Skip to Main Content

REL 110: The Bible: Step 2: Researching the Issue

Researching the Issue

These sources portray the history of thinking and action about specific causes. Often we aren’t aware that how we think about a cause (LGBTQ+ rights, gender equity, human rights, etc) is itself a product of history—sometimes quite recent history. Some of the following readings will help you differentiate between the interviewees’ (or your own) world in front of the text, and the world behind it.

It’s great if you can research the issue as it was understood in the world behind the text. Some of the sources under “researching the issue” do this. Be clear about the time frame the source is describing, and that it matches the time frame in which the text was composed. For example, the world in which the New Testament was written was in many ways different from the world in which the Hebrew Bible texts were composed.

Approved Sources

  • Any book in the library or ANY ARTICLE in the ATLA database or other databases listed on the Articles tab.
     
  • Any encyclopedia article in the Gustavus Library reference section.
    • Many such articles are found below. Use the library catalog for full citations.
       
  • Course Reserves
    • The books listed here are available (unless others in class are using) for a limited time. Please ask for these items at the checkout desk.  The students will be happy to help you.

Denominational Information

Christian Denominations
You may want to use denominations’ official websites to check on policies, etc. (not a required step).The following link takes you to a page compiled by Hartford Institute for Religion Research.  This organization "studies and communicates what is happening in religious life today and since 1971." Be careful: there are different strands or churches within many denominations, for example Methodism and Lutheranism, and they may have very different takes on issues. You may want to ask the interviewee if there is a precise branch of their denomination that has a website that reflects official positions.

Jewish Denominations
There are multiple websites for Orthodox Judaism, just as there are for many of the large Protestant denominations, e.g. one for each Lutheran synod.  Since none of the interviewees is Orthodox, these are not listed.

What about using the Bible as a Resource?

The Bible itself does not count as an outside resource. Please do look up the verse or passage in 3 translations, however. Go to Step 3 tab, second bullet point, for more detail. 

  • Remember that the Bible itself should not be used as a primary resource for the world behind the text. That’s because it is sacred history, not academic history, and most was written down long after the events or situations portrayed. Modern academic biblical scholars selectively refer to specific biblical passages for evidence of historical/cultural context, but they do so with knowledge of (or at least theories about) the history of composition, etc.  
  • Consider any interpretative claims the interviewees (or you) make about the Bible to represent the world in front of the text.
  • Discussions of genre and content of passages most likely represent the world of the text itself (unless the content discussion veers into interpretation).

Topics for Research

Abortion


Environment

 
Gender Equity


Health Care Equity

 
Marginalized Groups
One factor cited by some interviewees  is Jesus’ help for the marginalized. That’s because these stories are frequent in the synoptic Gospels, and somewhat diverse, in that they relate to an array of groups who were marginalized or outcasts at that time (women, lepers, tax collectors, those engaging in sex work, eunuchs…).

 
Human Rights and Related Issues (including racial justice and gender equity):

  • Human Rights: The Essential Reference, 1999, chapt 1: “A History of Human Rights Theory”. Most useful parts of Chapter 1 are “Greek and Roman traditions,” possibly  also “Judeo-Christian tradition”. May help you get a sense of how things are different today.

 
LGBTQ+

More helpful for world in front of text:

If focusing specifically on Methodist approaches, consider:

If focused on Catholic understandings, try searching for “homosexuality” on the official US Catholic site, US Conference of Catholic Bishops. 
 

Missions and Missionary Work
Background article with some info on how different denominations are approaching missionary work today: 

 
Poverty (use the articles listed here for New Testament passages only)


Racism and Racial Justice


Social Justice (includes some related to poverty)


Workers' Rights

General

This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0