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A Re-Examination of the Cultural Mandate: an Analysis and Evaluation of the Dominion Materials

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A Re-Examination of the Cultural Mandate: an Analysis and Evaluation of the Dominion Materials A RE-EXAMINATION OF THE CULTURAL MANDATE: AN ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF THE DOMINION MATERIALS by Ronald E. Manahan Submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Theology in Grace Theological Seminary May 1982 Title: A RE-EXAMINATION OF THE CULTURAL MANDATE: AN ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF THE DOMINION MATERIALS Author: Ronald E. Manahan Degree: Doctor of Theology Date: May, 1982 Advisers: James Eisenbraun, D. Wayne Knife, and David Turner Frequently correlation is made between the cultural mandate, that activity of doing and making given to man at his creation whereby he is to glorify his Creator, and the dominion materials (Gen 1:26-28; 9:1, 7; Ps 8:6-10; Heb 2:5-9; Jas 3:7). Understanding the nature of this correlation and its subsequent implications is best aided by working with a carefully defined field of terms, by isolating what alternative views of the correlation have been expressed throughout the church's history, and by engaging in a thorough examination of the background and interpretive field of the dominion passages. The conclusion resulting from the isolation of the several views on dominion material is that each view gives indication of having been influenced by the cultural milieu of the interpreter and by perceptions of culture in general. The interpreter continually interacts between his constantly changing, dynamic cultural milieu and the Biblical text. The context within which this study is conducted includes the realization that man is contextualized and is an integral part of the creation in which he was placed by his Creator. Man stands in a dependent relationship with God, who has placed him within an order. From this placement man sees that he is suspended in a threefold, concurrent relationship: (1) to God, (2) to others, and (3) to the world. The terms "cultus" and "culture" indicate the full range of human activities where man acts out this threefold relationship. "Culture" refers to both the activity and the context of human shapers and formers. So defined, culture must be done. Through analysis of the Old Testament dominion material in the light of royal ideology, apocalyptic ideas, and societal hierarchical structuring this study concludes that the dominionizing activity (formative activity) has been given and not rescinded. But this activity may be done in loyalty or disloyalty toward man's sovereign Creator. When done in loyalty, Mlw exists. However, when done in disloyalty, the formative activity struggles with the cosmos. This struggle produces a feeling of frailty within man. The New Testament dominion material by individualizing the use to which it puts Psalm 8 points to Jesus Christ as the resolution to the clashing tenets of man's frailty and incomparable position. Major conclusions reached are that the dominion given man refers to shaping activity. Shaping activity done with respect to concrete things is not optional. Man is given a mandate. But only in Jesus Christ, who was fully loyal, is there any hope of beneficent shaping activity, an activity which will glorify the Creator. Accepted by the Faculty of Grace Theological Seminary in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree Doctor of Theology Adviser: James E. Eisenbraun Adviser: D. Wayne Knife Adviser: David L. Turner Copyright © 1982 by Ronald E. Manahan Digitally prepared and posted on the web by Ted Hildebrandt (2004) with permission. Please report any errors to: [email protected] TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS . vi PREFACE . viii INTRODUCTION . 1 Reasons for This Study . 2 Glossary . 5 Culture . 6 Cultural Mandate . 7 Dominion Materials . 9 Re-examination . 10 Form of the Study . 11 I. HISTORICAL SURVEY OF THE INTERPRETATION OF DOMINION MATERIALS . 13 Ancient Interpretations . 14 Rule Over Creation as a Present Possession . 15 Selected sources . 15 Commentary . 20 God's Rule--Man's Rule . 26 Selected sources . 27 Commentary . 28 Promise-Fulfillment Debate . 30 Selected sources . 30 Commentary . 33 Rule as Lost or Diminished . 36 Selected sources . 36 Commentary . 39 Rule in an Eschatological Figure . 43 Selected sources . 43 Commentary . 45 Rule as Cultural Expression . 47 Selected sources . 47 Commentary . 49 Summary . 51 Medieval Interpretations . 52 Augustine . 53 Context of interpretation . 53 Interpretation of dominion materials . 58 Aquinas . 61 Context of interpretation . 63 Interpretation of dominion materials . 65 iii iv Summary . 68 Modern Interpretations . 68 Martin Luther . 69 Context of interpretation . 69 Interpretation of dominion materials . 71 John Calvin . 75 Context of interpretation . 75 Interpretation of dominion materials . 78 The Anabaptists . 81 Context of interpretation . 81 Interpretation of dominion materials . 84 Summary . 85 Recent Interpretations . 86 Karl Barth . 86 Dietrich Bonhoeffer . 88 Emil Brunner . 90 Paul Tillich . 92 Summary . 94 Concluding Assessment . 94 II. A PHILOSOPHIC PERSPECTIVE . 97 Man's Life in an Order . 98 Man as Contextualized . 98 Man is dependent . 99 Within a whole . 99 Within an "ordered" whole . 101 Within a law-structured whole . 102 Man is in a continuum . 108 A contemporary appraisal . 108 A rebuttal . 109 A suggestion . 111 Man as Relational . 116 In relation to God . 117 In relation to others . 122 In relation to the world . 127 Cultus and Culture . 132 Cultus . 133 Culture . 134 A Proposal . 140 III. EXAMINATION OF OLD TESTAMENT DOMINION MATERIALS The Extent of Dominion Materials . 142 Hermeneutical Realities . 143 Royal Ideology . 143 Egyptian royal ideology . 145 Mesopotamian royal ideology . 154 Israelite royal ideology . 166 Historiographic literature . 168 Hymnic literature . 172 v Prophetical literature . 176 Summary . 179 Apocalyptic Imagery . 180 Societal Hierarchical Structuring . 188 Summary Evaluation . 194 Explicit Dominion Materials . 196 Genesis 1:26-28 . 197 Textual variants . 198 Literary context . 200 Examination of dominion material . 207 The expression vntnmdk vnmlcb . 207 hdr and wbk. 220 Interpretive field . 229 Genesis 9:1, 7 . 231 Textual variants . 231 Literary context . 233 Examination of dominion material and interpretive field . 236 Psalm 8:6-10 . 238 Textual variants . 238 Literary context . 240 Examination of dominion material . 242 Interpretive field . 245 Summary . 247 Implicit Dominion Materials . 247 IV. EXAMINATION OF NEW TESTAMENT DOMINION MATERIAL . 251 Explicit Dominion Material . 251 Hebrews 2:5-9 . 252 Textual variants . 252 Literary context . 258 Examination of dominion material . 266 Interpretive field . 270 James 3:7 . 275 Summary . 279 Implicit Dominion Materials . 280 A Suggestion . 280 An Example . 283 V. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS . 289 The Christian and Culture . 293 The Christian and Education . 298 The Christian and Theology . 303 BIBLIOGRAPHY . 308 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AB The Anchor Bible ABL Harper, Assyrian and Babylonian Letters AGNT Aland et al., eds., The Greek New Testament ANEP Pritchard, ed., The Ancient Near East in Pictures Relating to the Old Testament ANET Pritchard, ed., Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament ANF The Ante-Nicene Fathers AnOr Analecta Orientalia BAGD Bauer, Arndt, and Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 2nd edition BASOR Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research BHK Kittel, eds., Biblica Hebraica BHS Elliger and Rudolph, eds., Biblica Hebraica Stuttgartensia Bib Biblica BSac Bibliotheca Sacra BJRL Bulletin of the John Rylands University Library of Manchester BR Biblical Research BSP Walton, eds., Biblia Sacra Polyglotta BZ Biblische Zeitschrift BZAW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift fur die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft CAD Gelb et al., eds., The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly CKRS Raines, The Cosmic Kingdom in the Rise of the Christian Interpretation of the State: A Study of the Interaction of Religious and Political Mythology from Hebraic Prophetism through John Calvin CTM Concordia Theological Monthly EvQ The Evangelical Quarterly ExpTim The Expository Times GCES Nelson, The Groaning of Creation: An Exegetical Study of Romans 8:18-27 GRHI Eareckson, The Glory to be Revealed Hereafter: The Interpretation of Romans 8:18-25 and its Place in Pauline Theology HPS von Gall, Der hebraische Pentateuch der Samaritaner HTR Harvard Theological Review HUCA Hebrew Union College Annual vi vii ICC The International Critical Commentary INST Baillie, McNeill, and Van Dusen, The Library.
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