At this week’s Theological Research Seminar, Lydia Lao will be presenting, “Identity Amid Social Conflict: Intragroup Relations in Nehemiah 5:1–13.”
Read the abstract and his bio below.
All are welcome to attend in Camelford Hall (room 226) at McMaster Divinity College at 1:00pm or via livestream at the link below:
Join the Livestream
Password: z00m (Note that the password has zeros rather than “o”)
Abstract
The economic crisis depicted in Neh 5:1–13 reveals an intragroup conflict between the poor and wealthy strata in the Judean community in the Persian period. By employing a social psychological approach and textual analysis, this work suggests that both strata were experiencing conceptual social mobility. Furthermore, this work argues that the resolution of the economic crisis, and hence the intragroup conflict, reshaped the self perceived identity of the members of the Judean community and led to the formation of a common membership across the social hierarchy of the community. This paper further argues that through the reshaping of communal membership and redefinition of kinship relations, the Judean community was able to acquire a positive social identity distinct by its common social conscience stemming from the reverence of God.
Bio
Lydia completed her MDiv degree at the China Graduate School of Theology in Hong Kong. She joined a Christian rehabilitation centre for problem gamblers after graduation. She later took up the women and elderly ministries in her home church prior to studying in MDC. Her research interest is in the communal identity of the postexilic community..
About TRS
The MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets from 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM on alternating Mondays, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion.
All advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it.
This year the organizing committee consists of Dr. James Dvorak, Dr. Phil Zylla, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper, contact a member of the organizing committee.