Social-science study of the Bible is one of the most popular new methods of interpretation. Its rapid development poses certain problems regarding the proper and valid use of social-science models on material quite different from that for which the models were originally intended, representing silent majorities, and making the results available in a helpful format to researchers using other methods and to general inquirers.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Aguirre, Rafael1985 "El método sociológico en los estudios biblicos ," Estudios Eclesiásticos60:305-331.
2.
1987Del movimiento de Jesús a la Iglesia cristiana. Ensayo de exégesis sociológico del cristianismo primitivo. Bilbao .
3.
Alvarez-Verdes, Lorenzo1989 "El Método sociológico en la investigación biblica actual ," Studia Moralia27:5-41.
4.
Balch, David L.1981Let Wives Be Submissive: The Domestic Code in 1 Peter. Society of Biblical Literature: Scholars.
5.
Best, T.1983 "The Sociological Study of the New Testament: Promise and Peril of a New Discipline." Scottish Journal of Theology36:181-194.
6.
Blasi, Anthony J.1988Early Christianity as a Social Movement. Toronto Studies in Religion 5. New York: Peter Lang .
7.
Carney, T.F.1975The Shape of the Past: Models and Antiquity. Lawrence, KS: Coronado.
8.
Corley, Kathleen1989"Were the Women around Jesus Really Prostitutes? Women in the Context of Greco-Roman Meals." SBL Seminar Papers. Atlanta: Scholars.
Elliott, John H.1981A Home for the Homeless: A Sociological Exegesis of 1 Peter: Its Situation and Strategy. Philadelphia: Fortress. 2d ed. 1990.
11.
Friedrich, Paul1977 "Sanity and the Myth of Honor." Ethos5:281-305.
12.
Gager, John G.1975Kingdom and Community: The Social World of Early Christianity . Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall .
13.
Geertz, Clifford1976 "'From the Native's Point of View': On the Nature of Anthropological Understanding." Meaning in Anthropology . Ed. Keith H. Basso and Henry A. Selby.School of American Research . Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico. Also in: Local Knowledge: Further Essays in Interpretive Anthropology . New York: Basic Books.
14.
Gottward, Norman K. (ed.) 1983The Bible and Liberation: Political and Social Hermeneutics. Rev. ed. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis.
15.
Harrington, Daniel J.1980 "Sociological Concepts and the Early Church: A Decade of Research," Theological Studies41:181-190.
16.
Hock, Ronald R.1980The Social Context of Paul's Ministry: Tent-making and Apostleship. Philadelphia: Fortress .
17.
Holmberg, Bengt1980Paul and Power: The Structure of Authority in the Primitive Church as Reflected in the Pauline Epistles. Philadelphia : Fortress.
18.
1990Sociology and the New Testament: An Appraisal. Minneapolis: Fortress.
19.
Hynes, W.J.1981Shirley Jackson Case and the Chicago School: The Socio-Historical Method. Chico, CA: Scholars.
20.
Horsley, Richard A.1989Sociology and the Jesus Movement. New York: Crossroad.
21.
Kee, Howard C.1980Christian Origins in Sociological Perspective. Philadelphia: Westminster.
22.
1989Knowing the Truth: A Sociological Approach to New Testament Interpretation. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress.
23.
Lenski, Gerhard and Jean1987Human Societies: An Introduction to Macro-sociology. New York: McGraw-Hill.
24.
MacMullen, Ramsay1980 "Woman in Public in the Roman Empire." Historia29:208-218.
25.
Malherbe, Abraham J.1983Social Aspects of Early Christianity. 2d ed. Philadelphia: Fortress.
26.
Malina, Bruce J.1981The New Testament World: Insights from Cultural Anthropology . Atlanta: John Knox .
27.
1982 "Social Science and Biblical Interpretation." Interpretation37:229-242.
28.
1986Christian Origins and Cultural Anthropology: Practical Models for Biblical Interpretation. Atlanta: John Knox.
29.
1990 "Mother and Son." Biblical Theology Bulletin20:54-64.
30.
Malina, Bruce J., and Richard Rohrbaugh1992Social Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress.
31.
Meeks, Wayne1983The First Urban Christians: The Social World of the Apostle Paul. New Haven: Yale University .
32.
Mosala, Itumeleng1989Biblical Hermeneutics and Black Theology in South Africa . Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans .
33.
Neyrey, Jerome H.1990Paul, in Other Words: A Cultural Reading of His Letters . Louisville, KY: Westminster / John Knox.
34.
Neyrey, Jerome H. (ed.) 1991The Social World of Luke-Acts. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.
35.
Oakman, Douglas E.1986Jesus and the Economic Questions of His Day. Lewiston, NY/Queenston, Ontario: Mellen.
36.
Osiek, Carolyn1984What Are They Saying about the Social Setting of the New Testament?New York/Mahwah, NJ: Paulist. 2d ed. 1992.
37.
1989 "The New Handmaid: The Bible and the Social Sciences." Theological Studies50:260-278.
38.
Pilch, John1991Introducing the Cultural Context of the Old Testament; Introducing the Cultural Context of the New Testament. 2 vols. New York/Mahwah, NJ: Paulist .
39.
Rohrbaugh, Richard1987 "Models and Muddles: Discussions of the Social Facets Seminar ." Forum3:23-33.
40.
Saldarini, Anthony J.1988Pharisees, Scribes and Sadducees in Palestinian Society: A Sociological Approach. Wilmington, DE: Michael Glazier.
41.
Scroggs, Robin1979-80 "The Sociological Interpretation of the New Testament: The Present State of Research," New Testament Studies26:164-179.
42.
Smith, Jonathan Z.1975 "The Social Description of Early Christianity," Religious Studies Review1:19-25.
43.
Stevens, Maryanne1990 "Maternity and Paternity: Foundations for Patriarchy ." Biblical Theology Bulletin20:47-53.
44.
Theissen, Gerd1978The Sociology of Early Palestinian Christianity . Philadelphia: Fortress.
45.
1982The Social Setting of Pauline Christianity: Essays on Corinth . Philadelphia: Fortress.
46.
Tidball, Derek1984The Social Context of the New Testament: A Sociological Analysis. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan .
47.
van Staden, P., and A. G. van Aarde1991 "Social Description or Social-Scientific Interpretation? A Survey of Modern Scholarship" Hervormde Teologiese Studies (Pretoria)47:55-87.
