The role of imperial decrees in Ezra-Nehemiah : an ideological and exegetical analysis

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorMosala, Itumeleng Jen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorRichards, Ruben Roberten_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-11-08T05:12:45Z
dc.date.available2015-11-08T05:12:45Z
dc.date.issued1995en_ZA
dc.descriptionBibliography: leaves 297-317.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThis dissertation is an ideological and exegetical analysis of the role of the imperial decrees of Persia in Ezra- Nehemiah (hereafter E-N). The imperial decrees, to date, have not been considered to play any significant role in both the compilation and the interpretation of E-N because they have been analysed, almost exclusively, in terms of their literary form and character and not in terms of their political-ideological function within the E-N narrative. Consequently, an alternative approach to the E-N text seemed necessary. This study develops a literary- ideological methodological paradigm which has its primary interest in the ideological character and function of a text; a mode of reading the text which gives expression to the nexus of political ideology and religio-cultural (i.e. theological) concerns within a single narrative complex, such as E-N. Thus, matters relative to politics, power, and ideology, and the manner in which they are imprinted on the production of a text, become extremely important. The application of this methodology to E-N yields two conclusions which need special mention. One conclusion is that the imperial decrees, on a literary-structural level, function as the organising centre for the tri-partite narrative design of E-N. In fact, this work demonstrates that the imperial decrees, not only drive the literary production of E-N, but also provide the narrative its ideological cohesion. The second conclusion of this study is that the imperial decrees, more than any other aspect of E-N, facilitates an adequate decoding of the political and conflict discourse inherent in E-N. By refocusing E-N research toward an appreciation of the centrality of the decrees, the dissertation brings into focus, rather sharply, the symbiotic relationship between official Persian colonial documents on the one hand, and the religio-cultural text of E- N, on the other, by demonstrating that there exists a dialectical relationship between the imperial decrees, and the E-N narrative in which they are set. The religio-cultural text, E-N, lends religio-cultural legitimacy to the political decrees of the colonial empire, Persia, while the imperial decrees in turn provide political, military and economic authority and legitimacy to the Golah-led reconstruction of post-Babylonian Palestine. Such a symbiotic relationship illustrates the ideological collusion of the E-N text with Persian colonial ideology. Finally, this study, by virtue of its focus on the role of the imperial decrees in E-N, lays the necessary foundation for further and more in depth exegetical analyses of the E-N literature in terms of an appreciation for those forces (e.g. political, ideological, religious, economic, cultural) which impact its literary production in the context of Persian colonial domination.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationRichards, R. R. (1995). <i>The role of imperial decrees in Ezra-Nehemiah : an ideological and exegetical analysis</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Religious Studies. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14744en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationRichards, Ruben Robert. <i>"The role of imperial decrees in Ezra-Nehemiah : an ideological and exegetical analysis."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Religious Studies, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14744en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationRichards, R. 1995. The role of imperial decrees in Ezra-Nehemiah : an ideological and exegetical analysis. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Richards, Ruben Robert AB - This dissertation is an ideological and exegetical analysis of the role of the imperial decrees of Persia in Ezra- Nehemiah (hereafter E-N). The imperial decrees, to date, have not been considered to play any significant role in both the compilation and the interpretation of E-N because they have been analysed, almost exclusively, in terms of their literary form and character and not in terms of their political-ideological function within the E-N narrative. Consequently, an alternative approach to the E-N text seemed necessary. This study develops a literary- ideological methodological paradigm which has its primary interest in the ideological character and function of a text; a mode of reading the text which gives expression to the nexus of political ideology and religio-cultural (i.e. theological) concerns within a single narrative complex, such as E-N. Thus, matters relative to politics, power, and ideology, and the manner in which they are imprinted on the production of a text, become extremely important. The application of this methodology to E-N yields two conclusions which need special mention. One conclusion is that the imperial decrees, on a literary-structural level, function as the organising centre for the tri-partite narrative design of E-N. In fact, this work demonstrates that the imperial decrees, not only drive the literary production of E-N, but also provide the narrative its ideological cohesion. The second conclusion of this study is that the imperial decrees, more than any other aspect of E-N, facilitates an adequate decoding of the political and conflict discourse inherent in E-N. By refocusing E-N research toward an appreciation of the centrality of the decrees, the dissertation brings into focus, rather sharply, the symbiotic relationship between official Persian colonial documents on the one hand, and the religio-cultural text of E- N, on the other, by demonstrating that there exists a dialectical relationship between the imperial decrees, and the E-N narrative in which they are set. The religio-cultural text, E-N, lends religio-cultural legitimacy to the political decrees of the colonial empire, Persia, while the imperial decrees in turn provide political, military and economic authority and legitimacy to the Golah-led reconstruction of post-Babylonian Palestine. Such a symbiotic relationship illustrates the ideological collusion of the E-N text with Persian colonial ideology. Finally, this study, by virtue of its focus on the role of the imperial decrees in E-N, lays the necessary foundation for further and more in depth exegetical analyses of the E-N literature in terms of an appreciation for those forces (e.g. political, ideological, religious, economic, cultural) which impact its literary production in the context of Persian colonial domination. DA - 1995 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1995 T1 - The role of imperial decrees in Ezra-Nehemiah : an ideological and exegetical analysis TI - The role of imperial decrees in Ezra-Nehemiah : an ideological and exegetical analysis UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14744 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/14744
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationRichards RR. The role of imperial decrees in Ezra-Nehemiah : an ideological and exegetical analysis. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Religious Studies, 1995 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14744en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Religious Studiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherReligious Studiesen_ZA
dc.titleThe role of imperial decrees in Ezra-Nehemiah : an ideological and exegetical analysisen_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
thesis_hum_1995_richards_ruben_robert.pdf
Size:
4.75 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
Collections
PhD / Doctoral