JESUS’ RELATIONSHIP WITH THE DISCIPLES

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CURRENT APPROACHES IN READING LUKE

The Bible contains a “verbal reality” (Chouinard 1997:68) that remains silent unless it is unveiled through scientific research, that is, exegesis. During the Middle Ages exegesis was aimed at ensuring that Biblical interpretation “squared” with the church’s tradition (Chouinard 1997:65). This conviction, however, has changed gradually over the years that followed since the Middle Ages. Nowadays exegesis is a discipline that strives for excellence. In the analysis of texts Biblical scholars concentrate on three aspects of the text: its author, the text itself, and its receptor (Hartin & Petzer 1991:1). Each proposed methodology in the study of New Testament texts has so far insisted on either one or two or on all of these poles for a meaningful interpretation. Each of these poles is grounded in a specific “centre of authority” (Porter 1995:87). The historical exegetical approach, with the historical context of the text as its centre of authority, focuses on the author of the text.

The narrative structure of Luke’s gospel

As is the case with the question of Jesus’ identity, the structure of Luke’s gospel does not draw unanimity in Lukan scholarship. Two remarks are important at this point. There is a tied relationship between the beginning of the gospel (Lk 1:1-3:38) and its concluding section (Lk 22:1-24:53). According to Danker (1979:106), the passion and resurrection stories of Luke function as “dramatic counterparts and hermeneutical medium” vis-à-vis the prologue and the infancy narratives. This is also the point of view of Edwards: Luke 22:1-24:53 is not part of Jesus’ teaching and therefore should not be considered as part of Luke’s structure that had Jesus’ public ministry as contents (Edwards 1981:29; see also Fitzmyer 1981:134). Secondly, it seems that Jesus’ public ministry – that wedges in between the beginning (Lk 1:1- 3:38) and concluding section (Lk 22:1-24:53) of the Gospel – consists of two larger narratives of which both include a beginning and conclusion (legitimation).

Jesus and leadership

Wilkes (1998) has studied leadership modelled after Jesus and concluded that leadership means service (Wilkes 1998:9, see also Wehrli 1992:104, Nyiawung 2005). An example worth emulating is Jesus in the midst of the crowd rather than sitting at the head table, a place of honour and command (Wilkes 1998:13). This kind of leadership leads to conflict between a leader and his following because the leader is not where he is supposed to be: at the head table! According to Wilkes, this servant-leader model should be emulated in society. He further opines that effective leadership is risk taking by definition (Wilkes 1998:127) – “to influence” always means “to change”. Change in most cases leads to conflict, and leaders should not fear conflict as a result of change. If they do, their leadership may not be that effective. Leadership means to take initiative, delegate power and set goals. Each of these entails risk taking.

Authority and legitimation of leadership

Authority in leadership signifies that one is permitted or sanctioned by others to lead. The New Testament presents two kinds of authority: Spirit bestowed authority and delegated or hereditary authority (Hugh 1988:290). The source of authority and legitimation are important aspects of leadership: A person in authority is one who has power over others, who agrees that he is the rightful owner of power. By acknowledging his right to power they transform it into authority; this process is known as legitimating.
The charismatic of power in most organisations is that it adheres to legitimated positions and is therefore experienced as authority. (Brown 1979:93) What is obvious from Brown’s above remark is that the legitimation of leadership is closely related to the source of authority and the proper use of power.51 Successful leadership depends on the source of the leaders’ authority and the legitimation of the leaders’ leadership. Read (1974:191) identifies three sources of authority: election by internal agents or followers, appointment by an external agent, or usurpation by the leader him/herself (see also Weber 1968:212-301; Theissen 2002:227-228).52 These sources of authority concomitantly constitute and reinforce the leader’s sources of legitimation: the internal agent, the external agent and the characteristics of the leader.

Contingency leadership theory (CLT)

According to the contingency leadership theory of Fiedler, effective leadership is conditioned by two factors: the qualities of the leaders and situational favourability (Fiedler 1993:2, Daft 1999:94). Contingency theories take as a starting point the conviction that there is no best or universal style of leadership. Successful leaders use different styles, depending on the nature of the situation of their followers (Gill 2006:47; see also Daft 1999:93). In the case of CLT, the group’s success depends on how the leader manages to influence situations (e.g., stress, anxiety, uncertainty and environmental structure) in order to achieve expected goals. The manner in which leaders manage these situations influences both their behaviour and group performance. CLT thus operates on the basis of situational organisation. Situational organisation functions at the level of “situational control” (Fiedler 1993:3-5). The first situation that can influence the success of the group is relationship between the leader and the group.

Table of contents :

• Dedication
• Preface
• Table of contents
• Chapter
  • Introduction
  • 1.1 INTRODUCTION: CONTEXT OF STUDY
  • 1.2 DEFINITION OF TERMS
  • 1.3 CURRENT RESEARCH AND RESEARCH GAP
    • 1.3.1 Current research
    • 1.3.2 Research gap
  • 1.4 AIM, HYPOTHESIS AND RESEARCH ITINERARY
    • 1.4.1 Aim and hypothesis
    • 1.4.2 Research itinerary
  • 1.5 CONCLUSION: MAIN THESIS
• Chapter
  • The current debate: Approaches to Luke, Luke 9:18-22, leadership and conflict 2.1 INTRODUCTION
  • 2.2 CURRENT APPROACHES IN READING LUKE
    • 2.2.1 A historical-critical reading: David Wenham
    • 2.2.2 A text-immanent reading: Scott Spencer and Jonathan Knight
    • 2.2.3 A hermeneutical-critical (reader-oriented) reading: Pieter van Staden and Michael Goheen
    • 2.2.4 A social-scientific reading: Halvor Moxnes, Bruce Malina and Jerome Neyrey
    • 2.2.5 A hermeneutical-critical (socio-redaction criticism) reading: Philip F Esler
    • 2.2.6 Summary
  • 2.3 THE WIRKUNGSGESCHICHTE OF LUKE 9:18-22: WHO IS THE CHRIST?
  • 2.3.1 “Who is the Christ?”
  • 2.3.2 The narrative context of Luke 9:18-22 within the structure of Luke’s narrative
  • 2.3.3 Summary
  • 2.4 JESUS AND LEADERSHIP IN LUKE 9:
    • 2.4.1 David G Horrell
    • 2.4.2 Howard Clark Kee
  • 2.5 JESUS AND CONFLICT IN LUKE
  • 2.6 RESEARCH GAP
• Chapter
  • Evaluation and theories: current approaches to Luke, Luke 9:18-22, leadership and conflict
  • 3.1 INTRODUCTION
  • 3.2 EVALUATION: CURRENT APPROACHES – THE WIRKUNGSGESCHICHTE OF LUKE 9:18-22 AND STRUCTURE
    • 3.2.1 Evaluation of current approaches in reading Luke
    • 3.2.2 The Wirkungsgeschichte of Luke 9:
    • 3.2.3 The narrative structure of Luke’s gospel
    • 3.2.4 The narrative function of Luke 9:18-22 within the macro-context of Luke’s narrative
  • 3.2.5 Conclusions
  • 3.3 LEADERSHIP AND LEADERSHIP THEORIES
  • 3.3.1 Evaluation: Leadership, authority and legitimation of leadership
  • 3.3.2 Leadership theories
  • 3.3.3 Conclusion
  • 3.4 CONFLICT AND CONFLICT THEORIES
  • 3.4.1 Evaluation: Conflict in Luke
    • 3.4.2 Conflict models and theories
    • 3.4.2.1 Models and theories
    • 3.4.2.2 Conflict models
    • 3.4.2.3 Conflict theories
  • 3.4.3 Conclusion
  • 3.5 EVALUATION: LEADERSHIP THEORIES AND CONFLICT THEORIES
  • 3.5.1 Leadership theories
  • 3.5.2 Conflict theories and their importance
  • 3.5.2.1 Conflict theories
  • 3.5.2.2 The importance of conflict theories
• Chapter
  • Methodology reconsidered: Theories, models and approaches in the study of leadership and conflict in Luke and Luke 9:
  • 4.1 INTRODUCTION
  • 4.2 LEADERSHIP THEORIES IN THE STUDY OF LUKE AND LUKE 9:
  • 4.2.1 Introduction
  • 4.2.2 Cognitive dissonance leadership theory (CDLT)
  • 4.2.3 Power-syndrome leadership theory (PSLT)
  • 4.2.4 Contingent-transactional leadership theory (CTLT)
  • 4.2.5 Conclusion
  • 4.3 CONFLICT THEORIES IN THE STUDY OF LUKE AND LUKE 9:
    • 4.3.1 Introduction
    • 4.3.2 Social identity theory (SIT)
    • 4.3.3 Labelling and deviance theory (LDT)
    • 4.3.4 Conclusion
  • 4.4 APPROACHES IN READING LUKE AND LUKE 9:
  • 4.4.1 Introduction
  • 4.4.2 Terminology reconsidered
  • 4.4.2.1 Historical-critical approach
    • 4.4.2.2 Narratology
    • 4.4.2.3 Social scientific approach
    • 4.4.2.4 Contextualisation
    • 4.4.2.5 Interrelatedness: Historical-critical analysis, narrative criticism and social scientific criticism

• 4.5 LIMITATIONS: MODELS, THEORIES AND APPROACHES
• 4.6 CONCLUDING REMARKS
• Chapter
  • Luke 9:18-22: An emic reading of leadership, conflict and identity in Luke
  • 5.1 INTRODUCTION
  • 5.2 JESUS’ RELATIONSHIP WITH THE DISCIPLES
  • 5.3 JESUS’ RELATIONSHIP WITH THE JEWISH ELITE
  • 5.4 JESUS’ RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ROMAN ELITE
  • 5.4.1 Introduction
  • 5.4.2 Jesus and the Roman authorities
  • 5.4.3 Conclusion
  • 5.5 JESUS’ RELATIONSHIP WITH THE JEWISH PEASANTRY
  • 5.6 JESUS’ RELATIONSHIP WITH NON-JEWS
  • 5.6.1 Introduction
  • 5.6.2 Jesus’ relationship with the non-Jews
  • 5.6.3 Conclusion
  • 5.7 AN EMIC READING OF LUKE 9:18-22: LEADERSHIP, CONFLICT AND IDENTITY
  • 5.7.1 Introduction
  • 5.7.2 Luke 9:18-22 and the relationship between Jesus and the disciples
  • 5.7.3 Luke 9:18-22 and the relationship between Jesus and the peasantry
  • 5.7.4 Luke 9:18-22 and the relationship between Jesus and the Jewish elite
  • 5.7.5 Luke 9:18-22 and the relationship between Jesus and the Roman elite
  • 5.7.6 Excursus: Reading Luke 9:18-22 and Luke 9:
  • 5.7.7 Conclusion
  • 5.8 AN EMIC READING OF LUKE: SOME REFLECTIONS
• Chapter
  • Luke 9:18-22: An etic reading of leadership, conflict and identity in Luke
  • 6.1 INTRODUCTION
  • 6.2 THE SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXT OF LUKE’S GOSPEL
  • 6.3 ETIC READING OF JESUS’ IDENTITY: WHO IS THE CHRIST?
  • 6.3.1 Introduction
  • 6.3.2 The question of Jesus’ identity
  • 6.3.3 Labelling and deviance theory (LDT)
  • 6.3.3.1 Labelling and deviance theory in Luke’s gospel: Theoretical framework
  • 6.3.3.2 Application: The arrest, trial, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus as rituals of status transformation
  • 6.3.4 Social identity theory (SIT)
  • 6.3.5 Conclusion
  • 6.4 ETIC READING OF LEADERSHIP AND CONFLICT IN LUKE
  • 6.5 LEADERSHIP, CONFLICT AND IDENTITY: AN ETIC READING OF LUKE 9:
  • 6.5.3 Luke 9:18-22 and cultural values of first-century Mediterranean society
  • 6.5.3.1 Dissonance, legitimation and honour (Lk 9:18-20)
  • 6.5.3.2 Deviance, honour and shame: The reversal of status (Lk 9:21-22)
  • 6.5.4 Conclusion
  • 6.6 CONCLUSION
• Chapter
  • Luke 9:18-22: An African hermeneutical reading of leadership, conflict and identity in Luke
  • 7.1 INTRODUCTION
  • 7.2 SOCIO-CULTURAL VALUES OF THE AFRICAN CONTEXT
• Chapter
  • The “gospel of conflict” according to Luke
  • 8.1 INTRODUCTION
  • 8.2 WHO IS THE CHRIST? THE GOSPEL OF CONFLICT ACCORDING TO LUKE
  • 8.3 CONCLUDING REMARKS
  • Bibliography
  • Summary
  • Key terms

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WHO IS THE CHRIST? LEADERSHIP AND CONFLICT IN LUKE 9:18-22: A SOCIAL SCIENTIFIC- AND NARRATOLOGICAL ANALYSIS FROM AN AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE