The evolution of the Bible and the emic and etic perspectives regarding this religious handbook are both everlasting. There has been an astounding 3.9 billion copies of the Bible sold this past half-century alone. Since the Bible was first introduced to the eye of the public, there have been updated variants that cater to each era of our maturing society. These distinctive changes over time have left little room to decipher similarities from the original text.
For context, Christianity originated over two millenniums ago. In the contemporary world, the practice of Christianity is the most praised philosophy with over two billion worshippers from all corners of the globe. This monotheistic religion, that is, the belief of a singular God, consists of ancient literature, prophets, and symbols. Our group decided to take the Bible and the many modifications it has undergone and compared it to contrasting emic and etic perspectives.
Our group had a conductive conversation regarding a real-life example where emic and etic perspectives are both applicable. Emic and etic perspectives are two contradictory terms. The emic perspective is the outlook of an insiders’ view on differing cultures or traditions whereas the etic perspective brings voice to an outsiders’ viewpoints regarding the same topic. I found this discussion out of all others particularly interesting and one worthy of analysis. Why? One of our group members mentioned the Holy Bible as a modern case where etic and emic perspectives are at a crossroads. To elaborate, my group member spoke too how the culture at the time the Bible was published is a much different culture we live in today and implied the emic perspective of a first-century civilization would have a much clearer understanding of what was written about. This is a result of the modernized world having issues understanding ancient or literal texts along with not knowing what is absolute or not, in other words, what was real and what was a prophecy.
I also believe another example of the emic perspective could be found when comparing The Old Testament, the original Hebrew Bible written B.C. and The New Testament. The Old Testament could be considered the first part of the story as instead of painting Jesus Christ, it lays the groundwork that points to him. People of the first-century civilization had an explanation of the story of Jesus Christ and worshippers knew this was a long-time coming and The Old Testament legitimized this notion, further strengthening peoples’ devotion to Christianity through an emic perspective.
Observable transformations of the Bible and the frameworks dating back to the first century is undeniable. However, in the current era, the Holy Bible is written in much more simplified terms with broader interpretations through churches and other religions, each with altering clarifications derived from an etic perspective. This in large part is thanks to our advancing linguistic skills and civilizations along with other external factors. The innovation of cultures and traditions has led to a shift in interpretations regarding original passages found in pre-existing copies of the Bible, many of which have been replaced with comprehensible literature and modern age meanings.
The history of the Holy Bible is something I am not fully educated on. After having a group discussion that blossomed from emic and etic perspectives of The Salem Witch Trials, being able to tie it together with a religious twist has opened my mind to wanting to do more research regarding both perspectives, how practical they can be in the real world, and the origins of Christianity. With that said, I am looking forward to how this course unravels.
References APA:
Kim, D. (2020, June 19). Difference Between Old and New Testament: With Simple Charts. Retrieved July 16, 2020, from https://pursuitbible.com/difference-between-old-and-new-testament/
Polland, J. (2012, December 27). The 10 Most Read Books In The World [Infographic]. Retrieved July 16, 2020, from https://www.businessinsider.com/the-top-10-most-read-books-in-the-world-infographic-2012-12
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