In this issue of Biblical Theology Bulletin, our contributing authors explore a wide array of issues, including the increasing experience of isolation in pre- and post-pandemic Western cultures; strange and even violent encounters with God in the Bible; the interpretation and reception of biblical passages among people who are ostracized because of their skin color; the function of color in the biblical texts; the meaning behind mixing prohibitions in the Mosaic Law; and the place of hope and nonviolence in the Christian faith, especially in light of eschatological warfare imagery.
While there is not a clear thematic thread linking these various issues together, as I read them, I find myself thinking about questions concerning sight and, more broadly, perception. To my understanding, both the natural and social sciences tend to confirm the limited perspective of the individual. Our brains, it seems, have evolved to navigate environments in a manner conducive to survival, which is not necessarily the same task as discovering truth or unveiling reality as it actually is—whatever that may be. The fact that there is an I that sees and always sees as me reminds me of my own finitude. But the finite perspective of the individual, or that of a particular group, is happily broadened in dialogue with other finite perspectives.
Our finitude can remind us of the social nature of knowing and speak to the importance of community, highlighting why isolation can be epistemologically dangerous. It cautions us against confident assertions of certitude, especially in areas where mystery and otherness abounds. It calls us to understand texts from the cultural perspectives of authors and original audiences, as well as from the cultural perspectives of contemporary audiences. It invites us not merely to hear or read words, but to strive to unpack their content to better understand the perspectives of others who use them.
Of course, this is merely my own limited experience as I read the compelling entries of this issue.
Samuel Hildebrandt examines the rise in experiences of loneliness in Western cultures such as the UK and USA, which were notable prior to the pandemic but have been greatly exacerbated since. Drawing on insights from the Hebrew Scriptures (especially Psalm 102) as well as psychology, Hildebrandt provides an explanation why loneliness, most particularly the sense of being “abandoned or isolated,” is a negative human experience. In essence, “loneliness is death invading life.” For Hildebrandt, the Psalmists depiction of loneliness provides a space for contemporary sufferers of loneliness to articulate their own experience more profoundly as well as place their experience within the broader context of a world that encounters loneliness.
Rachel Nabulsi provides an introduction to key aspects of the work of Rudolph Otto—including his methodology, some of his central claims, as well as criticisms of his work—in order to apply his thought to particular encounters with the divine in the Hebrew Scriptures. Nabulsi draws out how Otto’s emphasis of God as “wholly other,” one incapable of being exhausted by words or contained by rational explanations, sheds light on enigmatic episodes where God appears confusing or even apparently frightening manners (i.e., when Jacob wrestles with God or when God attempts to kill Moses).
Nicholas Campbell address mixture prohibitions of the Mosaic Law. He notes that such laws are often views as allegories aimed at discouraging the mixture of nationalities. However, Campbell argues that such readings are problematic. Moreover, Campbell maintains that a close reading of the code in its cultural context demonstrates that the prohibitions have a much more literal and pragmatic concern: “maintaining purity in the cultivation process,” a process which is itself connected with the purity of the people.
Mark Aidoo notes a study involving 104 teenage girls from Ghana. The study revealed that many girls were subject to abuse because of the darkness of their complexion. Aidoo asks how the biblical literature and the strategic plan for inclusive development known as Africa Agenda 2063 can address the type of discrimination these girls face. The primary concern for Aidoo here is not authorial intent, but rather contemporary applicability based on the reception of particular readers with particular experiences. This method is referred to as “Contextual Bible Study.” Using the results of such a study on the Shulammite woman from Song of Songs 1:5-17, Aidoo maintains that Contextual Bible Studies can empower readers such as the Ghanaian girls to have a more positive self-image and a stronger sense of self-empowerment. Such methods should be embraced by Christian churches.
Jennifer Buck explores Paul’s imagery of hope in the book of Romans as well as the depiction of the Lamb (and Lamb’s War) in the book of Revelation. For Buck, hope is an attitude of trust toward, an essential aspect of Christianity. Drawing on the eschatology of Jürgen Moltmann and the hermeneutical lenses of Quaker theologians, Buck argues for nonviolent interpretation of the Lamb’s War that instills a sense of hope that instills a practice nonviolence in the present, a way of living that points toward the redemption of the cosmos.
Anna Rambiert-Kwasniewska provides insight into the role of colors in the Bible by developing an extensive overview of how the term mélas (typically translated as “black”) is used in LXX and New Testament as well as extrabiblical texts. In extrabiblical Greek and Hellenistic texts, mélas can carry a fairly broad connotation as an adjective, referring to dark shades of color as opposes to merely “pure black.” As a noun, the term could refer to paints, inks, and other ornamentations such as mosaics. The ideas carry over in the LXX and New Testament, where, as an adjective, mélas refers to darker human hair and equine coats as well darker/tanned skin on humans and, as a noun, it refers to ink as well as negative states of being such as grief.
Each of these articles provides a helpful contribution to various ongoing conversations. BTB remains pleased to be a venue where these perspective can be shared
