Discrimination and its Elimination in the New Testament: the Social Scientific Approach to "the sinners texts" in the Gospel of Luke

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K02425
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: European literature
• Research Institution: Kwansei Gakuin University (2016-2018); Nagoya Gakuin University (2015)
• Principal Investigator: OMIYA Tomohiro 関西学院大学, 法学部, 教授 (20440654)
• Research Collaborator: ASANO Atsuhiro
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: キリスト教学 / 新約聖書学 / ルカによる福音書 / 使徒言行録

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, I have studied how the people in the Roman province of Judea and Samaria view toll collectors. I have used the Josephus writings as major historical sources. As a result, I have explained that they viewed the Roman tax as a symbol of Roman dominance, but did not resent toll collectors as stated in the Gospels. The view that toll collectors are jobs which people should avoid is not common view in Judea and Samaria but in Roma.
Based on these achievements, I interpreted the texts of the Gospel of Luke, which those who are viewed by modern scholars as lowly and unclean, such as shepherds and toll collectors. According to Luke 2, the people in Bethlehem show hospitality to the shepherds as well as to the strange family from Galilee. Luke also depicts toll-collectors as a model of the followers of Jesus.

Free Research Field

キリスト教学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、1世紀の地中海世界の文学であるルカによる福音書が物語の中でどのように当時の社会の差別の構造とイエスによる共生の試みを描いたかを検討することによって、現代社会の差別を認識し共生社会を築く学問的基盤を提供することを目指した。この検討の結果、社会人類学の概念を福音書解釈に導入することによって時代や地域を超えた差別構造を浮き彫りにすることが出来た。