Monday, March 19, 2012

The 'Jewish Guilt' reading of Jesus

Note: what you are about to read is highly tongue-in-cheek.

The world of critical Biblical scholarship encompasses an ever-growing number of approaches to the Biblical text such as historical-critical, source criticism, form-criticism, and redaction criticism.  Postmodern literary theory also introduced us to a range of alternative readings via feminist, post-colonial, and identity theories.  It is in the latter vein that I humbly offer yet another vantage point into the words of these historical sacred texts: namely, the "Jewish Guilt" reading of Jesus.

"Jewish guilt" literary theory seeks to expound the ironic nature of the many logia of Jesus by reading them from the vantage point of the 20th century Jewish mother (or grandmother).

I hereby present the first in what might be a series of explorations of Jesus' logia from the "Jewish guilt" vantage point (with apologies to my own mother and grandmother).


3 comments:

Derek Leman said...

Post-colonialism has a new expression. I like it. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst (but no problem, enjoy your matzo ball soup and sweet Manishewitz).

Miri said...

Matt and I were coming with a lot of these last night.

"If you love me, feed my sheep (What? You want that they should starve?)"

"Knock and the door will be opened (but you don't need to even come visit, does it kill you to make a simple phone call once in a while?)"

Miri said...

Thought of another one!

John 4:18 "You have had five husbands (and not one of them a doctor.)"