Race and Ethnicity Discourse in Biblical Studies and Beyond

This paper aims at foregrounding race and ethnicity discourse in Biblical Studies and beyond in order to undermine transhistorical and transcultural racism and ethnocentrism in religious discourse. It is my argument that matters of race and ethnicity should be approached as analytical categories in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal for the study of religions and ideologies
Main Author: Lim, Sung Uk (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: CEEOL [2016]
In: Journal for the study of religions and ideologies
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Theology / Bible / Race / Ethnicity
RelBib Classification:CH Christianity and Society
HA Bible
Further subjects:B Discourse
B Ethnicity
B Essentialism
B Novel
B Fluidity
B Hellenic
B Race
B Christian
B Fixity
B Identity
B Constructivism
B Jewish
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Description
Summary:This paper aims at foregrounding race and ethnicity discourse in Biblical Studies and beyond in order to undermine transhistorical and transcultural racism and ethnocentrism in religious discourse. It is my argument that matters of race and ethnicity should be approached as analytical categories in an interdisciplinary manner, albeit in a specific context, Hellenistic, Roman, Jewish, or Christian. In doing so, I first examine the works of Steve Fenton as well as Robert Miles and Malcolm Brown in order to look closely at race and ethnicity discourse in the ancient Mediterranean world, especially from a sociological perspective. Then, I indicate how Jonathan Hall and Shaye Cohen examine Hellenic and Jewish identity, respectively, with a focus on ethnic identity in the Greco-Roman world. Finally, I consider how Judith Lieu and Denise Buell analyze early Christian identity as a racial or ethnic discourse in the Jewish, Hellenistic, and Roman matrix. Hence, I contend that identity in general and racial-ethnic identity in particular are by no means stable and static in essentialist terms, but rather they are fluid along the ostensible axis of fixed identity.
ISSN:1583-0039
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal for the study of religions and ideologies