Social Placement

The present number of BTB embraces several key aspects of the question how people find their identity, role, and place in society. Biblical theology largely rests on established texts and their conventional meaning for intended readers. The field widens when these texts take on new meanings as experts begin to peel away the “established” and “conventional” in light of the “to be discovered.” Meanings are not so simple to decipher when time, place, language, and yet to be discovered influences play like a busy fountain with the task of exegesis, fragmenting the process into streams and droplets.

At lunch with a local pastor recently we discussed why people go to church. “To worship?” he proffered. Yes, but for many other reasons that can come to light only when social issues are brought into play. People make such choices when motivated by forces beneath the surface. Churches once taught that people who fail to worship will go to hell. That may remain a force for some, but less likely for others today. A major survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life finds that

most Americans have a non-dogmatic approach to faith. A strong majority of those who are affiliated with a religion, including majorities of nearly every religious tradition, do not believe their religion is the only way to salvation. And almost the same number believes that there is more than one true way to interpret the teachings of their religion.

The Pew Forum further reports that “More than one-quarter of American adults (28%) have left the faith in which they were raised in favor of another religion—or no religion at all. If change in affiliation from one type of Protestantism to another is included, 44% of adults have either switched religious affiliation, moved from being unaffiliated with any religion to being affiliated with a particular faith, or dropped any connection to a specific religious tradition altogether” (May 27, 2012: http://religions.pewforum.org/reports#). These findings suggest that religious beliefs and affiliations in the U.S. are both very diverse and extremely fluid.

In a context where freedom to make choices was limited by authority or duress, people were constrained to follow the set path. In a context where information is available, more choices become possible and even necessary. Readers may well find that BTB provides information that is vital for people making such choices. When people learn more about biblical meanings in their contexts, they are likely to base their choices on more realistic foundations.

Our lead article identifies a problem in translating a well-known biblical text. This study is indicative of many other instances where lack of clarity exists in often-cited biblical texts. Callia Rulmu's study, “Stumbling Words for a Determined Young Lady: Notes on Ruth 2:7b,” may be quite technical for our readers, but the tangle in the text should alert readers that translations often reflect interpretations.

David H. Wenkel's article, “When the Apostles Became Kings: Ruling and Judging the Twelve Tribes of Israel in the Book of Acts” examines a promise by Jesus in Luke 22:28–30 that the twelve apostles will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. In Luke's upside-down eschatology Wenkel concludes that this means that “the primary and immediate function of the Twelve's co-regency will be self-sacrificial service,” a requisite message in Christian ecclesiology.

Coleman A. Baker's article, “Social Identity Theory and Biblical Interpretation” addresses the question of how people identify themselves, the line of interaction between personal and group identity. This article is of particular significance when religious identity is in flux.

Eric C. Stewart's article, New Testament Space/Spatiality,” using Spatial Analysis Theory, analyzes the spaces of the Roman Empire and how Jesus and his early followers fit within those spaces, in some cases contesting dominant meanings and practices.”