Problem: One class is oppressing and exploting the poorer classes, keeping the power to themselves due to corruption and greed.
Question: Why is this system of oppression and exploitation successful?
Answer: The elites create a facade about themselves that deceives the workers and makes them become illusioned with their oppressors' supposed generosity, kindness, and concern. The exploiters use the process of dividing and conquering, singling out one worker at a time, to create adhesion amongst the expendable class. Furthermore, they humiliate and degrade the poorer classes by taking advantage of their vulnerability and take away their self worth by saying their labor has little worth. Jesus calls for the workers to disillusion themselves in order to create a cohesion and unity amongst their class, preventing any further oppression, exploitation, and intimidation from the elite.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Draft # 1
In the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard a man owned a vineyard and set out to find workers to tend the vineyard for him. The conflict of the parable revolves around the distribution of money and the cruelness of the landowner. To summarize the sequence of events each hour the landowner set out to the agora(marketplace) to fetch workers for the vineyard. There were workers wondering in the agora in all hours of the night. The landowner ends up asking workers from all hours of the day to assist in working on his land. When it comes to paying time the landowner tells his steward to pay the laborers their wages. This sets up a conflict, because the workers who worked through the whole day were upset that they were paid last.
In the parable the landowner was obviously a wealthy man. He owns a vineyard, which shows he is wealthy, because he is able to leave his land fallow and is still able to survive. A vineyard produces a luxury item that is very profitable. The vineyard is so fruitful and vast, because the landowner had to go fetch a myriad amount of workers to tend to it.1 In the beginning of the day, the landowner needed workers to work for his vineyard more than in the later hours. Therefore, he needed to bargain in order to obtain these workers. However, in the later hours of the day, the workers are desperate because they have no jobs. The landowner recognizes this and sends them to his vineyard. By then, he probably already has a sufficient amount of workers in the vineyard. In the parable the workers are poor expendables, who most likely don’t have families and are single, because they don’t make enough money to support anyone else but themselves. Most often times expendables lead very sad depressing lives that are solitary, poor, nasty, short ,and full of sickness. During this time in history a lot of people were unemployed. Many workers were just sitting around in the agora in all hours of the night, which implies unemployment.2 The stewards role in the parable is simply to watch the workers, while the landowner does whatever he pleases. The landowner far from being generous is taking advantage of the unemployed workers, because the workers class are so low that they have no bargaining power and agreed to work without any kind of wage agreement. 3 In that time period the landowners goal was to keep their class powerful and to keep the classes below them, below them and powerless. A denarius a day would not sustain life, because the day laborer worked so infrequently and only would supply 3-6 days worth of food, which is not a lot. 4 Normally a landowner would pay the workers from whoever worked first to last. This particular landowner did the exact opposite. The order of payment was made to shame the workers. The owner didn’t care about the extensive and hard labor the workers did all day and wanted them to know that. The owner only cares about himself which is apparent in many ways. The landowner is so worried about himself that he sends his steward to send the news to the workers, because he was only worried about his well being.5 This was the landowners strategy, to protect himself and put others down. The landowner obviously thought that the land belonged to him, because he doesn’t share the land or money. God wants us to share and gives us things to share with others. When the workers raise their voice the landowner turns the question around and makes the workers seem ungrateful, which was meant to put down the workers and to make the man seem like he is doing nothing wrong.
Jesus is directing the parable to peasant farmers or people from the lower class. This is directed to and about the manipulation and corruption of the elites and the falsehoods that they tell to try to keep the large lower class under control. Jesus designs a confrontation between the groups that normally would not confront it in reality. In this way he stretches the truth in order to reveal it.6 One event of oppression causes others to be intimidated, which causes them to be cooperative, which was the goal of many elites. The Kingdom of Heaven is like the parable, because it reveals the truth and enables the powerless to be empowered. In the parable two classes confront one another. The Kingdom of Heaven will expose the truth and have social classes and groups confront in the end. The Kingdom and its standards are the reverse of the worlds and it’s ways.7 In the end this parable shows the use of intimidation and cruelness that the elite use to make the lower classes stay powerless, to protect the well being only of their elite class.
In the parable the landowner was obviously a wealthy man. He owns a vineyard, which shows he is wealthy, because he is able to leave his land fallow and is still able to survive. A vineyard produces a luxury item that is very profitable. The vineyard is so fruitful and vast, because the landowner had to go fetch a myriad amount of workers to tend to it.1 In the beginning of the day, the landowner needed workers to work for his vineyard more than in the later hours. Therefore, he needed to bargain in order to obtain these workers. However, in the later hours of the day, the workers are desperate because they have no jobs. The landowner recognizes this and sends them to his vineyard. By then, he probably already has a sufficient amount of workers in the vineyard. In the parable the workers are poor expendables, who most likely don’t have families and are single, because they don’t make enough money to support anyone else but themselves. Most often times expendables lead very sad depressing lives that are solitary, poor, nasty, short ,and full of sickness. During this time in history a lot of people were unemployed. Many workers were just sitting around in the agora in all hours of the night, which implies unemployment.2 The stewards role in the parable is simply to watch the workers, while the landowner does whatever he pleases. The landowner far from being generous is taking advantage of the unemployed workers, because the workers class are so low that they have no bargaining power and agreed to work without any kind of wage agreement. 3 In that time period the landowners goal was to keep their class powerful and to keep the classes below them, below them and powerless. A denarius a day would not sustain life, because the day laborer worked so infrequently and only would supply 3-6 days worth of food, which is not a lot. 4 Normally a landowner would pay the workers from whoever worked first to last. This particular landowner did the exact opposite. The order of payment was made to shame the workers. The owner didn’t care about the extensive and hard labor the workers did all day and wanted them to know that. The owner only cares about himself which is apparent in many ways. The landowner is so worried about himself that he sends his steward to send the news to the workers, because he was only worried about his well being.5 This was the landowners strategy, to protect himself and put others down. The landowner obviously thought that the land belonged to him, because he doesn’t share the land or money. God wants us to share and gives us things to share with others. When the workers raise their voice the landowner turns the question around and makes the workers seem ungrateful, which was meant to put down the workers and to make the man seem like he is doing nothing wrong.
Jesus is directing the parable to peasant farmers or people from the lower class. This is directed to and about the manipulation and corruption of the elites and the falsehoods that they tell to try to keep the large lower class under control. Jesus designs a confrontation between the groups that normally would not confront it in reality. In this way he stretches the truth in order to reveal it.6 One event of oppression causes others to be intimidated, which causes them to be cooperative, which was the goal of many elites. The Kingdom of Heaven is like the parable, because it reveals the truth and enables the powerless to be empowered. In the parable two classes confront one another. The Kingdom of Heaven will expose the truth and have social classes and groups confront in the end. The Kingdom and its standards are the reverse of the worlds and it’s ways.7 In the end this parable shows the use of intimidation and cruelness that the elite use to make the lower classes stay powerless, to protect the well being only of their elite class.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Parable Documentation
1. Read; note every detail, look up vague or unknown words.
- Landowner has a large vineyard.
- Each hour, he went out to the marketplace to get workers.
- In the 1st hours, he bargained with the workers on wage, - one denerious.
- After the 3rd hour, he then says"whatever is right I will give you" .
- 11th hour- he questions then men who were standing around in the marketplace. Then he sends them to work in the vineyard.
-The landowner tells his steward to pay the laborers their wages, starting from last to first.
- Landowner gave each laborer the same amount of denarius .
- The ones who were hired 1st complained, thinking they were going to get more wages since they worker longer.
- He tells them to take what us theirs and go.
- He implies that it is his land and money and his decision to do what he wants with it. He implies that he is already being generous giving them their wages.
- The 11th hour when the landowner hires workers is purely gratuitous.
2. Understanding historical context- research, the time period, politics, society and time period.
- A lot of unemployment- states keep expanding, kicking off lower class people, making them "expendables" ; evident in how there are so many workers hanging around in the market each time the landowner comes.
- Expendable class- low-class peasants living at substinence level; life- span was 5-7 years.
- Landowners usually stayed out affairs of the laborers and usually had their stewards do the bulk of the work for them to avoid direct conflict and issues regrading policies.
- One denarius- a day's wage .
- No elite would perform such a choir that the workers do.
- Strategy of Roman Landowners who hired day laborers only for a day at a time so as to kepp them in the weakest position possible.
3. General Context; who is the audience- who is it directed to or about. if you don't fully understand the parable fully refer to the previous lines.
- The audience was more likely peasants farmers or the lower class people.
- Directed to / about the manipulation and corruption of the elites and the falsehoods that they tell to try to keep the large lower-class under control.
- Jesus designs a confrontation between the groups that normally would not confront it in reality. In this way he stretches the truth in order to reveal it.
4. Character Analysis: break down who they are, example behavior/ ask questions of motives and their role in society. who is the main character.
- Landowner- wealthy and owns the vineyard, therefore showing that he is part of the elite class, since the vineyard produces a luxury item that is profitable. - It also shows that he is wealthy because he was able to leave his land fallow for the four years that the grapes were producing. Therefore he had enough money to support himself and other things during that time. This vineyard is also vast because of the amount of times the landowner has to go out to find workers.
Q.- Why does he bargain in the beginning, but in the later hours, he just sends laborers to his vineyard?
A. - In the beginning of the day, the landowner needed workers to work for his vineyard more. Therefore, he needed to bargain in order to obtain these workers. However, in the later hours of the day, the workers are desperate because they have no jobs. The landowner recognizes this and just sends them to his vineyard to work. By then, he probably already has a sufficient amount of workers in the vineyard.
Q. - Why does the landowner ask his steward to pay the laborers from last to first as opposed to paying from first to last groups?
A. - The landowner does this to ensure that the first workers see that the last workers receive the same pay.
Q. Why does the landowner pay the laborers the same wages, even though the first workers worked longer than the last?
A. This is an act of humiliation on the laborers because this shows that in effect, the laborers who worked more were worth as much as the laborers who didn't work as much. This shows that the workers were worthless to the landowner and this also degrades the laborers, keeping them in their low state.
Laborers- poor expendables most likely do not have families because they cannot support them. most are lucky to find jobs and many are unemployed. - The workers are also probably single because they didn't have enough money to support anyone else, but themselves.
- Had no bargaining power. ( herzog)
- one denarious would supply 3-6 days of food for a family.
Stewards- a steward supervised the numerous servants of a great property while the wealthy owner lived in the city or was absent travelling in the pursuit of business. (herzog)
Q. Why do the laborers complain? Aren't they lucky to get wages anyway?
A. As explained above, the workers have been shamed when the landowner does this. However, the landowner dismisses them, showing even more their low class. Complaining could save their lives. They are fighting to survive because these wages are important to them.
5. Anomalies: unanswered cracks in the story, and ask questions to why those details were put there.
Q. Why does the landowner address only one of the workers regarding the complaint?
A. This separates them and is an act of intimidation. Intimidating and answering one person sends the answer and feeling throughout the group.
6. Conflict: what is causing the drama. what issue does the parable revolve around/why is the parable told? what is the purpose?
- The parables revolves around the issue of exploitation and power. The landowner does something different than most in his society do- paying laborers from last to first.
-At the time, most landowners pay laborers from first to last, but the landowner's action further humiliates the laborers and also shows the power that he has to be able to do this action in itself.
7. Formulate question that unlocks the parable, which opens other doors and clarifies the parable, putting everything together to make sense of it.
Q. How does this relate to the kingdom of Heaven? In the beginning, this story is said to be like the Kingdom of Heaven. How?
A. The Kingdom of Heaven reveals the truth and enables the powerless to be empowered. In the parable, two class groups confront. The Kingdom of Heaven will expose the truth and have social classes and groups confront in the end.
- If God was represented as a man, he would be a different man than any ever encountered(209).
- Kingdom and its standards are the reverse of the world and it's ways(219).
- Remember Jesus delivered parables orally which is a style of delivery(220).
- "Conditions which are just not those of everyday life total the relationship between men and God(209).
8. Application to current event- how does it relate. list connections between the two.
9. Solution- what could we do to help? what should happen in the situation?
Note: This journal didn't help our group that much at all. We already stated info. The journal also only talked a little about our parable and did not help us that much.
Magenta= info we got out of the journal.
Purple= my own thought of interpretation of certain details.
Orange= other (including Herzog)
- Landowner has a large vineyard.
- Each hour, he went out to the marketplace to get workers.
- In the 1st hours, he bargained with the workers on wage, - one denerious.
- After the 3rd hour, he then says"whatever is right I will give you" .
- 11th hour- he questions then men who were standing around in the marketplace. Then he sends them to work in the vineyard.
-The landowner tells his steward to pay the laborers their wages, starting from last to first.
- Landowner gave each laborer the same amount of denarius .
- The ones who were hired 1st complained, thinking they were going to get more wages since they worker longer.
- He tells them to take what us theirs and go.
- He implies that it is his land and money and his decision to do what he wants with it. He implies that he is already being generous giving them their wages.
- The 11th hour when the landowner hires workers is purely gratuitous.
2. Understanding historical context- research, the time period, politics, society and time period.
- A lot of unemployment- states keep expanding, kicking off lower class people, making them "expendables" ; evident in how there are so many workers hanging around in the market each time the landowner comes.
- Expendable class- low-class peasants living at substinence level; life- span was 5-7 years.
- Landowners usually stayed out affairs of the laborers and usually had their stewards do the bulk of the work for them to avoid direct conflict and issues regrading policies.
- One denarius- a day's wage .
- No elite would perform such a choir that the workers do.
- Strategy of Roman Landowners who hired day laborers only for a day at a time so as to kepp them in the weakest position possible.
3. General Context; who is the audience- who is it directed to or about. if you don't fully understand the parable fully refer to the previous lines.
- The audience was more likely peasants farmers or the lower class people.
- Directed to / about the manipulation and corruption of the elites and the falsehoods that they tell to try to keep the large lower-class under control.
- Jesus designs a confrontation between the groups that normally would not confront it in reality. In this way he stretches the truth in order to reveal it.
4. Character Analysis: break down who they are, example behavior/ ask questions of motives and their role in society. who is the main character.
- Landowner- wealthy and owns the vineyard, therefore showing that he is part of the elite class, since the vineyard produces a luxury item that is profitable. - It also shows that he is wealthy because he was able to leave his land fallow for the four years that the grapes were producing. Therefore he had enough money to support himself and other things during that time. This vineyard is also vast because of the amount of times the landowner has to go out to find workers.
Q.- Why does he bargain in the beginning, but in the later hours, he just sends laborers to his vineyard?
A. - In the beginning of the day, the landowner needed workers to work for his vineyard more. Therefore, he needed to bargain in order to obtain these workers. However, in the later hours of the day, the workers are desperate because they have no jobs. The landowner recognizes this and just sends them to his vineyard to work. By then, he probably already has a sufficient amount of workers in the vineyard.
Q. - Why does the landowner ask his steward to pay the laborers from last to first as opposed to paying from first to last groups?
A. - The landowner does this to ensure that the first workers see that the last workers receive the same pay.
Q. Why does the landowner pay the laborers the same wages, even though the first workers worked longer than the last?
A. This is an act of humiliation on the laborers because this shows that in effect, the laborers who worked more were worth as much as the laborers who didn't work as much. This shows that the workers were worthless to the landowner and this also degrades the laborers, keeping them in their low state.
Laborers- poor expendables most likely do not have families because they cannot support them. most are lucky to find jobs and many are unemployed. - The workers are also probably single because they didn't have enough money to support anyone else, but themselves.
- Had no bargaining power. ( herzog)
- one denarious would supply 3-6 days of food for a family.
Stewards- a steward supervised the numerous servants of a great property while the wealthy owner lived in the city or was absent travelling in the pursuit of business. (herzog)
Q. Why do the laborers complain? Aren't they lucky to get wages anyway?
A. As explained above, the workers have been shamed when the landowner does this. However, the landowner dismisses them, showing even more their low class. Complaining could save their lives. They are fighting to survive because these wages are important to them.
5. Anomalies: unanswered cracks in the story, and ask questions to why those details were put there.
Q. Why does the landowner address only one of the workers regarding the complaint?
A. This separates them and is an act of intimidation. Intimidating and answering one person sends the answer and feeling throughout the group.
6. Conflict: what is causing the drama. what issue does the parable revolve around/why is the parable told? what is the purpose?
- The parables revolves around the issue of exploitation and power. The landowner does something different than most in his society do- paying laborers from last to first.
-At the time, most landowners pay laborers from first to last, but the landowner's action further humiliates the laborers and also shows the power that he has to be able to do this action in itself.
7. Formulate question that unlocks the parable, which opens other doors and clarifies the parable, putting everything together to make sense of it.
Q. How does this relate to the kingdom of Heaven? In the beginning, this story is said to be like the Kingdom of Heaven. How?
A. The Kingdom of Heaven reveals the truth and enables the powerless to be empowered. In the parable, two class groups confront. The Kingdom of Heaven will expose the truth and have social classes and groups confront in the end.
- If God was represented as a man, he would be a different man than any ever encountered(209).
- Kingdom and its standards are the reverse of the world and it's ways(219).
- Remember Jesus delivered parables orally which is a style of delivery(220).
- "Conditions which are just not those of everyday life total the relationship between men and God(209).
8. Application to current event- how does it relate. list connections between the two.
9. Solution- what could we do to help? what should happen in the situation?
Note: This journal didn't help our group that much at all. We already stated info. The journal also only talked a little about our parable and did not help us that much.
Magenta= info we got out of the journal.
Purple= my own thought of interpretation of certain details.
Orange= other (including Herzog)
Monday, November 12, 2007
Herzog
The characters in the parable belong to identifiable social classes or groups in advanced agrarian societies. The landowner is a householder that is very wealthy. The evidence of the man being wealthy is that he was able to get a big amount of day laborers in all hours of the day. The parable shows that the man was able to have stewards watch over the laborers instead of himself. This shows that since he was very wealthy and had stewards to watch over the vineyard and laborers, he must be a patron. Also the man owns a vineyard. This related back to the parable of the wicked tenants. In this parable the man owned a vineyard, which in those days didn’t produce anything for 4 years and he was able to survive during that time. This shows that he had to be wealthy. To show evidence the parable references his steward and his vineyard. His harvest is so good at the time that he didn’t know how much helped he needed. During there were signs of unemployment. To go to angora in all hours of day and still find people suggests that people were hungry for jobs. The people had no bargaining power. The people went to the vineyard without putting up a fight and went willing to work without any clear agreement on wages and took a risk, which shows signs of unemployment. The reason why the laborers weren’t paid very well is that because there was so much land there became so many laborers. Evidence shows that the householder could be a member of the urban elite. He is an owner of a large estate, his large harvest requires many people, and he has a steward. The only question going against this is why would he not the steward go to angora many times to find laborers. Normally people of the urban elites would have others do that work for them, because they did not want the burning resentment caused by their exploitive policies. Jesus’ parable shows systems of oppression in order to show them and make them visible to those victimized by them. They stretch the truth in order to expose it. The laborers prefer the security of their position, they claim the right to claim pay according to their work, and they claim that they deserve something for their work and only work for that reward. Slaves were better taken care of because they were an investment, but the laborers were seen as a slave at their own risk. The employers didn’t have to feed them at all.(MISHNAH) Day laborers fall into a class of people in advanced agrarian societies known as "the expendables." Their life was solitary, poor, nasty, and short. They were not married and didn’t reproduce. The group was kept alive by the steady stream of new recruits forced into its ranks from the classes above it. These people mainly consisted of children of peasant families that couldn’t be supported or provided for. The percentage of these people ranged from 5-15%. The householder belonged to the elite and the laborers belong to the "expendables." The steward belongs to the priests.
The wages that the laborers received was very low and the householder tried to depress wages. The wages of a denarius a day would be enough for a man and his family, living at a peasant level. Some say that the peasants lived below a subsistence level of living and were eventually forced to beg before dying of malnutrition. A denarius a day isn’t enough to survive, because they don’t even work that much, which was caused by their masters so that way they couldn’t gain any power. The problem was that the workers worked mainly at planting and harvest time and were forced to wonder the streets for work to try to survive. Once the workers fell into the "expendables" category their life expectancy was 5-7 years. They were forced to accept the occupations that would soon destroy them.
In second half of the parable the owner tells the steward to pay them beginning with the last to the first, which was different because most people paid the 1st first. The workers raise the question and ask why the people who worked only for 1 hour get paid 1st while we who were in the hot sun all day don’t. They told the owner that they shouldn’t get the same wage, because they worked less than them. The owner did it on purpose. The owner sent his steward to send the insult to the workers. The owner wanted to degrade them, which is apart of their class, to keep them under control and to humiliate them. The owner was threatening their position even at the lowest class, which cause to workers to get very angry. Wages would vary according to the productivity of the worker. The charity of the landowner robs the sense of honors in the workers. The owner tells them that they are the employed and he is the employer and what he does is none of their business. The landowner thought that the land belonged to him. The debt code stated that Yahweh had given the land to the people; all were debtors of him, tenants of his land. If the land belonged to Yahweh, then it was his prerogative to dispose and distribute the land. The land was to produce a lot of good things, that was intended to be shared. The more one got, the more one was supposed to share. The code was supposed to prevent people from coveting the things of others. However the code caused people to want more and more things. Americans practice an analogous art of savage discovery, deducing from single traits in people or groups the savages hidden behind them. The laborers were in a way tricked, because the householder made the victims seen like the ungrateful ones that didn’t appreciate his generosity.
Jesus always points out a problem and a challenge. In this parable the elite were dependent on the lowliest of laborers. The banishment of one served to intimidate the others and put them in their place. In the parable the laborers ended up being the villains. Once the householder is seen as a member of an oppressing elite class, their directions are open to scrutiny. This allows people to see a different view of the complaints by the workers.
The wages that the laborers received was very low and the householder tried to depress wages. The wages of a denarius a day would be enough for a man and his family, living at a peasant level. Some say that the peasants lived below a subsistence level of living and were eventually forced to beg before dying of malnutrition. A denarius a day isn’t enough to survive, because they don’t even work that much, which was caused by their masters so that way they couldn’t gain any power. The problem was that the workers worked mainly at planting and harvest time and were forced to wonder the streets for work to try to survive. Once the workers fell into the "expendables" category their life expectancy was 5-7 years. They were forced to accept the occupations that would soon destroy them.
In second half of the parable the owner tells the steward to pay them beginning with the last to the first, which was different because most people paid the 1st first. The workers raise the question and ask why the people who worked only for 1 hour get paid 1st while we who were in the hot sun all day don’t. They told the owner that they shouldn’t get the same wage, because they worked less than them. The owner did it on purpose. The owner sent his steward to send the insult to the workers. The owner wanted to degrade them, which is apart of their class, to keep them under control and to humiliate them. The owner was threatening their position even at the lowest class, which cause to workers to get very angry. Wages would vary according to the productivity of the worker. The charity of the landowner robs the sense of honors in the workers. The owner tells them that they are the employed and he is the employer and what he does is none of their business. The landowner thought that the land belonged to him. The debt code stated that Yahweh had given the land to the people; all were debtors of him, tenants of his land. If the land belonged to Yahweh, then it was his prerogative to dispose and distribute the land. The land was to produce a lot of good things, that was intended to be shared. The more one got, the more one was supposed to share. The code was supposed to prevent people from coveting the things of others. However the code caused people to want more and more things. Americans practice an analogous art of savage discovery, deducing from single traits in people or groups the savages hidden behind them. The laborers were in a way tricked, because the householder made the victims seen like the ungrateful ones that didn’t appreciate his generosity.
Jesus always points out a problem and a challenge. In this parable the elite were dependent on the lowliest of laborers. The banishment of one served to intimidate the others and put them in their place. In the parable the laborers ended up being the villains. Once the householder is seen as a member of an oppressing elite class, their directions are open to scrutiny. This allows people to see a different view of the complaints by the workers.
Research Article
Albrektson, J. Raymond. The Mnemonic Aspects of the New Testament parables and their relevance to the
development of transferable concepts for the use in Philippine Campus Ministry.
Article. April 1987
Asia Baptist Graduate Theological Seminary
http://64.30.203.214/articles/STD_Dissertation.pdf
Note: This article does not have an abstract, but does have a summary. The parable of the workers in the Vineyard starts on pg. 50-64. The summary of the parable is very good. It had citations and seems relevant and not fake info.
development of transferable concepts for the use in Philippine Campus Ministry.
Article. April 1987
Asia Baptist Graduate Theological Seminary
http://64.30.203.214/articles/STD_Dissertation.pdf
Note: This article does not have an abstract, but does have a summary. The parable of the workers in the Vineyard starts on pg. 50-64. The summary of the parable is very good. It had citations and seems relevant and not fake info.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Final Reading Strategy
1. Read; note every detail, look up vague or unknown words.
2. Understanding historical context- research, the time period, politics, society and time period.
3. General Context; who is the audience- who is it directed to or about. if you don't fully understand the parable fully refer to the previous lines.
4. Character Analysis: break down who they are, example behavior/ ask questions of motives and their role in society. who is the main character.
5. Anomalies: unanswered cracks in the story, and ask questions to why those details were put there.
6. Conflict: what is causing the drama. what issue does the parable revolve around/why is the parable told? what is the purpose?
7. Formulate question that unlocks the parable, which opens other doors and clarifies the parable, putting everything together to make sense of it.
8. Application to current event- how does it relate. list connections between the two.
9. Solution- what could we do to help? what should happen in the situation?
2. Understanding historical context- research, the time period, politics, society and time period.
3. General Context; who is the audience- who is it directed to or about. if you don't fully understand the parable fully refer to the previous lines.
4. Character Analysis: break down who they are, example behavior/ ask questions of motives and their role in society. who is the main character.
5. Anomalies: unanswered cracks in the story, and ask questions to why those details were put there.
6. Conflict: what is causing the drama. what issue does the parable revolve around/why is the parable told? what is the purpose?
7. Formulate question that unlocks the parable, which opens other doors and clarifies the parable, putting everything together to make sense of it.
8. Application to current event- how does it relate. list connections between the two.
9. Solution- what could we do to help? what should happen in the situation?
Sunday, November 4, 2007
"Interpretation Methodology."
These are the steps I take to interpret the parable we analyze.
1. First I read the parable over and over again until I know it very well.
2. Then I go back to the previous versus to see what happened previously to the parable we were currently reading.
3. Then I look at all of the details and ask myself, why would Jesus put those certain words and details in the parable? I would then pick apart the details and see how and why they effect the story.
4. I would then look at all of the characters. What are there roles in the story? What did they do or contribute?
5. What is the conflict and the problem that is creating the drama?
6. Then I would ask who is doing the oppressing and what is their reason? Who is the oppressed and what are their reactions?
7. Lastly I would put all of those together to come up with my analysis of the parable.
1. First I read the parable over and over again until I know it very well.
2. Then I go back to the previous versus to see what happened previously to the parable we were currently reading.
3. Then I look at all of the details and ask myself, why would Jesus put those certain words and details in the parable? I would then pick apart the details and see how and why they effect the story.
4. I would then look at all of the characters. What are there roles in the story? What did they do or contribute?
5. What is the conflict and the problem that is creating the drama?
6. Then I would ask who is doing the oppressing and what is their reason? Who is the oppressed and what are their reactions?
7. Lastly I would put all of those together to come up with my analysis of the parable.
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