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READING RELIGIOUS TEXTS. ASSUMPTIONS Religious texts are … Human artifacts Human artifacts...

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READING READING RELIGIOUS TEXTS RELIGIOUS TEXTS
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Page 1: READING RELIGIOUS TEXTS. ASSUMPTIONS Religious texts are … Human artifacts Human artifacts Historical artifacts Historical artifacts Literary artifacts.

READINGREADINGRELIGIOUS TEXTSRELIGIOUS TEXTS

Page 2: READING RELIGIOUS TEXTS. ASSUMPTIONS Religious texts are … Human artifacts Human artifacts Historical artifacts Historical artifacts Literary artifacts.

ASSUMPTIONSASSUMPTIONS

Religious texts are …Religious texts are … Human artifactsHuman artifacts Historical artifactsHistorical artifacts Literary artifactsLiterary artifacts Cultural artifactsCultural artifacts Social artifactsSocial artifacts Economic artifacts Economic artifacts Rhetorical artifactsRhetorical artifacts Political artifactsPolitical artifacts

Page 3: READING RELIGIOUS TEXTS. ASSUMPTIONS Religious texts are … Human artifacts Human artifacts Historical artifacts Historical artifacts Literary artifacts.

Religious Texts Are Human Religious Texts Are Human ArtifactsArtifacts

Written by specific human Written by specific human beingsbeings– At particular times in historyAt particular times in history– In particular placesIn particular places– In particular culturesIn particular cultures– In particular languagesIn particular languages

All these “particulars” matter All these “particulars” matter when seeking to understand when seeking to understand the textsthe texts

Page 4: READING RELIGIOUS TEXTS. ASSUMPTIONS Religious texts are … Human artifacts Human artifacts Historical artifacts Historical artifacts Literary artifacts.

Religious Texts Are Historical Religious Texts Are Historical ArtifactsArtifacts

Shaped by contexts in which Shaped by contexts in which they were writtenthey were written

HistoricalHistorical CulturalCultural SocialSocial EconomicEconomic PoliticalPolitical RhetoricalRhetorical

Culture

Politics

Rhetoric

Economy

Society

History

Text

Page 5: READING RELIGIOUS TEXTS. ASSUMPTIONS Religious texts are … Human artifacts Human artifacts Historical artifacts Historical artifacts Literary artifacts.

Religious Texts Are Religious Texts Are Literary ArtifactsLiterary Artifacts

Written recordWritten record Precise use of Precise use of

languagelanguage Ancient version of Ancient version of

“mass media”“mass media” Continuum of Continuum of

literacy/oralityliteracy/orality Retain aural qualitiesRetain aural qualities

Page 6: READING RELIGIOUS TEXTS. ASSUMPTIONS Religious texts are … Human artifacts Human artifacts Historical artifacts Historical artifacts Literary artifacts.

Religious Texts Are Religious Texts Are Cultural ArtifactsCultural Artifacts Common ideasCommon ideas Normative assumptionsNormative assumptions Cultural moresCultural mores Language of the textLanguage of the text Knowledge base of the Knowledge base of the

societysociety

Page 7: READING RELIGIOUS TEXTS. ASSUMPTIONS Religious texts are … Human artifacts Human artifacts Historical artifacts Historical artifacts Literary artifacts.

Religious Texts Are Religious Texts Are Economic ArtifactsEconomic Artifacts

PatronPatron ““Publisher”Publisher” Elite groupElite group Leisure Leisure

requiredrequired Contents Contents

reflect reflect economic economic system of system of author’s timeauthor’s time

0

20

40

60

% Distribution of Resources

Ruler Aristocrats Plebians

Page 8: READING RELIGIOUS TEXTS. ASSUMPTIONS Religious texts are … Human artifacts Human artifacts Historical artifacts Historical artifacts Literary artifacts.

Contemporaneous social issues/needs prompt Contemporaneous social issues/needs prompt textstexts

““Social locations” impact textsSocial locations” impact texts– Economic statusEconomic status– Ethnic identityEthnic identity– GenderGender– Peer groupPeer group– Social classSocial class– Religious affiliationReligious affiliation

Social location of author affects writingSocial location of author affects writing Social location of audience affects receptionSocial location of audience affects reception

Religious Texts Are Social Religious Texts Are Social ArtifactsArtifacts

Page 9: READING RELIGIOUS TEXTS. ASSUMPTIONS Religious texts are … Human artifacts Human artifacts Historical artifacts Historical artifacts Literary artifacts.

Religious Texts Are Religious Texts Are Rhetorical ArtifactsRhetorical Artifacts Texts are purposefulTexts are purposeful

– InformationalInformational– ArgumentativeArgumentative

Authors intend effectsAuthors intend effects– AffectiveAffective– BehavioralBehavioral– CognitiveCognitive

Successful texts have Successful texts have effects on audienceseffects on audiences– AffectiveAffective– BehavioralBehavioral– CognitiveCognitive

Authors construct Authors construct texts to maximize texts to maximize intended effectsintended effects– Choice of terms, Choice of terms,

images, tropes & images, tropes & figuresfigures

– Choice of topics to Choice of topics to include & omitinclude & omit

Discourse reveals Discourse reveals andand conceals conceals– What is central?What is central?– What is included?What is included?– What is marginalized?What is marginalized?– What is out of view?What is out of view?

Page 10: READING RELIGIOUS TEXTS. ASSUMPTIONS Religious texts are … Human artifacts Human artifacts Historical artifacts Historical artifacts Literary artifacts.

Religious Texts Are Religious Texts Are Political ArtifactsPolitical Artifacts Texts have contexts in Texts have contexts in

civic lifecivic life Authors intend effects in Authors intend effects in

“real” life, not just in the “real” life, not just in the realm of ideasrealm of ideas

Texts do affect Texts do affect audiencesaudiences

Power dynamics of textsPower dynamics of texts– Selective preservation of Selective preservation of

ancient textsancient texts– Power structures inherent Power structures inherent

in texts (assumptions, in texts (assumptions, images, patterns of images, patterns of discourse)discourse)

– Explicit treatment of Explicit treatment of power issues in textspower issues in texts

0

20

40

60

80

100

% Population Distribution by Class

Rulers Aristocrats Plebians

Page 11: READING RELIGIOUS TEXTS. ASSUMPTIONS Religious texts are … Human artifacts Human artifacts Historical artifacts Historical artifacts Literary artifacts.

Religious Texts Require Religious Texts Require AnalysisAnalysis

Basic tools for reading historical documents:Basic tools for reading historical documents: Textual criticismTextual criticism Literary analysisLiterary analysis Socio-historical analysisSocio-historical analysis Rhetorical analysisRhetorical analysis

– Discourse analysisDiscourse analysis– Political analysisPolitical analysis

Cultural analysisCultural analysis Comparative analysisComparative analysis

Page 12: READING RELIGIOUS TEXTS. ASSUMPTIONS Religious texts are … Human artifacts Human artifacts Historical artifacts Historical artifacts Literary artifacts.

Textual Criticism: Textual Criticism: Establishing the TextEstablishing the Text

Compare all extant Compare all extant manuscriptsmanuscripts

Consider variant readingsConsider variant readings Reconstruct original Reconstruct original

divisions & wording of the divisions & wording of the texttext

Page 13: READING RELIGIOUS TEXTS. ASSUMPTIONS Religious texts are … Human artifacts Human artifacts Historical artifacts Historical artifacts Literary artifacts.

Literary MethodsLiterary Methods

Literary-historical analysisLiterary-historical analysis– Sitz im LebenSitz im Leben– ““Surface structure” issuesSurface structure” issues– ““Deep structure” issuesDeep structure” issues

Central questionCentral question– What would the original audience have heard?What would the original audience have heard?

Page 14: READING RELIGIOUS TEXTS. ASSUMPTIONS Religious texts are … Human artifacts Human artifacts Historical artifacts Historical artifacts Literary artifacts.

Socio-Historical AnalysisSocio-Historical Analysis

Who wrote the text?Who wrote the text? For whom?For whom? For what reason?For what reason? What event(s) or What event(s) or

experience(s) prompted experience(s) prompted this text?this text?

Who read it?Who read it? In what setting?In what setting? Who transmitted it? Why?Who transmitted it? Why?

Page 15: READING RELIGIOUS TEXTS. ASSUMPTIONS Religious texts are … Human artifacts Human artifacts Historical artifacts Historical artifacts Literary artifacts.

Discourse & Discourse & Rhetorical AnalysisRhetorical Analysis CausalCausal

– What rhetorical setting prompted this text (What rhetorical setting prompted this text (i.ei.e., what ., what socio-politico-economic situation gave rise to it)?socio-politico-economic situation gave rise to it)?

– What event or experience was it designed to address?What event or experience was it designed to address? FunctionalFunctional

– HowHow does the text mean? does the text mean?– What was its intended effect?What was its intended effect?– What effect does it have on the putative audience?What effect does it have on the putative audience?

StructuralStructural– What does the choice of words and images reveal?What does the choice of words and images reveal?– What does the discourse of the text conceal or ignore?What does the discourse of the text conceal or ignore?

Page 16: READING RELIGIOUS TEXTS. ASSUMPTIONS Religious texts are … Human artifacts Human artifacts Historical artifacts Historical artifacts Literary artifacts.

Ideological (Political) Ideological (Political) AnalysisAnalysis CausalCausal

– What event or events in the “real world” What event or events in the “real world” provoked this text?provoked this text?

FunctionalFunctional– What was the text intended to do?What was the text intended to do?– How was it designed to accomplish that How was it designed to accomplish that

purpose?purpose?– What were the actual effects of this text on What were the actual effects of this text on

the original (real, not putative) audience?the original (real, not putative) audience? StructuralStructural

– Who benefits from this text?Who benefits from this text?– Who copied it and ensured its survival? Why?Who copied it and ensured its survival? Why?

Page 17: READING RELIGIOUS TEXTS. ASSUMPTIONS Religious texts are … Human artifacts Human artifacts Historical artifacts Historical artifacts Literary artifacts.

Comparative AnalysisComparative Analysis

What cultures have similar What cultures have similar texts?texts?

What are their relative dates?What are their relative dates? How does this text compare & How does this text compare &

contrast with these cognate contrast with these cognate texts?texts?– Are there signs of direct or Are there signs of direct or

indirect literary dependence?indirect literary dependence?– Are there signs that this text Are there signs that this text

intentionally changes the intentionally changes the viewpoint represented in one or viewpoint represented in one or more of the cognate texts? In more of the cognate texts? In what ways? To what end?what ways? To what end?

Page 18: READING RELIGIOUS TEXTS. ASSUMPTIONS Religious texts are … Human artifacts Human artifacts Historical artifacts Historical artifacts Literary artifacts.

Evaluating Religious Evaluating Religious TextsTexts ““Second-order”Second-order”

– Is the analysis accurate?Is the analysis accurate?– Is there logical consistency to the analysis?Is there logical consistency to the analysis?– Is the method rigorously applied?Is the method rigorously applied?– How strong is the evidence to support this How strong is the evidence to support this

analysis?analysis? ““First-order”First-order”

– Is the text “true”? In what sense?Is the text “true”? In what sense?– What would be a legitimate interpretation or What would be a legitimate interpretation or

application of the original meaning of this application of the original meaning of this text for a contemporary audience?text for a contemporary audience?

– How did you choose this meaning? Why?How did you choose this meaning? Why?


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