The Bible: New Testament Interpretation

Overview and Content
In your paper, I would like you to speak about what roles each of the following aspects of interpretation should play when one is “making sense” of the New Testament:
Historical context (1st-2nd centuries): In what way(s) should we attempt to place the texts of the New Testament “in their original historical context”? To what extent are these texts historical documents and what bearing should that have upon their interpretation today? (The JANT essays will be valuable conversation partners here.)
Reader's (that is, your) personal beliefs/convictions: Do you have to “believe in” the content of the New Testament in order to understand it? Why? Or why not? How do your beliefs about what is real and possible influence your interpretations? (Think about Adewuya's article here.)
Community (scholarly/academic, church, or other): In what ways are interpretations not simply individual interpretations, but rather communal interpretations? What expectations (perhaps those set by academic scholarship or a church community) are placed upon what is considered a "good" interpretation? How does the community in which you do your interpreting (including in this class!) impact the kinds of interpretations that you produce? (Wilken might be particularly relevant here, as well as Bielo.)
Social context: In what ways do your own social history and position influence how you regard and, therefore, interpret the New Testament? Reflect on your role not simply as an "individual," but as a someone who is gendered, comes from a particular nation, and shares in a socio-economic class. How ought these social realities impact your interpretation of the New Testament? (Think about the Nicaragua base community readings here.)
Structure
Your paper should be at least 550 words in length, though you may go longer, if you would like. The paper should be double-spaced, with standard font and margins.
The relative brevity of the paper means that you need to get to the point quickly, since you'll have approximately 1 page per section. Note that I've worded the questions above as normative questions (“should,” “ought”), which means that I want you to make an argument for what you think is a good and proper way to put these various factors together.
I expect high-quality, formal writing that reflects a thoughtful synthesis of the many principles we have covered, and that exhibits a high level of professionalism. You need a strong thesis, clear organization, lucid points, a formal tone, conventional use of language, and clear and consistent formatting and citation in either MLA or Chicago style.
In terms of sources, I want you to use at least 3 of the sources I've assigned in this class (including at least one of the JANT essays, Wilken, Bielo, Adewuya, and the Nicaraguan materials), and you need to locate at least 1 other relevant, peer-reviewed source besides these to integrate into your paper. As with paper 1, please start by using this ASU library guide for Religious Studies Links to an external site..
I strongly recommend that you make an appointment with the ASU writing center Links to an external site.to receive free editing and advice. That's what the writing center is there for!
Please contact me if you have additional questions.
Over the course of this semester, we read four essays that addressed the issue of biblical interpretation (Wilken, Bielo, Adewuya, and the readings from Latin American base communities on the syllabus). These readings were in addition to the primary textbook for the course: the Jewish Annotated New Testament Together, these five texts showed very different ways that Christians and scholars have interpreted the New Testament.
To be clear, I view the historical-critical method—as found in the JANT and in my lectures—to be a method of interpretation, since “interpretation” does not necessarily have to mean that one is a Christian oneself. Interpretation, then, could broadly mean making sense of the New Testament, and analyzing the texts historically is certainly one way of doing that. It is not, of course, the only way, nor necessarily the best way.
The other readings offer different kinds of methods of interpretation (or, “making sense”), and I want you to use these various perspectives and arguments in order to develop your own sense of priorities when it comes to interpreting the New Testament.