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The Bible on Culture: Belonging or Dissenting?
Legrand examines the Bible's attitude to faith and culture in three Israel and the nations; the cultural world of Jesus; and Paul and beyond. In each part he offers a synthesis of current research on the cultural ambience studied and discusses the core texts that show the Bible's stance toward culture.
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First published November 7, 2000
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November 7, 2016
As I understand it, the thesis of this book is that both culture and faith need to be understood through all of the nuances and complexities of the system they are part of, as seen in the interactions of the characters and writers of the Bible, in order to successfully give shape to a Christian faith that doesn’t seem foreign to the local community. In the preface Legrand states:
“Faith in Jesus Christ is to be appropriated by each human group in its own way. Faith is not an extraneous element that has somehow to force or sneak its way into to the soul and course of life of various people. It is a light poured out by the spirit in the hearts of individuals and societies. Its’s radiance comes from within and must be reflected in the various aspects of mentality, life, manners, thought, art and culture of the people” (xi).
In chapters one through four Legrand discusses the history of Israel and the influences that other countries and cultures had on the Jewish people and faith. In chapters five and six, he speaks directly to the life of Jesus, taking into account the history of adaptation for the Jewish people, but also reminding us that not only was Jesus Jewish but he was Galilean. In chapters seven through ten, he focuses on life after Jesus. He brings all of the history of Judaism into a discussion where we see Paul and other Jewish leaders choosing to belong or dissent to Hellenistic Judaism. In the last chapter he brings all three of the sections together with the statement, “Christian faith is the same everywhere: it is the faith in Jesus Christ, Son of God. Yet at the same time, it is as diverse as the multiplicity of world cultures in which they lived” (168).
As I read through the book there were many parts that I thoroughly enjoyed but there were also times that I questioned the intent of the author. It was almost as though there were multiple thesis working throughout the text. Clearly, as seen in the preface, there was a sideline thesis dealing directly with the theology of inculturation. He was also laying out arguments of different biblical characters adapting and being acculturated to the surrounding areas without even being aware of the process. In chapter nine there is also side argument that Paul was not acculturated, enculturated- or inculturated because all of those deal with outside influences and Paul was raised in the mixed cultures (145).
In the first section of the book, there is a large emphasis on the influence of Canaanites on the Jews. He said regardless if you believe that the Jews formed out of Canaan or not that it is clear that the Jewish people “developed their self-awareness in opposition to the dominant culture” (6). Legrand made it clear that he was doing an overview of topics but the overview approach left me wanting more. Based on the many statements that the overall dependence and influence of the west Asian culture and mythology had an effect on the writers of the Old testament, I was left wondering if he was questioning the validity of the scriptures.
In the second section, his focus on Jesus as a Jew and a Galilean was intriguing. I thought the examples of the influence of being raised in Galilean surroundings were well documented and his life as a Jew was also. He did a good job of making the case that Jesus arguments with the Pharisees were not as we understand them in our context of good guy vs bad guy but more like a family argument and a basic part of Jewish life. Once again, coming from an overview perspective, I found this section lacking when it came to any discussion on the divinity of Jesus and even the cultural perspectives on His death and resurrection. I wondered the authors perspective on humanity and cultural influence versus His divine nature.
In the last section of the book, there is a lot of conversations about the influence of culture on Paul, Luke, and other characters, specifically focused on Hellenization and Hellenistic Judaism. There was a lot of insight to the influences that the current culture had in the lives of Paul and Luke. He focused on their similarities but also on the stark differences between the two as a result of those influences. This difference was clearly seen in their theology and Legrand specifically focused on their differences in their apocalyptic theologies. Having come into this sections with my previous thought and critiques, I was bothered by a statement made in chapter nine: “Paul engaged in more ‘dialogue’ with the ‘pagan’ world then he would have probably cared to admit” (143). Although I understand the intent of the statement I found it to be more opinion based then the factual arguments that had been made throughout the entire book.
Overall I found this book extremely informative but I don’t envision sharing this book with many people. The writing style was a lesson in culture all by itself; Although I found it engaging, their were times I had to reflect on what Legrand was really trying to say which is evident in my critique.
“Faith in Jesus Christ is to be appropriated by each human group in its own way. Faith is not an extraneous element that has somehow to force or sneak its way into to the soul and course of life of various people. It is a light poured out by the spirit in the hearts of individuals and societies. Its’s radiance comes from within and must be reflected in the various aspects of mentality, life, manners, thought, art and culture of the people” (xi).
In chapters one through four Legrand discusses the history of Israel and the influences that other countries and cultures had on the Jewish people and faith. In chapters five and six, he speaks directly to the life of Jesus, taking into account the history of adaptation for the Jewish people, but also reminding us that not only was Jesus Jewish but he was Galilean. In chapters seven through ten, he focuses on life after Jesus. He brings all of the history of Judaism into a discussion where we see Paul and other Jewish leaders choosing to belong or dissent to Hellenistic Judaism. In the last chapter he brings all three of the sections together with the statement, “Christian faith is the same everywhere: it is the faith in Jesus Christ, Son of God. Yet at the same time, it is as diverse as the multiplicity of world cultures in which they lived” (168).
As I read through the book there were many parts that I thoroughly enjoyed but there were also times that I questioned the intent of the author. It was almost as though there were multiple thesis working throughout the text. Clearly, as seen in the preface, there was a sideline thesis dealing directly with the theology of inculturation. He was also laying out arguments of different biblical characters adapting and being acculturated to the surrounding areas without even being aware of the process. In chapter nine there is also side argument that Paul was not acculturated, enculturated- or inculturated because all of those deal with outside influences and Paul was raised in the mixed cultures (145).
In the first section of the book, there is a large emphasis on the influence of Canaanites on the Jews. He said regardless if you believe that the Jews formed out of Canaan or not that it is clear that the Jewish people “developed their self-awareness in opposition to the dominant culture” (6). Legrand made it clear that he was doing an overview of topics but the overview approach left me wanting more. Based on the many statements that the overall dependence and influence of the west Asian culture and mythology had an effect on the writers of the Old testament, I was left wondering if he was questioning the validity of the scriptures.
In the second section, his focus on Jesus as a Jew and a Galilean was intriguing. I thought the examples of the influence of being raised in Galilean surroundings were well documented and his life as a Jew was also. He did a good job of making the case that Jesus arguments with the Pharisees were not as we understand them in our context of good guy vs bad guy but more like a family argument and a basic part of Jewish life. Once again, coming from an overview perspective, I found this section lacking when it came to any discussion on the divinity of Jesus and even the cultural perspectives on His death and resurrection. I wondered the authors perspective on humanity and cultural influence versus His divine nature.
In the last section of the book, there is a lot of conversations about the influence of culture on Paul, Luke, and other characters, specifically focused on Hellenization and Hellenistic Judaism. There was a lot of insight to the influences that the current culture had in the lives of Paul and Luke. He focused on their similarities but also on the stark differences between the two as a result of those influences. This difference was clearly seen in their theology and Legrand specifically focused on their differences in their apocalyptic theologies. Having come into this sections with my previous thought and critiques, I was bothered by a statement made in chapter nine: “Paul engaged in more ‘dialogue’ with the ‘pagan’ world then he would have probably cared to admit” (143). Although I understand the intent of the statement I found it to be more opinion based then the factual arguments that had been made throughout the entire book.
Overall I found this book extremely informative but I don’t envision sharing this book with many people. The writing style was a lesson in culture all by itself; Although I found it engaging, their were times I had to reflect on what Legrand was really trying to say which is evident in my critique.
Displaying 1 of 1 review