Context - the key to understanding emotions
Context - the key to understanding emotions
Last week, in my first newsletter, I said that one component in befriending the 'elephant' of emotions in the Bible is to “reconstruct as much of the setting described in the text as possible, relying first on the text itself and then on historical accounts and insights from cultural anthropology.”
We must reconstruct the context because emotions always occur within an immediate and broader context (cf. Longo 2021, 81). The following list lays out how the immediate and broader context influence aspects of the whole context of any episode of emotion. In general, the broader social context provides the concepts around emotions, while the immediate context provides the raw ingredients for eliciting the mixture of emotions within the interaction.
A list to chart emotional context in events
You want to chart out six variables along two axes. We are looking at the following variables:
- Relationships of the parties involved
- Frame of mind they enter the event with
- Expectations of the event in question
- Influence of location where the emotions happen
- Default response(s) to the emotions in question
- Foundational values at play
For each of these categories, we need to compare:
A. What we know of the event in question, i.e., the immediate context
B. What we know of the culture(s)'s ideas surrounding the dynamics of the event, i.e., the broader context
Comparing these two contexts for each of the six variables is critical. We may find that the event gains its primary importance by deviating from cultural expectations.
Put into a table, the variables look like this:
So, what type of information should go into each cell? I'll tell you!
Ideas for filling out the chart:
In general, you can fill out the "immediate context" of the Bible through a close study of the passage and how it fits with the surrounding passages. I suggest using a mixture of commentaries, encyclopedias of the Bible, and other writing on Biblical background to fill out the "broader context."
Relationship
- Immediate context: What are the characters' past interactions? How are they connected? How strong is their relationship? Where does each party want the relationship to go? The perception of their future is critical.
- Broader context: What aspects make up their social identity? Gender? Class? Ethnicity? Occupation? Family of origin? Marriage? What rules govern these aspects and their unique combination in each of the parties involved (cf. Barclay & Rosa 2020)? How might the society's power structures determine the emotions (cf. Mermelstein 2021)?
Frame of Mind
- Immediate context: What happened before this event happened? How might the previous emotional climate influence this episode?
- Broader context: On a cultural level, what type of events may have influenced how people perceived the current event? Recent events in culture influence the broader cultural frame of mind, such as the mix of fear and patriotism after 9/11 or the fear of cops after George Floyd’s death (cf. Lingis 2022, 176-177).
Expectations of Event
- Immediate context: What expectations might each party involved have for the event? What evidence do we have for their expectations? Are the expectations met? Given their expectations and actions during the scene, how might they feel? An outgoing person, for example, may enjoy chance encounters with strangers, whereas a reserved person may dislike them.
- Broader context: What types of expectations does the culture have for such events? Is it related to a holiday? What types of actions and emotions are permissible during the event? Is the event public or private? How might that affect the social rules and how people can express emotion?
Influence of Location
- Immediate context: How might the location influence the emotional dynamics for those involved? Do they feel safe? For example, a “favorite hangout” will likely bring more positive emotions than "the classroom I hate at school."
- Broader context: What is the history of the city or region? Cultural associations? Is the location associated with a social function, such as public worship, work, or something else? Locations often have "feeling rules" socially prescribed to them. For example, some people experience more “peace” and closeness with God simply by walking through a church (Kindermann and Riegel 2018).
Default Response to the Emotion
- Immediate context: How have the characters responded to this emotion in the past? Their personality and experience condition what default responses they will develop.
- Broader context: What does their culture say about responding to this type of emotion? Cultures prescribe ranges of acceptable and unacceptable responses for some emotions (Boiger and Mesquita 2012, 226).
Foundational Values
- Immediate context: What are the characters' deepest values? These values set the foundation for their emotional responses.
- Broader context: What core cultural values might govern the emotions in this passage? The foundational values for culture are embodied through their emotions (Mermelstein 260-264).
My challenge for you!
Why not try filling out this chart next time you read the Bible devotionally. If you come up with a better chart, tell me about it!
Next week
See how I use this method to shed light on why Jesus rebuked the father of a demonized boy.
Sources
- Barclay, Katie, and Sharon Crozier-De Rosa. 2020. “Intersectional Emotions and Historical Source Material.” In Sources for the History of Emotions, 1st Edition, 185–97. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY: Routledge.
- Boiger, Michael, and Batja Mesquita. 2012. “The Construction of Emotion in Interactions, Relationships, and Cultures.” Emotion Review 4 (3): 221–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/1754073912439765.
- Kindermann, Katharina, and Ulrich Riegel. 2018. “Experiencing Churches as Spiritual and Religious Places: A Study on Children’s Emotions in Church Buildings during Scholastic Field Trips.” British Journal of Religious Education 40 (2): 136–47. https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2016.1209458.
- Lingis, Alphonso. 2022. “Emotions as Discourse.” In Exploring the Translatability of Emotions: Cross-Cultural and Transdisciplinary Encounters, edited by Susan Petrilli and Meng Ji, 165–78. Palgrave Studies in Translating and Interpreting. Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91748-7_6.
- Longo, Mariano. 2021. Emotions through Literature. 1st edition. London New York: Routledge.
- Mermelstein, Ari. 2021. Power and Emotion in Ancient Judaism: Community and Identity in Formation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108917612.
- The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mk 3:1–6.
- Picture credits:
- Hammer image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
- Eggs from unsplash