Semester 1 Final Flashcards
(24 cards)
How does the Historical Critical Method help us to understand the Bible better?
If we understand what life was like and what was normal in the time period, then we can read the Bible in context to interpret it correctly
What are challenges to studying the bible?
- there are different church beliefs
- bible cannot always be read literally
- difficult to uncover religious truths
- we don’t understand the culture
What are the qualities that define oral storytelling?
- before writing was invented
- told by elders
- passed through generations
- express cultural values
- points change based on emotion in the moment
Why were oral stories eventually written down?
- writing was a more common way of communicating
- consistency needed due to competing ideas
- people are more spread out (due to exile or economic reasons)
What was life like for the audience of scripture as they shared their stories through oral tradition and writing?
- low life expectancy, barrenness
- limited food supply
- slavery was normal, wife was property
- father controlled his kids life
- religion and government were the same
Why is myth a misleading term in today’s society?
-we immediately think it’s false or a primitive science or explanation
What functions do myths perform?
- instill cultural values
- describe relationship between this world and the sacred
- describe truths that cannot be explained literally
- genesis describes Israelite understanding of creation of the world
How is the story of Adam and Eve an etiological story?
It answers important questions about certain realities in life
(Study of causes)
What questions does the story of Adam and Eve provide answers for?
- why we sin
- women have pain in childbirth
- difficult to grow food
- women subordinate to men
- conscious of good and evil
What does Borg think went wrong?
- Disobedience (basic explanation)
- Birth of Consciousness (self/world distinction)
- Hubris (self centeredness)
- Sloth (others decide your actions)
How can Borg’s explanations be combined?
Birth of consciousness leads to hubris. Hubris intensifies sense of separation from the world. Socialization leads to sloth
What are different interpretations of the Abraham and Isaac story?
- Christian: foreshadows God’s sacrifice of Jesus
- Jewish: God does not want human sacrifice
- Islam: Ishmael was the one being sacrificed
- Cultural: child sacrifice was common
When is God’s covenant threatened and renewed?
- Sarah is barren, but God allows her to give birth in old age
- Isaac is almost sacrificed, but God provides a ram instead
What occurred during the sabbatical year?
- happened every 7 years
- slaves released from debt
- land and farm animals could rest
How were jubilee laws radical?
- every 49 years
- all land returned to original tribal family (redistribution)
- radical concern for social justice
- revisits fair distribution of resources many times
How did the Jewish experience of bondage add context to Jubilee laws?
Life in Egypt was very unfair
-want to avoid that situation
What is the judges cycle?
Repeating pattern throughout judges
- worship other gods
- God gets angry (taken by enemies)
- Israel cries out to God
- judge appointed
- judge frees Israel from enemies
- land has rest
- judge dies, cycle repeats
How is judges a downward cycle?
Each judge is less adequate than the one before
What conditions led to the spitting of the Israelite kingdom? how does this relate to Egypt?
- Solomon made his people do forced labor for his building projects
- rehoboam seems like Solomon, so northern tribes follow jeroboam instead
- resentment of slave labor in Egypt
What are realities of Jewish life and religion after return from exile?
- temple of Solomon was destroyed, but some religious life continued
- difficult to rebuild temple
- new laws were created to preserve Jewish identity (no mixed marriages)
- controlled by Persians Greeks and Romans
What causes divisions among Jewish people after the return from the exile?
- one group adopted greek customs
- others were strictly against Greek assimilation and remained loyal to Jewish practices and customs
How does Ecclesiastes attack conventional wisdom of the time?
-conventional wisdom: hard work, riches, and pleasures bring happiness
- Ecclesiastes: everything is vanity
- no answers or happiness w/o god
How does job attack conventional wisdom of the time?
Conventional wisdom: good person is rewarded with good health, material wealth, and good fortune
-job must have sinned
Job: ponders, lives with, and explores suffering
What qualities distinguish Wisdom Literature from the rest of the Old Testament?
- Based on gaining hokma
- universal ideas
- no mention of Old Testament themes and characters
- describes character morals (truth, moderation, prudence, kindness)
- concerned about everyday life instead of big moments
