MISREADING SCRIPTURE WITH INDIVIDUALIST EYES
Patronage, Honor, and Shame in the Biblical World
E. RANDOLPH RICHARDS and RICHARD JAMES
An imprint of InterVarsity Press
Downers Grove, Illinois
P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
©2020 by E. Randolph Richards and Richard James
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from InterVarsity Press.
InterVarsity Press® is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA®, a movement of students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities, colleges, and schools of nursing in the United States of America, and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. For information about local and regional activities, visit intervarsity.org.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
While any stories in this book are true, some names and identifying information may have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.
Cover design and image composite: Cindy Kiple
Image: portrait of a man: © Ana Paula Biondetti / EyEm / Getty Images
ISBN 978-0-8308-5275-8 (print)
ISBN 978-0-8308-4379-4 (digital)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
Savanna, who brings
such joy to our family.
—Randy
For my amazing wife, Judy,
and our two children,
who continue to teach me
the importance of family.
—Rich
Part 1. Social Structures of the Biblical World
2. Kinship: Staying in a Family
3. Patronage: Gifts Had Strings Attached
4. Patronage: The System and the Players
5. Patronage: Grace, Faith, and the Language of Patronage
6. Brokerage in the Biblical World: I Get By with a Little Lot of Help from My Friends
Part 2. Social Tools: Enforcing and Reinforcing Our Values
7. Having Honor: Everybody Has Some
8. Gaining Honor: Everybody Wants More
10. Having Shame: It Is Good for Everyone
11. Shaming: Done Right (and Wrong)
12. Having Boundaries: Us and Them
13. Guarding Boundaries: Keeping Us Us
Part 3. Why Does Collectivism Really Matter to Me?
14. Redeeming Kinship and Boundaries: Who Is Our Family?
15. Redeeming Patronage and Brokerage
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About Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes: Patronage, Honor, and Shame in the Biblical WorldThe Bible was written within collectivist cultures. When Westerners, immersed in individualism, read the Bible, it’s easy to misinterpret important elements—or miss them altogether. In any culture, the most important things usually go without being said. So to read Scripture well we benefit when we uncover the unspoken social structures and values of its world. We need to recalibrate our vision. Combining the expertise of a biblical scholar and a missionary practitioner, Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes is an essential guidebook to the cultural background of the Bible and how it should inform our reading. E. Randolph Richards and Richard James explore deep social structures of the ancient Mediterranean—kinship, patronage, and brokerage—along with their key social tools—honor, shame, and boundaries—that the biblical authors lived in and lie below the surface of each text. From Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar to Peter’s instructions to elders, the authors strip away individualist assumptions and bring the world of the biblical writers to life. Expanding on the popular Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes, this book makes clear how understanding collectivism will help us better understand the Bible, which in turn will help us live more faithfully in an increasingly globalized world. |
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