Cultural Baggage?

[WillingToDie]

I have often wondered how much cultural baggage we bring to our readings of the Scriptures. I mean, think about it: we've been told X since we were young, so when we go to read the Bible, when we come to passages that seem to pertain to x, we read x into the scripture, when, perhaps x isn't really there.

Imagine, if you will, a person able to read, and somehow possessing a thorough knowledge of what information needed to read scripture in context. Now, also imagine that this person is somehow untouched by culture, a blank slate, if you will. How close would this person's understanding of scripture be to mainstream Christianity's understanding?

[Guest]

I have often wondered how much cultural baggage we bring to our readings of the Scriptures. I mean, think about it: we've been told X since we were young, so when we go to read the Bible, when we come to passages that seem to pertain to x, we read x into the scripture, when, perhaps x isn't really there.

Imagine, if you will, a person able to read, and somehow possessing a thorough knowledge of what information needed to read scripture in context. Now, also imagine that this person is somehow untouched by culture, a blank slate, if you will. How close would this person's understanding of scripture be to mainstream Christianity's understanding?

It is a good, interesting, and valid question.

Our views of eschatology are largely determined by our surroundings, as one example. I was telling a lady once, that no one could be perfect in this life, we all sin. She was from India, and fled persecution from her family, who would have killed her for converting to Christianity. When I commented about our inability to live sinlessly, she replied: "That is a western interpretation". Now, I was certain that I knew that from scripture, and indeed, I can make that case. There are, however, many place in scripture that say if we resist, the devil will flee, God provides a way of escape with temptation, so we can resist it. We are filled with the Holy Spirit, who enables us to do God's will, etc etc. Now, I am tempted to go with my "western interpretation", but there was a bit of empirical evidence that was hard to ignore - her life!

She renounced material posessions, only living meagerly. She found the crummiest and smallest apartment that she could, in the worst part of town. She would stand in food lines for hours, to get a pound of cheese, then, give it away to someone more needy. At 80 years old, she had a massive heart attack. While in the hospital, the staff had a hard time, keeping her in her room, she preferred to move down the hall, going room to roof, preaching the gospel. I could give you scores of examples like that. I never heard a word from her, that was in anyway critical, she was always encouraging and helping. Never knew her to be at all deceptive, or selfish, if there was any sin in her life, it sure didn't show. Simply put, God was first, and she took no prisoners in that respect, totally sold out to God, and she had influence on lives, like you would not believe. If the church were made up of nothing but people like here, the world would be a totally different experience.

So, not only can culture affect your belief, but it even effects how you live your faith. Great question, love to see others add their opinions.

[terter]

Yes, we do have to examine scriptures for ourselves and pray for God to give us revelation. Also, there are scriptures that indicate sinless -

"You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness" (Rom. 6:18).

"No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him" (I John 3:6).

[WillingToDie]

Not quite as many responses as I had hoped. Perhaps I should be more specific. Take for example the doctrine of Heaven and Hell:

Zoroastrianism was a religion founded c. 1000 BC, and was prominent until about 7th century AD in Persia. In Zoroastrianism, we find the earliest concept of a Heaven-like realm as well as a Hell-like realm in the afterlife. Zoroastrianism would have likely been fairly prominent in the first few centuries of Christianity, and could very well have influenced early Christian thought.

So, how likely is it that our present-day ideas of an eternal torment and eternal happiness are baggage carried over from Zoroastrianism and read into the scriptures?

Another example: St. Augustine, considered by many to be one of the greatest thinkers in Christian history, and much of his work formed the basis of the Roman Catholic Church. Prior to his conversion to Christianity, he was a Manicheean, something which still shows in his writings.

Additionally, most of our theology has its roots in the works of St. Thomas (Aquinas), St. Augustine, and others, all of whom viewed Scripture and God through the lenses of Greek Philosophy (Aristotle and Plato, respectively, I believe).

So, with this in mind, how are we to know what Scripture truly says if we are unable to shed our cultural baggage; no matter how pure you feel your interpretation to be, you are still working through the framework of the culture you have been brought up in.

[EricH]

Everyone brings baggage to the text, cultural and otherwise. It is the wise interpreter that ask themselves the hard questions, and does the hard work of determining context and cotext

[WillingToDie]

We don't have to shed our cultural baggage, the gentiles did not have to take on the traditions of the Jews.

We don't have to become eastern in our thinking. The lady that stood all day in the queue for cheese for instance, if we all did that there would be no cheese.

The evangel has gone out to the four corners of the world and suffient grace is provided for each and every person that comes into the trust to be saved. From every nation and every tribe with each bringing his customs and baggage.

HalalluYah, H.

I somehow think you have missed the entire point of this topic.

Everyone brings baggage to the text, cultural and otherwise. It is the wise interpreter that ask themselves the hard questions, and does the hard work of determining context and cotext

Very true, but is it possible to detach ourselves from our culture to see what is really there? I mean, the culture we grew up in in large part makes us who we are, including our thought processes.

[mrp1948]

Scripture was created from the heart and mind of God. So whether we have cultural or any other kind of baggage we need to attempt to see what is written for us through the eyes of God. Is that possible? For myself ..not being God I can only try my best. And this is, I believe what God expects from us: To try our very best and leave the rest in the hands of Jesus. God Bless

[Leonard]

Not quite as many responses as I had hoped. Perhaps I should be more specific. Take for example the doctrine of Heaven and Hell:

Zoroastrianism was a religion founded c. 1000 BC, and was prominent until about 7th century AD in Persia. In Zoroastrianism, we find the earliest concept of a Heaven-like realm as well as a Hell-like realm in the afterlife. Zoroastrianism would have likely been fairly prominent in the first few centuries of Christianity, and could very well have influenced early Christian thought.

So, how likely is it that our present-day ideas of an eternal torment and eternal happiness are baggage carried over from Zoroastrianism and read into the scriptures?

Another example: St. Augustine, considered by many to be one of the greatest thinkers in Christian history, and much of his work formed the basis of the Roman Catholic Church. Prior to his conversion to Christianity, he was a Manicheean, something which still shows in his writings.

Additionally, most of our theology has its roots in the works of St. Thomas (Aquinas), St. Augustine, and others, all of whom viewed Scripture and God through the lenses of Greek Philosophy (Aristotle and Plato, respectively, I believe).

So, with this in mind, how are we to know what Scripture truly says if we are unable to shed our cultural baggage; no matter how pure you feel your interpretation to be, you are still working through the framework of the culture you have been brought up in.

I think you credit Zoroastrianism with too much originality. The religion of Egypt, predating Zoroaster by millenia, had very clear and detailed doctrines of an afterlife, complete with eternal bliss for the righteous, and with a destruction or eternal punishment for the wicked.........

[WillingToDie]

Not quite as many responses as I had hoped. Perhaps I should be more specific. Take for example the doctrine of Heaven and Hell:

Zoroastrianism was a religion founded c. 1000 BC, and was prominent until about 7th century AD in Persia. In Zoroastrianism, we find the earliest concept of a Heaven-like realm as well as a Hell-like realm in the afterlife. Zoroastrianism would have likely been fairly prominent in the first few centuries of Christianity, and could very well have influenced early Christian thought.

So, how likely is it that our present-day ideas of an eternal torment and eternal happiness are baggage carried over from Zoroastrianism and read into the scriptures?

Another example: St. Augustine, considered by many to be one of the greatest thinkers in Christian history, and much of his work formed the basis of the Roman Catholic Church. Prior to his conversion to Christianity, he was a Manicheean, something which still shows in his writings.

Additionally, most of our theology has its roots in the works of St. Thomas (Aquinas), St. Augustine, and others, all of whom viewed Scripture and God through the lenses of Greek Philosophy (Aristotle and Plato, respectively, I believe).

So, with this in mind, how are we to know what Scripture truly says if we are unable to shed our cultural baggage; no matter how pure you feel your interpretation to be, you are still working through the framework of the culture you have been brought up in.

I think you credit Zoroastrianism with too much originality. The religion of Egypt, predating Zoroaster by millenia, had very clear and detailed doctrines of an afterlife, complete with eternal bliss for the righteous, and with a destruction or eternal punishment for the wicked.........

Very true, but Egyptian Eschatology (end of the world/afterlife) is nowhere near as similar to Christian Eschatology as that of Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrianism as a whole is quite similar to Christianity.

Regardless, the point still stands that our (and early Christian) interpretations could potentially be tainted by other traditions.

Edited November 11, 2006 by WillingToDie

[cjrose]

When I became a Christian and had a re-birth and transformation, the Holy Spirit wiped my slate clean while the pre-existing knowledge from growing up Catholic and learning about Jesus and the gospels all made sense in the blink of an eye. I keep things simple. Less clutter, no baggage, give it to God and let it go, take what He wants you to know and focus on Him. He will make your paths straight and allow you to see His word for what it is.