Caught in the Crossfire? Economic Injustice and Prophetic Motivation in Eighth-Century Judah

Coomber, Matthew J. M.

doi:10.1163/156851511x595576

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…There has been a measure of success already in this approach. Coomber (2011) recently applied cultural-evolutional theory to a study of Isaiah 5 to explore possible motivations by the prophet for his complaints against land ownership abuse. He compares the patterns of modern-day Tunisia and ancient Judah through the shared experience of agrarian challenges and a religious-based system of land management that is threatened by the changing economic strategies of the state (2011:415).…”

Section: Latifundiamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Isaiah 5: A prophetic critique of economic proportion

Grey¹

2018

Verbum Eccles.

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The text of Isaiah 5 describes a rapidly changing society in 8th-century BCE Judah. This shift is driven by forces such as increased international trade, the clash of urbanisation and agrarianism, and the rise of the urban elites. These changes have direct correlation with the transforming economic environment of that period. Yet scholars have paid little attention to the economic realities reflected in the message of the prophet Isaiah. This article explores the context of Isaiah 5 through an engagement with economic theory. While recognising the dilemmas in the adoption of tools from contemporary economic theory to analyse an ancient society, this article utilises game theory to shed light on the historical and cultural background to the text. By applying the ‘prisoner’s dilemma’ it explores the ‘deal’ being offered by the prophet to the Judahite leaders in Isaiah 5: 8–24. In particular, the article looks at rational choice and the self-interested basis of decision-making to draw insights from the text by highlighting the conflicts of interest for the wealthy elite of Isaiah 5.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This research relates to the disciplines of Old Testament Studies and Economic Theory. The focus is applying economic theory to the biblical text of Isaiah 5.

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Section: Latifundiamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Applying this culturalevolutional theory to Isaiah 5, he suggests that the prophet may have also been defending his own role within the changing society. He writes (Coomber 2011):…”

Section: Latifundiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Isaiah 5: A prophetic critique of economic proportion

Grey¹

2018

Verbum Eccles.

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Micah 1–3 and Cultural Trauma Theory: An Exploration

Bayer

2022

Open Theology

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Trauma studies have seen rapid growth in popularity within the past two decades, moving from a psychological phenomenon to a concept utilized by literary critics, sociologists, and now biblical scholars. Yet, most of the work on trauma theory within biblical studies focuses on psychological aspects of trauma instead of sociological or cultural aspects of trauma. Drawing on Jeffery Alexander’s theory of cultural trauma, a cultural trauma reading of Micah 1–3 reveals how Micah 1–3 as a book transforms Micah’s localized psychological trauma to become a national trauma, explaining why scribes preserved Micah 1–3. Like holocaust testimony that became a cultural trauma, Micah’s testimony to his trauma became a trauma for all of Judea. To create a cultural trauma, Micah 1–3 define the trauma as divine punishment through an Assyrian invasion due to a breakdown of social order seen in the corrupt owners, rulers, and religious leaders. This cultural trauma then becomes one of the early texts to shape later biblical writers’ understanding of divine punishment. This article offers a different perspective of trauma theory and shows how cultural trauma theory explains why Micah 1–3 were preserved.

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A Study of the Background to the Book of Amos

Boaheng

2022

EHASS

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The book of Amos is among the most studied books in the Bible. The high scholarly interest in Amos is due to the prophet’s emphasis on true religion. Amos’ message cannot be understood without a proper understanding of the context in which it was delivered. Amos ministered in eighth-century Israel when the nation had prospered economically and politically. The nation’s prosperity had yielded a high level of religiosity evident in the payment of tithes, offerings, religious gatherings and singing of hymns. Unfortunately, the religiosity of the people had no positive impact on their social lives. This situation prompted Amos’ prophecy of an impending divine judgment which was to decimate the nation and finally send the people into exile. The purpose of this paper is to explore the contextual issues within which Amos’ message emerged and then compare Amos’ situation with the contemporary Ghanaian socio-religious and political contexts. The paper used literary research methodology as well as textual and historical analyses. The findings from the study serve as a hermeneutical framework for interpreting and applying Amos’ message. Lessons are also drawn for contemporary leaders. The paper contributes to Old Testament scholarship, particularly scholarship on the minor prophets. Keywords: Amos, Ghana, Justice, Socio-economic context

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Caught in the Crossfire? Economic Injustice and Prophetic Motivation in Eighth-Century Judah

Cited by 6 publications

References 4 publications

Isaiah 5: A prophetic critique of economic proportion

Isaiah 5: A prophetic critique of economic proportion

Micah 1–3 and Cultural Trauma Theory: An Exploration

A Study of the Background to the Book of Amos

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