Cultural Tools for Interpreting the Good News / Edition 1

by John J. Pilch

Overview

How can reading the Bible in its appropriate Mediterranean cultural context shed light on concerns of believers who live in Western or other cultures? In Cultural Tools for Interpreting the Good News, John J. Pilch presents a basic introduction to the ancient Middle Eastern culture in which the Bible originated. A brief review of the life of Jesus from birth to death and resurrection guides the selection of biblical text segments to illustrate key cultural concepts so that believers may appropriate the Bible for personal or community life.

Chapter one examines the core Middle Eastern cultural concepts honor and shame as they are reflected in the stories about Jesus' origins and his behavior in adulthood. Chapter two describes how Jesus grew up to become a typical and successful male in his culture. Chapter three presents Jesus as a Holy Man in his tradition who announces the reign of God especially in parables. Chapter four shows how Jesus sought to establish the reign of God especially in his healing activities and by offering fresh insights into the appearances of the Risen Jesus.

Chapters are Honor and Shame," *How a Mediterranean Boy Becomes a Man, - *Jesus Announces the Reign of God, - *Jesus Seeks to Establish the Reign of God. -

John J. Pilch, PhD, teaches Scripture at Georgetown University as well as at the University of Pretoria. His other The Liturgical Press publications include The Cultural World of the Apostles: The Second Reading, Sunday by Sunday, Year A; The Cultural World of Jesusseries; The Triduum and Easter Sunday: Breaking Open the Scriptures; The Cultural Dictionary of the Bible; Choosing a Bible Translation; Galatians and Romans in The Collegeville Bible Commentary; and articles in The Modern Catholic Encyclopedia, The Collegeville Pastoral Dictionary of Biblical Theology, and The Bible Today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780814628263
Publisher:	Liturgical Press, The
Publication date:	07/28/2002
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	88
Product dimensions:	5.37(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

John J. Pilch, PhD, is professor of theology at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. He is author of numerous articles and books, including ,Visions and Healing in Acts of the Apostles: How the Early Believers Experienced God(Liturgical Press, 2004). He is a member of the Catholic Biblical Association of America and the International Society for Shamanistic Research, among other professional organizations.

Table of Contents

	Introduction	1
Chapter 1	Honor and Shame	5
Chapter 2	How a Mediterranean Boy Becomes a Man	21
Chapter 3	Jesus Announces the Reign of God	38
Chapter 4	Jesus Seeks to Establish the Reign of God	56
	Select Resources	75
	Index of Scripture Citations	77
	Index of Cultural Terms	81

Editorial Reviews

John Pilch continues his timely work on the cultural and pastoral dimensions of the Scriptures. The writing is fast-paced, practical, and engaging; while the 'cultural tools' are accessible, clear, and well-illustrated. This is a great addition to our biblical toolkit.
David Valtierra, CO, Scripture Institute at The Oratory, Rock Hill, South Carolina

True to his solid biblical scholarly approach, John Pilch guides the reader into meeting the Mediterranean "Man" Jesus by presenting the lenses of this Mediterranean culture. He sketches for us an understanding of "Honor" as the core value of this culture at the time of Jesus. Acquiring honor and knowing more about the cultures perspective on shame, healing and their reign of God are but a few new insights given into the life and parables of Jesus. Clearly by knowing the Mediterranean culture as one enters into the Scriptures is critical in our perspective of receiving the message of Jesus.
Joanne Prei

From the Publisher