# Cultural NT perspective



## Leslie (Dec 20, 2008)

A year ago I read and enjoyed Poet and Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes by Kenneth E. Bailey. He comments on the parables of Jesus from a Middle Eastern cultural viewpoint. Now I started into Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, a larger book. It's published by IVP. Has anyone else read him? Can anyone provide affirmation or caution regarding his viewpoint? He seems to be sound as regards inspiration.


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## Tim (Dec 22, 2008)

I am unfamiliar with these works, but this is certainly a worthwhile thing to study.


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## Leslie (Dec 22, 2008)

Bailey lived in the Middle East for most of his life. His perspectives on the Christmas story are most interesting, as well as on the parables of Jesus. Having grown up with Bible-story overload, so often the NT narratives are "just words". Reading Bailey prompts my visualizing the stories in an authentic context, not the context that I had always assumed. For example, he maintains that the return of the prodigal son was in a small urban rather than rural environment. I always pictured the kid trudging up a hill to the big white farmhouse surrounded by fields.


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## Tim (Dec 22, 2008)

Interesting. 

One thing that I have always pondered is that we don't _need_ these books to help us understand the Bible. The Bible alone is sufficient. But then where does the study of history come in? What do these kinds of books _add_ to our understanding? It would seem that they would help us, as it is important to understand how _they_ thought and did things in that time and place. 

The challenge, I guess, is to use these works that you have mentioned in the right way. Do you see what I am getting at? 

But I certainly agree with you regarding the prodigal son - I also envisioned a rural or semi-rural environment!


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## A5pointer (Dec 22, 2008)

I read his little book on the prodigal son, I would recommend it highly. It had an interesting view that made sense. He posits that the prodigal had not really repented showing the father as even more gracious.


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## py3ak (Dec 22, 2008)

Leslie, I took your last post on this thread and created a new thread in the "Calvinism and the Doctrines of Grace" thread, to highlight your question about repentance.


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