Michael Burns

One of the more neglected aspects of contextual contemplation in hermeneutics is often the development of a solid understanding of the cultural and social setting of biblical texts. This is particularly true in reading and applying 1st Corinthians. When contemporary readers miss the cultural and social backdrop, there is a tendency to flatten the text and turn it into a type of law to be blindly followed rather than challenging principles to be grasped in their own time and context, wrestled with, and thoughtfully applied in our own communities and contexts.

This class will consider the cultural and societal impact of social status, class, and honor in Roman Corinth and how being familiar with these elements help us to gain greater depth of recognition for how Paul challenged the church in ways that we often miss. Doing this will help invigorate the texts as we apply them to the church today and our modern challenges and situations.