)




BOOK OF THE COVENANT/FAMILY ALBUM
Model: The missionary activity of the churches Paul describes.
these communities (the body of Christ, 12:4-5) are missionary centers called to carry out in their
Gentile contexts a special mission – bringing the Gentiles to glorify God,
As Paul is, Gentile Christians are “called” or “chosen” (Rom 1:6) to be “saints,” i.e., set apart from
the world for a twofold mission, a priestly service: collectively glorifying God in worship services
(15:6); and bringing others to glorify God, by words and deeds, through their ways of life in which
they offer themselves as living sacrifice (12:2; 15:18-19).
 Problem = People fail to glorify God; People are angry with God,
distrust God…
 Root Problem: Not recognizing (seeing) oneself as beloved by
God; as the beloved people of God.
 Solution: being invited to share in thanksgiving services with
believers; being beneficiaries of good deeds done in the name of
God (great growth of the church during plagues in 2nd -3rd cent:
Christians taking care of the sick and hospitality toward the poor)
What is the teaching on Mission in
Romans (Rom 15:14-24)? (3)
 CORRECTIVE GLASSES; EMPOWERING WORD
 Model: What happens during Paul’s and the churches’ missionary
activity.
 Romans 15:17-19 I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus for
the things pertaining to God (= for what God accomplished in
my ministry). 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything
except what Christ has accomplished through me to win
obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed, 19 by the
power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God,
so that from Jerusalem and as far around as Illyricum I have
fully manifested the good news of Christ.
 MISSION = pointing to the manifestations of THE POWER OF
GOD = of God’s (and the Spirit’s) interventions that free people
from the power of evil and the power of sin.
What is the teaching on Mission in
Romans (Rom 15:14-24)? (3b)




CORRECTIVE GLASSES; EMPOWERING WORD
Model: What happens during Paul’s and the churches’ missionary activity.
Romans 15:17-19
Mission = pointing to the manifestations of THE POWER OF GOD = God’s
interventions that free people from the power of evil and the power of sin.
 Problem: People are under powers of evil (like a
disease; or demonic possession; or systemic evil);
 Root Problem: Powerlessness or lacking the vision
that God is already powerfully at work in the present
 Solution: Manifestation of God’s liberating power.
Missionaries do not do a thing themselves; they are
simply conduit for God’s liberating manifestations.
Racism; Anti-Semitism; Anti-Judaism
 Root Problem: Lack of knowledge (of other
people)?
 Lack of/wrong Will (I care only about myself)?
 A systemic evil that I am powerless to overcome?
 A wrong ideology?
 A wrong faith (idolatry; making of oneself and one’s
group an absolute)
 In all cases, racism or Anti-Semitism can be
conveyed by the interpretations of Scriptures
STRATEGY to become aware of our choices:
How does this interpretation affect other
people?
 The Holocaust as an effect of reading the Bible by
Christians?
 Anti-Semitism = racist view = against the “Semitic race”
 Root: Anti-Judaism = against the Jewish Religion (rejection
of)
 Root: Supersessionism = Judaism is superseded by
Christianity;
 Christianity supersedes or replaces Judaism*,
 New Covenant supersedes the Old Covenant
 Jesus “fulfills” the Law and the Prophets… understood as
replaces the Law and the Prophets = abolishes the Law
 Christ is the complete and final revelation that not only fulfilled but
ended the purpose of the law*,
 Jews are evil, hypocrites, wrong; rejected by God; lost
 VS. the affirmation of a continuity between Judaism and
Christianity
Can we say “Blessed be Christ” without saying “and
Cursed be the Jews”?
 Faith and Fratricide: The Theological Roots
of Anti-Semitism by Rosemary Radford
Ruether
 The question with which this book struggles:
 Can we say “Blessed be Christ” without
saying “and Cursed be the Jews”?
 Can we have faith in Christ without being
supersessionist?
It depends how one reads Romans
11:25-29 (and other texts)
 25 So that you may not claim to be wiser than you are,
brothers and sisters,
 I want you to understand this mystery [NRSV]
[BETTER trans.: I do not want you to be ignorant of
this mystery NIV
I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, NAB
 a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full
number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel
will be saved; as it is written, "Out of Zion will come the
Deliverer; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob." 27 "And
this is my covenant with them, when I take away their
sins." 28 As regards the gospel they are enemies of God
for your sake; but as regards election they are beloved,
for the sake of their ancestors; 29 for the gifts and the
calling of God are irrevocable.
Reading Leviticus…
 How does Christians’ Reading [or lack of reading] of
Leviticus contribute to anti-Judaism, Anti-Semitism, and
the Holocaust?
 Susanne Scholz: the overall Christian rejection of the
book of Leviticus makes clear the anti-Judaism that
pervades the Christian community.
 Whether one has knowledge of committing a sin or not
one is responsible for this sin.
 Christians are responsible for the anti-Judaism of their
interpretations of the Bible
 For the anti-Semitism that these generate
 For the Holocaust……. 6 million Jews murdered, simply
because they were Jews.
The Relationship of Individuals to their
Context, as you know
 Four possible Root Problems:
 Lack of Knowledge of what to do and how to do
it
 Lack of Will to do it
 Lack of Ability or Power to do it
 Lack of/ wrong vision (Imagining; wrong faith;
idolatry), or lack of proper Ideology allowing to
see what is a valid action in this context or
wrong ideology
What is Contextual in an Interpretation of
a Scriptural Text? Do not forget Ideology
The ways it affects the ways people
envision their relations to the real
conditions of their existence (CDC)
The ideology which frames both
the process of interpretation = the ideology
we bring with us to the text
and the interpretation as final product =
the ideology inscribed in an interpretation
Contextual = Ideology
Our perception of our context is always
*Ideological*
“Ideology is a ‘Representation’ of the
Imaginary Relationship of Individuals to
their Real Conditions of Existence”
Louis Althusser, Essays on Ideology (London:
Verson, 1984), p. 36; quoted in CDC
The question is: Is it a positive/good or
negative/evil/destructive ideology?
Ideology is
 Our perception of our context
 “Context” is a short-hand for “Real Conditions of Existence”
 1) A perception always framed by our view of
 = how we “imagine,” how we construct
 the ways individuals relate to this context and in it.
 2) A perception always focused by the concerns we
have as we address a particular situation
 It is always a selective “representation” framed by a certain
purpose,& audience in a particular situation
Contextual: Ideology
 “Ideology is a ‘Representation’ of the Imaginary
Relationship of Individuals to their Real Conditions
of Existence”
 Louis Althusser, Essays on Ideology (London: Verson, 1984),
p. 36 quoted in CDC
 How do we imagine the “Relationship of Individuals
to their Real Conditions of Existence”?
 How do we imagine Individuals as ACTING in their
context, INTER-ACTING with it, or BEING ACTED
UPON in it
 How do we imagine the relationship between
Christians and Jews? Deeply related to issue of
faith… How do Christians envision their faith?
Contextual: Ideology
 Ideology = powerfully shaped by our condition of
existence









Depression, unemployment; being jobless
Sinister evil; systemic evil…
Scapegoat
Benjamin Friedman, economic historian”, The Moral
Consequences of Economic Growth (2006) and especially of
stagnation or economic decline
People become more jealous of their status relative to others
Anti-immigrant sentiment increases
Racism increases,
Concern for the poor declines
Typical example: anti-Semitism as response to the great
depression in the 1920’s and 1930s
Reading Leviticus… Do not forget
(wrong) Faith/Vision
 Alan Cooper
 One’s faith is centrally related to our vision-perceptionconviction regarding the SACRED and the PROFANE
 The question that Leviticus raises are:
 And What is Profane for us? May be everything…
 What is Sacred for us?
 Euphoric? (rather than dysphoric)
 Really real (Eliade)? where we encounter what is truly Real?
The ground of our being (Tillich)? The divine? What transcends
us?
 Sacred encountered In the Temple? In consecrated food?
In Worship service? In Eucharist/Lord’s supper? In personal
religious experience?
 Jewish Philosopher: Emmanuel Levinas… in “the face of the
other” to whom therefore I am accountable
Matthew 25:34-40 Judgment scene
seeing the Sacred..
 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you
that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for
you from the foundation of the world;
 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and
you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you
welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was
sick and you[with
took
care ofbyme,
I was insent
prison and you visited
handout
presenters
me.'
Thursday by e 37 Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that
we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you
something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a
stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing?
39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and
visited you?'
 40 And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you
did it to one of the least of these who are members of my
family, you did it to me.'
Groups II










Romans - Daniel Patte (USA and France)
Presenter of GBC :
Leader (her own vs. GBC):
Anna McReynolds
Arlonzo Williams
Ben Pflederer
Basye Holland
Anna Leigh Keith
*Annie Wong
Erin Higgins
Taylor Schomp
Groups II










Romans - Daniel Patte (USA and France)
Presenter of GBC :
Leader (her own vs. GBC):
Anna McReynolds
Arlonzo Williams
Ben Pflederer
Basye Holland
Anna Leigh Keith
*Annie Wong
Erin Higgins
Taylor Schomp
STRATEGY To Become Aware Of Our Choices:
The History of Reception of Biblical Texts
 There are several interpretations of any biblical text
 Through the centuries…
 With colleagues we are in the process of collecting 10 volumes
of interpretations of Romans
 Also
 Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus, Origen, Augustine,
Peter Abelard, Heloise, Thomas Aquinas, Dante,
Nicholas of Lyra, Erasmus, Luther, Calvin, etc.
 following the Enlightenment = there is one and only
one true meaning of a text
 19th century until 1900 (1914-18): positivist optimism
to recover this one true meaning across centuries
Studying the History of Reception of
Biblical Texts
 19th century until 1900 (1914-18): positivist optimism to recover
this one true meaning across centuries
 Critical studies of the Bible vs. All these “religious, dogmatic
readings” which are by definition wrong.
 Albert Schweitzer The Quest of the Historical Jesus (1906)
 then after becoming a professional organist, a MD, and going to
Africa—Gabon
 The Mysticism of Paul the Apostle (1930)
 Hermeneutics: Rudolf Bultmann… no interpretation without preunderstandings
 But also going back to positivistic views neo-positivistic view, new Quest
for the Historical Jesus… for the “one true meaning”
 But Several Full Shelves of “Critical Commentaries of
Romans” with Different conclusions about the “one true
meaning”
 Explosions of methods…. Several critical readings…
Global Bible Commentary
Romans and its Interpretations
 Biblical Scholars’ interpretation of
Romans during the last century can be
regrouped in 3 main types:
1. Forensic/Juridical/Theological
interpretations (often supported by
“Lutheran” scholars)
2. New Covenant/Mission interpretations
3. Apocalyptic/Messianic interpretations
GBC:
Forensic/Juridical/Theological
Interpretations of Romans
 METHOD: use philological historical-critical
approaches to elucidate the theological
argument of the letter
 FOCUS: its theological argument, through
which Paul conveyed to the Romans certain
kinds of information—a theological knowledge—
about the gospel he proclaimed; in a context
where the guilt of individuals is prevalent, this
theological argument can become the basis of a
forensic teaching;
GBC:
Forensic/Theological
Interpretations of Romans
 THEOLOGICAL/HERMENEUTICAL CHOICES:
 The Theological argument of Romans provides
“forensic” evidence for the justification of the guilty
(sinners) by the grace of God, the righteous judge, and
through faith in Christ.
 God as righteous judge;
 Problem: Humans as individuals are sinners; “sin” as
Willingly not doing God’s Will;
 Root-Problem of Sin Either not knowing (wrong)
knowledge or not willing to do God’s Will and its
goodness
 Solution: Hearing the Good News: God’s Son is
punished instead of sinners; faith = believing message
GBC:
New Covenant/Mission
Interpretations of Romans
 METHODS: combination of rhetorical and sociohistorical analyses to read the letter as a discourse
through which Paul seeks to persuade his readers
 FOCUS: The letter’s as rhetorical discourse, through
which Paul attempted to persuade his readers—to
establish their WILL—to change their behavior toward
each other in their community and to support his mission
to Spain (Rom 12–15); prevalent problem concerns
communities, and their respective relationship, this
rhetorical discourse conveys a covenantal teaching;
(Gentiles are also part of the covenant)
GBC:
New Covenant/Mission
Interpretations of Romans


THEOLOGICAL/HERMENEUTICAL CHOICES:
Paul seeks to persuade his readers to change their behavior in

God is the God of the Covenant, faithful to the Covenant; calling new
people in this covenant
Problem: Humans are Enemies of God; angry against God; suspicious of
God (“God is unjust”; partial; etc. Separating themselves from God; selfserving drive; self-centered life.; etc. and separating from others. Sin =
Rebelling against God and against God’s beloved
Root-Problem of Sin; Wrong vision of God (as partial, favoring others, and
not us) and of God’s people (who belongs to God’s people)
Solution: 1) Christ’s death (2000 years ago) establishing the New
Covenant ; 2) Receiving a proper vision (the vision of the Gospel) and 3)
faithfulness toward Christ and God as Christ was faithful to God and us in
the past (on the cross)



 Jewish-Gentile relationships. Through Christ’s faithfulness, the Gentiles are
now in a covenantal relationship with God similar to that of the Jews
 and dedicating themselves to mission = to recognize that they are called to
a certain mission, to be the body of Christ in the world, etc.
GBC:
Apocalyptic/Messianic
Interpretations of Romans
 METHODS: history of religions and
structural studies to clarify
 the religious character of this text:
 Religious experience (of Paul and the Romans):
experience of the resurrected Christ and of the Spirit;
underlying the text.
 Symbolic world posited by the letter regarding the
power of God;
 FOCUS: the letter as religious discourse,
 Symbolism and its significance: see Rom 1:1-7
Romans 1:1-7 Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ,
called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of
God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his
prophets in the holy scriptures, 3 the gospel
concerning his Son, who was descended from David
according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be
Son of God with power according to the Spirit of
holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus
Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received
grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience
of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his
name, 6 including yourselves who are called to
belong to Jesus Christ, 7 To all God's beloved in
Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and
peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ.
GBC:
Apocalyptic/Messianic
Interpretations of Romans







THEOLOGICAL/HERMENEUTICAL CHOICES (Pessimistic outlook!)
Basic convictions: There are evil powers that transcend (are beyond) humans

The powers idols (1:18ff) the power of sin, ch. 7, of “this world”, of death, etc. BUT the good
news [= the promise that the Gospel is] is that God, through the resurrected Christ and/or the
Spirit powerfully intervenes in the (present) experience of people.
God as saving humans (and creation) by freeing them from evil powers
(including death); Basic convictions:t “the gospel as the power of God for
salvation” (1:16-17)
Problem: humans are in bondage to evil powers (even if, especially if, they do not
recognize it)
Root-Problem of Sin: powerlessness due to wrong vision (idolatry)
Solution: being empowered through the Christic (Christ-like) interventions of God
and the Spirit, being freed “to see” these (by being freed from one’s darkened mind)
Faith/believing in Christ = Recognizing the powerful interventions of God in our
present through Christ the Lord and the power of the Spirit;

recognizing through the eyes of faith that the promises (that Christ’s cross and resurrection
are) are fulfilled in our present and submitting to God’s power as manifested in these
fulfillments (“obedience of faith”)
Global Bible Commentary
Context for Interpreting Romans
French Huguenots and Anti-Semitism
during World War II: Our Dilemma in
Light of Romans
Jewish refugees fleeing the Holocaust,
both as signs of the mysterious presence of
God’s chosen people among us and of the awful
scandal that anti-Semitism is
many readings of the Christian Scriptures
propose anti-Jewish teachings
 French Huguenots cannot claim to be exempt
from complicity with this evil
Global Bible Commentary
Context for Interpreting Romans
 Confronting Racism, Sexism, and Other
Oppressions in the USA: Our Dilemma in
Light of Romans
Divinity School’s prophetic role during the civil
rights struggle, and its clear “commitment to do all
in its power to combat the idolatry of racism and
ethnocentrism . . .
No claim to be free from racism, but “to do all in its
power to combat” it. Why? Because the very claim
to be free from racism would demonstrate that we
fail to recognize that racism is a systemic evil
The Theological Argument of Romans
 Are Anti-Semitism, Racism, and Other
Oppressive Attitudes Due to a Lack of
Knowledge of the Gospel?
• In many life-contexts, especially when individuals are
heavily burdened and paralyzed by guilt, (e.g., about their
own racism, anti-smeitism) the teaching based on this
reading of Romans is most helpful.
• But it does not show how the gospel “rescues” us from our
racism, or other oppressive inclinations.
 Actually, this teaching could mislead us into
thinking that everything is resolved when we
discover we are forgiven.
The Rhetorical Discourse of Romans
 Are Anti-Semitism, Racism, and Other
Oppressive Attitudes Due to Arrogance?
overcome the arrogance that believers in Christ
from Jewish and Gentile origins had toward each
other and toward Jews, … It is a matter of changing
the will of people
cannot truly address our predicament, because
racism and other oppressive attitudes are not a
matter of will.
The evil of racism and of oppression is due neither to
a lack of knowledge (e.g. of God’s love) nor to a
wrong will (e.g. arrogance); .
The Religious Discourse of Romans
and Paul’s Convictions
Anti-Semitism, Racism, and Oppressive
Attitudes as Signs of Bondage to Evil
Powers Overcome by the Gospel as
Power of God for Salvation
The Gospel as Inverted Imperial Conquest
The Gospel as Power of Salvation from the
Power of Sin
Groups I Leviticus









Leviticus - Alan Cooper and Susan Scholz (USA and Germany)
Presenter of GBC :
Leader (his own vs. GBC):
Matthew Calderwood
Mark Wells
Adesewa Adelekun
Lakendra Scott
Iris Ankrom
Wendy Aluoch
Chance Dillon
Groups I Leviticus









Leviticus - Alan Cooper and Susan Scholz (USA and Germany)
Presenter of GBC :
Leader (his own vs. GBC):
Matthew Calderwood
Mark Wells
Adesewa Adelekun
Lakendra Scott
Iris Ankrom
Wendy Aluoch
Chance Dillon
Groups II










Romans - Daniel Patte (USA and France)
Presenter of GBC :
Leader (her own vs. GBC):
Anna McReynolds
Arlonzo Williams
Ben Pflederer
Basye Holland
Anna Leigh Keith
*Annie Wong
Erin Higgins
Taylor Schomp
Groups II










Romans - Daniel Patte (USA and France)
Presenter of GBC :
Leader (her own vs. GBC):
Anna McReynolds
Arlonzo Williams
Ben Pflederer
Basye Holland
Anna Leigh Keith
*Annie Wong
Erin Higgins
Taylor Schomp