Ideology and Ideological Criticism Of Old Testament Texts

The first chapter of the thesis traces the history of the tenn 'ideology'; elucidates a
range of definitions and connotations for the tenn; and offers a brief review of recent
usage within Old Testament Studies.
The second chapter turns more specifically to Ideological Criticism, offering a critical
overview ofthe approaches ofTerry Eagleton and Frederic Jameson, prominent
theorists within the field. The chapter concludes by adopting a three fold 'mapping'
of ideological criticism for Old Testament Studies: social-scientific, interpretativesociological,
and social-critical approaches.
The third and fourth chapters consist ofa critical evaluation of a range of attempts at
ideological criticism within Biblical Studies from each ofthe social-scientific,
interpretative-sociological, and social-critical perspectives. These include (among
others) a specifically Eagletonian approach; a Jamesonian approach; a black-feminist
approach; and an approach based on post-colonial theory.
Chapter five discusses a variety ofrelevant issues and perspectives, including the
interaction of ideological criticism with postmodernism.
The concluding chapter surveys the four modes in which ideological criticism
operates: criticism ofthe biblical texts themselves; criticism ofreadings and
interpretations; criticism of the use ofthe Bible as an ideological instrument; and
criticism ofscholarly practices within the Academy. This final chapter then seeks to
evaluate the lasting contribution of ideological criticism within Old Testament Studies
and its future potential.
The overall conclusion is that the advent ofideological criticism has marked a
significant watershed in the annals ofbiblical criticism. Ideological criticism as a
distinct and separate methodology may not become the one-and-only focus of
biblical-critical methodology in the coming decades; but, arguably, no significant
biblical criticism can now take place without serious ideological critique, not only of
the writing, publishing, and dissemination ofancient texts but also of the
interpretative tradition and of the academic hegemony.