The Ancient Economy in the Bible

Abstract

Understanding the ancient economy in the Bible requires a special set of conceptual tools. This article discusses books that will help the modem reader to visualize this important social dimension in the biblical traditions.

Inleiding tot die sosiaal-wetenskaplike kritiese eksegese van Nuwe-Testamentiese tekste: Die metodologiese aanloop in die navorsingsgeskiedenis

“…34 Byvoorbeeld Duling (2005b). 35 Byvoorbeeld Pilch (1995Pilch ( , 1986Pilch ( , 1988Pilch ( , 1991aPilch ( , 1995Pilch ( , 2000; Craffert (1999a 39 Byvoorbeeld Robin Smith (1980);Oakman (1986Oakman ( , 1991Oakman ( , 1992Oakman ( , 1996. 40 Byvoorbeeld Hollenbach (1987);Malina (1986b:148-159);Van Aarde (1996:947-964).…”

A theological economics

“…This is not the question of whether economic policy can be derived from scripture, but rather the question of economic analysis which is part of scripture itself 11 . Neither is it the question of the extent to which the tools of economic analysis are helpful in understanding scripture, in the same way as anthropological and sociological tools have been used by writers like Gottwald (1979), Oakman (1991), Theissen (1992), Meeks (1993, Judge (1960) and Esler (1992) 12 What I mean by economic analysis in theology is things like the economics of the year of the Jubilee in the book of Deuteronomy, the economics of the departure of the Hebrew people from Egypt and their subsequent settlement in Palestine, the economics of Palestine in the time of Jesus that lies behind the critique of that society in the Gospels, the structure of the eschatological economy presented in the book of Revelation. It is of course controversial what does and does not qualify as economic analysis, but it is my contention that the analysis in the scriptural documents is substantial and coherent enough to qualify as economic analysis.…”

Paul, military imagery and social disadvantage

“…Some have attempted to explain the frequent positive use of slave-language in the New Testament and the Pauline literature by making a distinction between class and social status in slavery (for example, Martin 1990). Others point to the nature of the ancient economy and its vastly different role and mode of operation, raising concerns about plotting ancient social disadvantage along modern capitalist concerns or, at least, along such frameworks of understanding (Friesen 2004;Oakes 2012;Oakman 1996). 1 However, studying economics alone is insufficient for plotting social (dis)advantage in Paul's Jesus-follower communities.…”

“…Oakes (2012) and Oakman (1996) also provide valuable assessments of the socio-economic status of first-century communities. 2 Friesen (2004:324-326) disputes the notion that early Jesus-follower communities consisted of an economics-based cross-section of society.…”