March 21 2011

TodayIntroduction.

SONG OF SONGS Lakendra Scott  Respondent: Erin Higgins

 GALATIANS Adesewa Adelekun Respondent: Anna Leigh Keith  JOB Erin Higgins Respondent: Wendy Aluoch

-PART I A of Paper- YOUR LIFE CONTEXT AND THE TEXTa) Introduction: Identifying the Life-Context in which the

Biblical Book Is Interpreted. How does your life-context compare with (differ from) the life

context of the GBC commentary on the same book?b) Analyzing the Life Context, its Problems and the

Theological Issues it Raises Regarding the Relationship between the People of God and World.  The Contextual and Theological Questions that focus

= your analysis of this life situation 1) Nature of the problem 2) Root problem 3) the kind of teaching needed from the Scriptural text How does your analysis of your life-context compare with

(differ from) the life context of the GBC commentary on the same book?

-PART I A of Paper- 2) Further ANALYZING THE PROBLEM that Christian Believers need to address Dialectic text/contextLearning from the Biblical Book about Your contexta) from the perspective of the given biblical book, is

my original identification of the primary aspect of the believers’ life where this problem is correct? Or does it need adjustment?

b) from the perspective of the given biblical book:   How are the contextual questions/problems found in this life-context sharpened or even changed? Is the identification of the ROOT problem appropriate?

Learning from Your context about the Biblical Bookc) from the perspective of this life-context, how is the

reading of the biblical text focused on specific aspects of the text? What are the features/aspects of the biblical text that become particularly important?

-PART I A of Paper- 2) ANALYZING THE PROBLEM Christian Believers need to address (2)d) Is this an issue: Concerning inculturation approach?

Concerning social and justice problems (liberation approach)? Concerning the relationship between Christians and other groups in society, including other religions (inter(con)textual approach)? Concerning the sanctification/sacralization of the world (sacramental/liturgical/religious experience approach).

e) Consequently, what is (are) the main theme(s) of the biblical text upon which the interpretation needs to be focused?

 f) What is the primary root-problem A lack of (wrong) A) KNOWLEDGE? B) ABILITY? C) WILL? D) FAITH/VISION or IDEOLOGY?

-PART I B of Paper- Tentatively Formulating the Teaching What is the teaching from this biblical book

that WOULD address this problem? a) The main teaching of this Scriptural text

needed to address this problem

b) View of the Theme needed to address this problem

c) Role of Scripture needed to address this problem

PART II OF PAPERPart II A 5% Analysis of  the Text I:   an Overall

Presentation of the Biblical Book; locate the most significant passages or features to address the above problem

Part II B 40% Analysis of  the Text II:   1) an analysis of each significant passage; highlighting its most

meaningful features (using one or more scholarly interpretations or commentaries on this text)

2) comments (based on scholarly studies) on the way each significant passage addresses or fails to address the issues concerning the relationship between people of God and the world outlined above.

>>How are these refining the tentative formulation of the teaching? = also the view of the PROBLEM IN YOUR CHOSEN CONTEXT

PART I YOUR LIFE CONTEXT AND THE TEXT 1. **Tell the story** [150/200 words] of this

(these) Christian believer[s] and of the problem[s] they/he/she face[s] as these believers interact with “the world”

2. Analysis # 1 What is/are the problem[s]? Which parts of life is involved? Root-problem?

3. Reading Scripture = HOW DOES THIS SCRIPTURAL TEXT ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS (= “Liturgizing” for Hispanic Women)

4. Strategy # 1: How to apply this teaching in concrete life to be sure it addresses the problem?

PART II OF PAPERPart II A 5% Analysis of  the Text I:   Part II B 40% Analysis of  the Text II:   1) an analysis of each significant passage; 2) comments (based on scholarly studies) on how each

significant passage addresses or fails to address the problems and issues concerning the relationship between people of God and the world in the context you have chosen.

>>How are these refining the tentative formulation of the teaching? = also the view of the PROBLEM IN YOUR CHOSEN CONTEXT

This is the second round of the interpretive process.

PART II OF PAPERMy question after each presentation isWHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THE BIBLICAL TEXT

about your context?About how the problem should be understood?About how the root problem should be understood?About the role of Scripture needed to address this root-

problem with the text.How is the teaching TO BE FORMULATED in this

second round of the interpretive process Which matches the root-problem we have.

PART III OF PAPER YOUR COMMENTARY AND GBC Differences with the GBC Interpretation: a) What textual features did it emphasize that you did

not emphasize or even consider? What textual features did you emphasize that it did not emphasize or even consider?

b) Same questions about the key theological or ethical concepts (or themes)?

Which one of the 4 approaches did you use and did the CDC use? (inculturation, liberation, inter(con)textual, liturgical)?

Which one of the 5 strategies for becoming self-conscious about the contextual character of your biblical interpretation did you use? Did CDC use?

But TODAY:PART II OF PAPERThis is the second round of the interpretive

process.Analysis of  the Text I and II:   1) an analysis of each significant passage; 2) comments (based on scholarly studies) on how each

significant passage addresses or fails to address the problems and issues concerning the relationship between people of God and the world in the context you have chosen.

>>How are these refining the tentative formulation of the teaching? = also the view of the PROBLEM IN YOUR CHOSEN CONTEXT

SONG OF SONGS Lakendra Scott Formal Respondent: Anna Reynolds

Other Respondents: Mark Wells Ben Pflederer Arlonzo Williams

Love & Sacrament … often multiple, but where is the center?Love as self-centered (Autonomy); desire, “for

myself” “I want you” (receiving love) … applies to sexuality

Love as other-centered (Relational): love as giving to the one who is missing/needs some thing (love for the poor = charity = giving food to the hungry, etc.) (giving love) … applies to sexuality

Love as abandoning oneself, losing oneself, into the other (Heteronomy) as mystical experience; as being totally “in love”, lost in the other… the sacramental view of love … applies to sexuality

GALATIANS Adesewa Adelekun

Formal Respondent: Anna Leigh Keith

Other Respondents:Annie WongTaylor SchompChance Dillon

Galatians = 3 forms of the GospelGospel with the Law (eating kosher; circumcision,

etc.) for everyone = Jewish and Gentile Christians.GOSPEL WHICH IS NOT A GOSPEL

Gospel with the Law for Jews TRUE GOSPELGospel without the Law for Gentiles TRUE GOSPEL

Galatians 2:6-10 when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter making him an apostle to the circumcised also worked through me in sending me to the Gentiles), 9 and when James and Cephas and John, who were acknowledged pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was eager to do.

LAW AND GALATIANS (Forensic/Theological) Law of the Old Testament Wrong View: Law as Canon expressing the will of God

that righteous people should carry out to be saved through “work righteousness.”

But people always fail to carry it out … because it is a matter of the (circumcision of the) heart –motivation (root problem: WILL)

Right View: For Christians, justified by faith: faith comes to fruition in works of the Law [as Lamp to my feet],

it should be gladly and willingly followed when motivated by the Gospel;

then the Law functions, together with the Gospel, as the Good News (of God’s love)= instruction from the creator on how to put our life together

LAW AND GALATIANS (NC/PNew Perspective)• Law of the Hebrew Bible [[=TORAH]] is a part of

the covenant between God and Israel that remains valid for Jews.

• Wrong View : when this Law is taken as Canon/Rule of the Community that excludes Gentiles.

• Right View : Book of the Covenant between God and Israel that remains valid for Jews. For Gentile Christians, now also in the (inclusive) Covenant with God through faith, the Law functions as Book of the Covenant for both Jews and Gentiles, though Gentile Christians can carry out their vocation in their own way, apart from the Law—though it is fulfilling the Law (summarized in the Law of love).

LAW AND ROMANS (New Covenant /Pastoral/New Perspective)

Galatian 5:13-14 (NRSV) For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. 14 For the whole law [[=TORAH]] is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Romans 13:8-10 the one who loves another has fulfilled the law [[=TORAH]]. 9 The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet"; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, "Love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. [[=TORAH]]

Makes sense, acceptable to Jews? Not truly, unless they recognize Jesus as Messiah. So two distinct branches of the “people of God”. In the NC/P/New Perspective. (Erik is right) … except for Apocalyptically minded Jews.

LAW AND ROMANS (Apocalyptic/Messianic) But Law = Torah = Promise fulfilled in Christ and in

believers/church. Right View: The Law is “holy, just and good” = a

revelation from God. Yet it is not a complete and final revelation. It is promise (it promises life), Corrective Glasses (that reveals sins), Holy Scripture (that shatters our self-confidence by confronting us with the Holy).

Christ as fulfillment of the promise is “the end of the Law” (= what the Law points to; FULFILLMENT OF THE LAW AS PROMISE) and other new revelations as on-going fulfillments of the promises.

Wrong View: But if the Law = Torah is taken as the complete and final revelation, then as an idol it becomes destructive. This is the problem Paul denounces.

JOB Erin Higgins & SinRespondent: Wendy Aluoch

Other respondents:Basye HollandIris AnkromMatthew Calderwood

JOB Erin Higgins & SinSin = any human activity or stance opposed to God and

God’s purposes, separating humans from God. Sin as a moral evil involving individual will (wrong will),

guilt and responsibility = not wanting to do God’s willoften found in Western Churches

Sin as rebellion against God (God is unjust; unfair; refusing to glorify God)

Sin as due to a power that “possesses” peoplesatanic deception or disease-like

manifestations; In early tradition and Eastern Orthodoxy, Charismatic movement

systemic sin (related to environmental, structural, social, economic, cultural factors ) Liberation theology

Salvation from SinSin as a moral evil involving individual will (wrong

will), guilt and responsibility Salvation from punishment by God for this sin

Sin as rebellion against God involving individual wrong knowledge or vision of God

Salvation = recognizing God’s love then glorifying GodSin as due to a power that “possesses” people

satanic deception or disease-like wrong vision Salvation as healing , exorcism, being freed from this

impurity to be “holy” as we were supposed to besystemic sin wrong vision

Salvation as liberation from systemic sin and the oppression by it; liberation from these evil structural problems