The Historical World Esther DESCRIPTION The principle of looking at…
Question Answered step-by-step The Historical World Esther DESCRIPTION The principle of looking at… The Historical World Esther DESCRIPTION The principle of looking at the historical world is that all texts are written in specific social, economic, cultural, political, and religious settings. While not all texts accurately mirror a “real” world (e.g., science fiction), many texts can be understood better if the reader knows more about the world behind the text. The purpose of this assignment is to focus on data that can help reconstruct this world. This data includes people, places, things, dates, events, and processes. ASSIGNMENT This assignment will focus on the Old Testament book of Esther. Combined with the assignment for Week 6 of this module, it is the foundation for the Signature Assignment (final paper) for the course. The main concern in this week’s assignment is to ask what some of the social and historical realities in Esther’s story are that would help us understand the context of the book of Esther. The historical world will be combined with the literary world to help understand better what is happening in the contemporary world. The following are questions that might be helpful in dealing with Esther. They are suggestive. additional matters that you see as important socially, economically, politically, and historically as they pertain to this letter. STUDY QUESTIONS What is the approximate date, time, and location of the book of Esther? (date, setting, culture, political climate, king, etc.)What are the assumptions being made about the role of women? Can you give any specific examples?What are the assumptions being made about the nature of God’s people in relationship to the people in whose land they live? Give examples from the book of Esther.What are the assumptions being made about power and authority? What can we come to understand about what power and authority look like in the book of Esther?What are the relationships of Vashti to Ahasuerus? Esther to Ahasuerus? Vashti to Esther? Mordecai to Ahasuerus? Mordecai to Haman? (for example, what are each one’s national and ethnic background, and how might this help in discerning the background and meaning to the book of Esther?)What has Vashti done wrong, if anything? What about Mordecai? Haman? Esther? (Read carefully and check your own assumptions.) How do these things shape our understanding of what the world may have been like during Esther’s time?Contemporary WorldWhat kind of leadership is exhibited here? Does it match the content of The Serving Leader and/or In the Name of Jesus? Can you think of any specific contemporary world examples of the kind of leadership you see exhibited in the book of Esther?How might the concepts from The Serving Leader and/or In the Name of Jesus relate to your reading of Esther? Arts & Humanities Writing BIB 451 Share QuestionEmailCopy link Comments (0)
