Social & Historical Approaches to the Bible

The Bible was not written and received in a historical vacuum—in fact, the social and historical context of the Bible illuminates key understandings that may have been otherwise missed. Biblical scholars use many different approaches to uncover this context, each engaging various aspects of the social and historical world of the Bible—from religious ritual to scribal practice to historical event. In Social & Historical Approaches to the Bible, you will learn how these methods developed and see how they have been used. You will be introduced to the strengths and weaknesses of each method, so you may understand its benefits as well as see its limitations. Many of these approaches are still in use by biblical scholars today, though often much changed from their earliest form as ideas were revised in light of the challenges and questions posed by further research.

Douglas Mangum is a PhD candidate in Hebrew at the University of the Free State; he holds an MA in Hebrew and Semitic Studies from the University Wisconsin--Madison. He is a Lexham English Bible editor, a Faithlife Study Bible academic editor, the academic editor of Bible Study Magazine, and an associate editor for the Lexham Bible Dictionary.

Amy L. Balogh holds a PhD from the Illif School of Theology at the University of Denver. She is a visiting lecturer in the religion department at Colorado College and program coordinator at the Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Denver. She is a contributing editor for DIY Bible Study and a contributor to Lexham Bible Dictionary and Faithlife Study Bible.