“How to do” a historical-literary interpretation

Dieter Mitternacht
LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
February 28, 2011
50 To Fung Shan Road, Shatin, N.T., HONG KONG, S.A.R.
“How to do” a historical-literary
interpretation
The basic steps
Contents
1 A first examination of the passage in question ............................... 2
2
The literary context ........................................................................... 2
2.1
The wider literary context of the whole document .............................................. 2
2.2
The narrow literary context of the passage ........................................................... 3
3
Genre and function ........................................................................... 3
4
The structure of the text ................................................................... 4
5
Words and expressions ..................................................................... 5
6
Inter-texts .......................................................................................... 6
7
The historical context ....................................................................... 6
7.1
The specific background ........................................................................................ 7
7.2
The symbolic world ................................................................................................ 7
8
Summary and conclusion ................................................................. 9
9
Analogies............................................................................................ 9
This “How to do” presentation presents the basic methodological
steps of a historical-literary interpretation. To begin with, the context
of the interpretive task is set out according to the formula presented
in the companion paper “How to read the NT”: the Interpreter (I) is
defined as a student with the task of analyzing a New Testament
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passage (T), in order to produce an academic paper (O) for a course
in New Testament studies (R). The NT passage is part of a literary
unit that belongs within a historical context. This means, that the
passage is to be examined as part of a larger whole. Using the
historical-literary method (M) means following a series of
interpretive steps along a predefined path (gr. methodos = path,
road).
The order or sequence of steps of the analysis is designed for the
working process (via inventionis). It does not mean that the final
form of the presentation (via expositionis), has to follow the same
order as the one used in working process.
1 A FIRST EXAMINATION OF THE PASSAGE IN QUESTION
Begin by reading the passage in question carefully, compare different
translations with each other, and if possible with the Greek text. Use
commentaries and dictionaries and reflect on how and why
translations differ. Make notes of what may be important to consider
more carefully later on. You may have to reassess your choices as you
go along, but don’t forget to make notes of what you observe from
the very beginning.
2 THE LITERARY CONTEXT
As you examine the place of a passage in a document, you may
distinguish the wider from the narrow context. The wider context
concerns the document as a whole; the narrow context looks for the
interrelations of the passage in question to the part of the document
to which it belongs.
2.1 The wider literary context of the whole document
Regarding the wider literary context, you may ask yourself: What kind
of document is this, what genre and character? What are the main
divisions and what is the main content of the document as a whole
and of the main divisions?
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Maybe it is difficult to identify clear divisions and the line of thought
seems progress spirally rather than sequential. Maybe a theme seems
to be recurring in different shades. Make a note!
Consider to which part of the text your own passage belongs. Is it
part of the document’s central proposition, or is it a subsection of
another argument? Is it maybe an independent passage that appears
to have been inserted into the document?
2.2 The narrow literary context of the passage
The narrow literary context of the passage in question may be divided
into parts of an argument or a story. How does your text fit into the
passage? What are the connecting verses immediately before and
after your text?
Are there any recurring key words? Is there a main heading under
which your text can be subsumed? What are the specifics of the main
parts of the passage? How does your text fit into the narrow literary
context? What does the passage contribute to the whole document
and how does it separate from the whole, formally (conjunctions,
shift of genre, etc.) or in terms of content?
3 GENRE AND FUNCTION
Text genres concern literary type, character and purpose. The term
“genre” can be described as a “family term”. Texts that have certain
characteristics in common, belong to the same genre, just like
members of the same family.
Consider the reactions and expectations that a text evokes in you as a
reader. For instance, what reactions and expectations does a text
evoke in you that starts with the phrase “Once upon a time...”? How
about a text with the heading “Recipe”, or a letter that starts with a
greeting such as “Dear ant Lucy”. Without making a conscious
choice, we treat each these texts differently, i.e. we ascribe to them a
genre that guides our reactions and expectations.
Entire documents may belong to a particular genre. But also within a
document we may find shifts of genres that trigger different
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responses. As we look at Paul’s letters, we find exhortation passages
(e.g. Rom 12:1ff), theological reasoning (Rom 6:1-11); midrash
(allegorical interpretation of a biblical passage, e.g. Gal 4:21-5:1);
hymns (e.g. Phil 2.6-11), lists of virtues and vices (e.g. Gal 5.19-23) and
poetic passages (e.g. 1 Cor 13). Sometimes translators mark a genre
change within a text typographically, as, for instance, when passages
like the beatitudes (Matt 5:3-10) or the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) are
presented in poetic verse form.
Thus, different types of texts trigger different types of readings and
thus also, different types of meaning. We don’t read a poem like a
newspaper article, a historical account like a novel, a story like an
argumentation, a parable like a reality depiction. A letter triggers
different association than a biography or a gospel story. An
apocalyptic text like the book of Revelation requires a different
method of interpretation than a historical text like the Book of Acts,
etc.
Define the genre and function of your text and the passage that it is
part of, and use these considerations to define the relationship
between your passage and the document as a whole.
4 THE STRUCTURE OF THE TEXT
As you proceed to examine your text in detail, you ask yourself how
the different parts of the text relate to each other. There is more than
one way of doing this, but the basic idea is to divide the text into
smaller units and to define how the units relate to each other,
structurally or thematically. Sometimes you may find a structural
element such as a chiasm, sometimes there may be a pattern of
repetitions, and sometimes you may find an inclusive frame or a
narrative substructure.
In a letter the beginning of a section may be marked by an epistolary
formula and thus define the passage as part of the epistolary frame.
Sometimes it is possible to identify a rhetorical type that helps clarify
the structure. When formal structures seem obscure, it may be
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possible to distinguish a thematic progression of content, or to
separate teaching sections from admonishing sections.s
In other words, observe choices of words, repetitions, trains of
thought, narrative patters, progression of argument, progression of
narration, differences in content, etc. Make notes! Mark the things
that you identify as structural indicators in the text. Make your
structure visible by dividing the text up, underlining crucial words or
phrases, adding headings to parts, etc.
5 WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS
a) As you structure your text, you will comer across words and
expressions that require further thought. Examine the most
important of those words and expressions by consulting dictionaries
and commentaries, and define how they affect the meaning of the
passage as a whole.
Well known words such as “blessed”, “faith”, “Christ” or “Pharisees”
often yield new insights as you examine them closely. Words like
“Galilee”, “Romans”, “fishermen”, “crucifixion”, “Corinth”, “Cephas”,
“circumcision”, or expressions like “at this time Caesar Augustus
issued a decree that a census should be made...” (Luke 2:1) may
require research into geographical, historical, social and other
background knowledge.
b) You may also come across expressions that require acquaintance
with the geographical, cultural and religious milieu of the time. Why
are the Pharisees upset when the disciples pluck some heads of grain
on the Sabbath (Mark 2:23-24)? What does it mean when Paul speaks
of being “caught up to the third heaven” (2 Cor 12:2)? How many
heavens are (were) there? What kind of experience may he be talking
about? Are there other ancient sources that refer to similar
experiences? Or why would he praise the Galatians because “though
my illness was a trial to you, you did not show any distaste or
revulsion” (Gal 4:14, NJB)? Why should illness be the cause of
revulsion?
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c) Compare your text with other passages in the same document or in
other documents by the same author where the same word or
expression occurs. For this you may consult concordances,
dictionaries and commentaries.
d) Beware, that the same words and expressions can shift in meaning
from one document to another. Do not, for instance, assume a
Pauline understanding of the word “faith” if you interpret the same
word in the Letter of James.
6 INTER-TEXTS
If there is a quote or an allusion in your passage to another text
source, examine how the quote or the allusion is used and how that
contributes to the point that is being made in your passage. As is well
known, the Synoptic Gospels are interdependent and one of the
exiting challenges can be to investigate how Matt and Luke have
incorporated a passage from Mk into their own Gospel. In addition
there are frequent quotes from and allusions to the Hebrew Bible,
and at times, a New Testament author will explicitly admit to having
incorporated an earlier traditions into his text (cf. 1 Cor 15).
Remember that there was no Old Testament as Paul or the gospel
writers composed their texts. Instead the Jewish scriptures were their
(only) holy scriptures. Thus, Paul would refer to a Jewish text, in
order to strengthen his argument ( cf. e.g. Gal 3:10ff).
Another interesting case of inter-texts consists of a comparison of the
gospel of John with the first letter of John. Comparing similarities
and contrasts can provide a clearer understanding of both texts.
7 THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT
As you examined the literary context of the passage in question, you
have already encountered a number of historical questions, such as
genre issues, word meanings, etc., At this time you focus on the
historical context, as well as on the specific historical genesis of the
document as a whole.
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7.1 The specific background
Ask questions such as: Who wrote the text to whom? What seems to
be the overall purpose of writing? What does the text divulge about
the relationship between sender(s) and addressee(s)? What do we
know about geographical, political, social and religious conditions
and circumstances?
a) For instance, how does the fact that Paul writes a letter to
churches in Rome, i.e. churches he had not founded himself and a
city where he had never been, affect his way of communicating? You
may compare the style and tone of the letter to the Romans with that
of the second letter to the Corinthians, written to a church that Paul
had founded himself and to which he was closely attached.
b) The composition of the Gospels has a history that stretches over a
period of thirty years and more, from the time of Jesus’ ministry to
the final redaction of the Gospels. An analysis of a Gospel passage can
therefore provide insights into more than just one historical setting.
c) In addition, a comparison of Mark and Mathew, for instance, may
highlight a number of differences that reflects different authorial
intents, different target groups, different views of the law and the
Jewish people, differences in theological outlook, etc.
Conclusions concerning the historical context of an entire document
may require more work than can be expected from an assignment
such as this. In order to attain the necessary background
information, you may therefore look for help from books and articles
where these kinds of questions are dealt with.
7.2 The symbolic world
Texts are written for, and function in, different cultural and religious
settings. As people think, act and write, they comply with societal
roles, expectations, conventions and power structures. They adhere
to, or react against, customs and values of their cultures and times.
All of these aspects affect communication and determine, consciously
and subconsciously, how people interact. The construction of an
argument, the problems and conflicts that surface, etc., may seem
trivial in one setting, yet weighty in another setting. Thus, as we
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consider the circumstances of the New Testament texts we need to
consider the environment, the symbolic world of the time.
In an ancient Mediterranean setting, the awareness of a person’s
individuality was less clear-cut than in modern cultures. This affects
how one perceives questions of identity, mentality and attitudes. In
such a culture, where attitudes and actions are strongly determined
by societal patterns of honor and shame, conversion is never just a
personal matter, as it may be in a modern, individualistic setting.
Instead, religious conversion was easily perceived as a breach of
loyalty with family, community, city, even state and emperor, and the
consequences of one person’s action as affecting everybody and
everything around, even nature, a disruption of spiritual harmony
between a people and their gods, and, consequently as a threat to
family and society.
For instance, as Gentile Christ-believers shifted their loyalties from a
pagan household to a synagogue or an unknown new religious house
group, they became a threat to family and community. As they
refused to honor Caesar and instead praised Christ as their king and
Lord, people around them were assured that the societal balance
structure was affected negatively. Thus it was a “natural” reaction
that those who had converted to the Christian faith would be
blamed, if a sudden death occurred, a failed crop or some other
calamity hit a community.
The New Testament texts purport conflicts and disagreements
between Christians and of Christians in relation to their pagan
surroundings. Before we jump to readymade conclusions, we need to
be mindful of the particular life conditions, societal values, structures
of authority, i.e. the symbolic world of that society. These aspects are
not always apparent on the surface of the text and can be difficult to
identify. Consult, therefore, commentaries that provide comparative
materials and background information about the historical
circumstances of the time.
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8 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Having reached the end of the methodological procedure, it is now
time to summarize the findings that you have accumulated. The
purpose of a summary is not to write something “new” or different
from the methodological analysis, but to present its results. Use your
findings and describe how you perceive the main argument / point /
message of the passage.
9 ANALOGIES
The interpreter’s personal concerns, cultural contexts and inherited
presuppositions will always affect his/her interpretations. No man is
an island. Even a preference for either historical or literary aspects of
a text is born out of certain presuppositions. Some may even find
neither of these presuppositions appealing and prefer to approach
the biblical text as a book of oracles, or as a philosophical or
theological handbook.
The methodological procedure that has been proposed here, is
devised to help you focus on historical and literary questions that
arise from the encounter with the text, and to restrain yourself from
engaging too quickly in questions of application.
This does not mean that questions of application should be
neglected. Rather, you are asked to focus on historical and literary
issues in order to be better prepared for application. You may find
that starting with historical and literary question will generate new
and even unexpected interests and concerns for application.
Having completed the historical and literary analysis, you may now
take the interpretation process a step further and look for analogies
between ancient and texts, ideologies, societal, religious or ethical
patterns and your own life circumstances, contexts and experiences.
Think about the relevance or irrelevance of your historical and
literary text analysis for your own life, community and society. Maybe
this can be the starting point for a sermon outline. Maybe …
But remember that analogy and application comes after the
completion of the historical and literary analysis!
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