Esther Miquel - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Esther Miquel

Cauriensia, 2022

La tesis principal de este escrito es que la noción de reinado de Dios en boca de Jesús presupone... more La tesis principal de este escrito es que la noción de reinado de Dios en boca de Jesús presupone la inclusión de criaturas no humanas. Este presupuesto tiene sus raíces en la Biblia Hebrea, especialmente en el libro de los Salmos, y en el pensamiento judío antiguo, donde la relación entre Dios y todos los seres creados corresponde a la que un rey tiene con sus súbditos. El uso de las claves interpretativas del giro ontológico en Antropología nos ha permitido entender de forma literal esa correspondencia y reconocer el carácter interpersonal que el pensamiento bíblico atribuye a la relación entre Dios y las criaturas no humanas.

Reseña Bíblica, 2021

En medio de la pandemia que azota hoy a la humanidad, el modo de concebir la relación de Dios con... more En medio de la pandemia que azota hoy a la humanidad, el modo de concebir la relación de Dios con su creación tiene más relevancia que nunca. El Dios mateano que, en la perfección de su amor, hace salir el sol sobre buenos y malos y llover sobre justos y pecadores (Mt 5,43-48), se contrapone a esa otra imagen de la divinidad, tan frecuente en la propia Biblia, que utiliza las criaturas no humanas para premiar y castigar a las personas. Este artículo reflexiona sobre las relaciones entre una y otra imagen de Dios y las actitudes éticas y políticas de quienes optan por cada una de ellas.

Revista Bíblica, 2020

El presente escrito tiene un doble propósito. Criticar, primero, la imagen, ampliamente difundid... more El presente escrito tiene un doble propósito. Criticar, primero, la imagen, ampliamente difundida, de un Jesús mayoritariamente incomprendido en su entorno social. Mostrar, después, el carácter popular de su persona y su mensaje, así como la popularidad de que habría gozado entre la gente de su condición. En el marco de las actuales investigaciones sobre cultura popular, la metodología aquí utilizada se caracteriza por usar una definición de “sector popular” basada en criterios socioculturales específicamente pertinentes para el imperio romano, e identificar a sus miembros a partir de las actitudes cognitivas y prácticas que distinguirían a dicho sector respecto a las élites dominantes.

This paper has two purposes. First: to criticize the widely held image of Jesus as someone misunderstood by the majority of the people in his society. Second: to show the popular character of his mentality and his message, as well as the popularity he enjoyed among the people of his condition. In the context of the ongoing research on popular culture, the methodology used in this paper is characterized by a definition of the “popular sector” in terms of sociocultural criteria which are specifically significant for the Roman Empire, and by identifying its members after the cognitive and pragmatic attitudes that would distinguish them from the dominant elites.

Salmanticensis vol 66. Fasc. 1, 2019

Resumen: Este artículo utiliza las investigaciones de James C. Scott sobre lenguajes resistentes ... more Resumen: Este artículo utiliza las investigaciones de James C. Scott sobre lenguajes resistentes en contextos de dominación para mostrar que el discurso parabó-lico del evangelio de Marcos puede entenderse como un ejemplo de dis-curso resistente, y para determinar la función que dicho texto habría tenido en la comunicación del men-saje evangélico a sus destinatarios originales. Valiéndose de las herra-mientas utilizadas por Scott para detectar este tipo de lenguajes, tam-bién propone una interpretación de Mc 4,1-34 que pretende dar razón, no sólo del sentido de sus distin-tos contenidos, sino también de los silencios, opacidades, tensiones y ambigüedades que cubren el texto.
Palabras clave: discurso resis-tente, Evangelio de Marcos, James C. Scott, parábolas
Abstract: This paper draws on James C. Scott's research on resistant languages in contexts of domination to show that the parabolic discourse in Mark's Gospel can be understood as a case of resitant discourse, and to determine the function it had in communicating the gospel message to its original addressees. With the help of the analytical tools used by Scott to detect such type of language, it also proposes an interpretation of Mark 4,1-34 that seeks to make sense, not only of its content, but also of the gaps, opacities, tensions and ambiguities that overlie this text.

This paper proposes a scientifically informed concept of "extraordinary experience", and shows th... more This paper proposes a scientifically informed concept of "extraordinary experience", and shows the historical plausibility that after Jesus' death there was an authentic effervescence of such type of experiences among his followers.

This article assesses John Pilch's contribution to the exegesis of Biblical texts dealing with ex... more This article assesses John Pilch's contribution to the exegesis of Biblical texts dealing with extraordinary experiences and phenomena such as visions, flights of the soul, healings and the like. It focuses on Pilch's methodology for reconstructing the interpretation that the original audiences had most probably given to such texts.

RESUMEN: La antropología, la psicología y la neurología han llegado conjunta-mente a la conclusió... more RESUMEN: La antropología, la psicología y la neurología han llegado conjunta-mente a la conclusión de que la capacidad de acceder a ciertos tipos de expe-riencias no ordinarias reflejadas en testimonios procedentes de culturas y religiones tradicionales es una potencialidad natural de nuestra especie. Este estudio propone un marco conceptual que permite hablar coherentemente de estas experiencias, así como de algunos de los fenómenos cognitivos y sociales que son capaces de generar. ABSTRAC: Anthropological, psychological and neurological studies concur on the conclusion that the capacity to have certain types of non-ordinary experiences , suggested by many traditional and religious testimonies, is a natural aptitude of our species. In this paper I propose a conceptual framework that allows us to discuss in a coherent way about such experiences and some cog-nitive and social phenomena they are likely to generate. Introducción El presente estudio quiere proponer un marco conceptual coherente que posibilite hablar con rigor de lo que en el lenguaje corriente enten-demos por " experiencias religiosas extraordinarias ". Aunque parte de nociones familiares en la tradición cultural del occidente cristiano, mi pro-puesta quiere ser aconfesional y, por tanto, útil tanto para quienes identi-fican la causa última de dichas experiencias en términos de una fe religio-sa, como para quienes mantienen su reflexión en el ámbito de las pers-pectivas filosóficas o científicas.

Biblical Theology Bulletin vol. 45, number 3, pp. 144-154, 2015

In this article I propose an interpretation of the Marcan fig tree episode (Mark 11:12-14.20-25) ... more In this article I propose an interpretation of the Marcan fig tree episode (Mark 11:12-14.20-25) in its final form that draws on a vegetable metaphor widely known in Antiquity, and highlights the connexion between the episode and the temple scene (Mark 11:15.19) that divides it. This interpretation addresses the problem posed by the narrator’s commentary in v.13d and makes of it a key element to understand the Marcan Jesus’ attitude towards the temple. With the aid of James C. Scott’s work on resistance discourse of subordinated groups, I show that this text, together with the other Marcan references to the temple’s destruction, belong to one type of Scott’s resistance discourse, and deduce some implications for the social setting of the Gospel of Mark.

This paper shows how to use the anthropological model of I. M. Lewis on spirit possession and exo... more This paper shows how to use the anthropological model of I. M. Lewis on spirit possession and exorcisms, to clarify the role of Jesus' exorcism in the context of the religious movement created by him.

Estudios Bíblicos, 2012

This paper advocates for a symbolic and ironical reading of the Markan fig tree episode (Mk 11:12... more This paper advocates for a symbolic and ironical reading of the Markan fig tree episode (Mk 11:12-14.20-25) that shows its meaningful connection with the intercalated temple scene (Mk 11:15-19), takes seriously Jesus' own account of the incident with the tree, and succeeds in making sense of the strange statement of the narrator in v.13d: "for it was not the time for figs". It resorts to traditional metaphors that use the image of destroyed fruitless plants as symbols of humans that deserve punishment because of their moral inadequacy.

This paper tries to recover the cultural meaning and the literary function of the presence in Mk ... more This paper tries to recover the cultural meaning and the literary function of the presence in Mk 1:21-28 of two apparently unrelated elements: the authority of Jesus' teaching and his power to exorcize unclean spirits. Anthropological research about possession and exorcism in pre-industrial cultures allows us to think that the conjunction of these two elements reflects the demand that these cultures impose on religious innovators of legitimating their proposals with the exhibition of extraordinary spiritual powers.

Así empezó el cristianismo, 2010

Revista Medellín, 2010

Cultural Anthropological models can help Biblical scholars in the reconstruction of significant a... more Cultural Anthropological models can help Biblical scholars in the reconstruction of significant aspects presuposed by the texts they investigate and that would, otherwise, be difficult for them to grasp because their cultural remoteness. This paper uses the ethnological study of Ioan M. Lewis on spiritual possession and exorcism to shed light on the gospel tradition about Jesus' exorcisms. The use of this model allows us to discover relevant connections between Jesus' practice as an exorcist and other better known aspects of his ministry, as his ethical teachings and the proclamation of God's kingdom.

La Semana Santa: Antropología y Religión en Latinoamérica II , 2010

This paper applies James C. Schott's work on resistant discourse to the Markan narrative of Jesus... more This paper applies James C. Schott's work on resistant discourse to the Markan narrative of Jesus' last days in Jerusalem.

Estudio Agustino, 2010

This paper deals with Bergson's use of the concept of biological "adaptation" in his philosophy o... more This paper deals with Bergson's use of the concept of biological "adaptation" in his philosophy of knowledge.

Estudios Bíblicos, 2010

The image of Jesus as a mediator that in some Christian texts is related to his death (1Tm 2:5; H... more The image of Jesus as a mediator that in some Christian texts is related to his death (1Tm 2:5; Hb 8:6; 9:15; 12:24), appears also in the Gospel of Mark as a key to his whole mission. However, unlike those other texts, Mark does not use a religious pattern to construct this image of Jesus. Instead he draws on the widespread social model of patronage relationships to portray him as the broker between God and his people. His status as the Son of God and his acting as the agent of divine benefits, identify him as the mediator through which God interacts with His people.

Biblical Theology Bulletin: A Journal of Bible and Theology, 2010

This article uses the ethnological research of I. M. Lewis on possession and exorcism as a method... more This article uses the ethnological research of I. M. Lewis on possession and exorcism as a methodological tool to solve some exegetical problems related to the interpretation, historical origin, and literary pre-synoptic development of the "Beelzebul controversies" (Mark 3:22-30; Matthew 12:22-32; Luke 11:14-23)

Cauriensia, 2022

La tesis principal de este escrito es que la noción de reinado de Dios en boca de Jesús presupone... more La tesis principal de este escrito es que la noción de reinado de Dios en boca de Jesús presupone la inclusión de criaturas no humanas. Este presupuesto tiene sus raíces en la Biblia Hebrea, especialmente en el libro de los Salmos, y en el pensamiento judío antiguo, donde la relación entre Dios y todos los seres creados corresponde a la que un rey tiene con sus súbditos. El uso de las claves interpretativas del giro ontológico en Antropología nos ha permitido entender de forma literal esa correspondencia y reconocer el carácter interpersonal que el pensamiento bíblico atribuye a la relación entre Dios y las criaturas no humanas.

Reseña Bíblica, 2021

En medio de la pandemia que azota hoy a la humanidad, el modo de concebir la relación de Dios con... more En medio de la pandemia que azota hoy a la humanidad, el modo de concebir la relación de Dios con su creación tiene más relevancia que nunca. El Dios mateano que, en la perfección de su amor, hace salir el sol sobre buenos y malos y llover sobre justos y pecadores (Mt 5,43-48), se contrapone a esa otra imagen de la divinidad, tan frecuente en la propia Biblia, que utiliza las criaturas no humanas para premiar y castigar a las personas. Este artículo reflexiona sobre las relaciones entre una y otra imagen de Dios y las actitudes éticas y políticas de quienes optan por cada una de ellas.

Revista Bíblica, 2020

El presente escrito tiene un doble propósito. Criticar, primero, la imagen, ampliamente difundid... more El presente escrito tiene un doble propósito. Criticar, primero, la imagen, ampliamente difundida, de un Jesús mayoritariamente incomprendido en su entorno social. Mostrar, después, el carácter popular de su persona y su mensaje, así como la popularidad de que habría gozado entre la gente de su condición. En el marco de las actuales investigaciones sobre cultura popular, la metodología aquí utilizada se caracteriza por usar una definición de “sector popular” basada en criterios socioculturales específicamente pertinentes para el imperio romano, e identificar a sus miembros a partir de las actitudes cognitivas y prácticas que distinguirían a dicho sector respecto a las élites dominantes.

This paper has two purposes. First: to criticize the widely held image of Jesus as someone misunderstood by the majority of the people in his society. Second: to show the popular character of his mentality and his message, as well as the popularity he enjoyed among the people of his condition. In the context of the ongoing research on popular culture, the methodology used in this paper is characterized by a definition of the “popular sector” in terms of sociocultural criteria which are specifically significant for the Roman Empire, and by identifying its members after the cognitive and pragmatic attitudes that would distinguish them from the dominant elites.

Salmanticensis vol 66. Fasc. 1, 2019

Resumen: Este artículo utiliza las investigaciones de James C. Scott sobre lenguajes resistentes ... more Resumen: Este artículo utiliza las investigaciones de James C. Scott sobre lenguajes resistentes en contextos de dominación para mostrar que el discurso parabó-lico del evangelio de Marcos puede entenderse como un ejemplo de dis-curso resistente, y para determinar la función que dicho texto habría tenido en la comunicación del men-saje evangélico a sus destinatarios originales. Valiéndose de las herra-mientas utilizadas por Scott para detectar este tipo de lenguajes, tam-bién propone una interpretación de Mc 4,1-34 que pretende dar razón, no sólo del sentido de sus distin-tos contenidos, sino también de los silencios, opacidades, tensiones y ambigüedades que cubren el texto.
Palabras clave: discurso resis-tente, Evangelio de Marcos, James C. Scott, parábolas
Abstract: This paper draws on James C. Scott's research on resistant languages in contexts of domination to show that the parabolic discourse in Mark's Gospel can be understood as a case of resitant discourse, and to determine the function it had in communicating the gospel message to its original addressees. With the help of the analytical tools used by Scott to detect such type of language, it also proposes an interpretation of Mark 4,1-34 that seeks to make sense, not only of its content, but also of the gaps, opacities, tensions and ambiguities that overlie this text.

This paper proposes a scientifically informed concept of "extraordinary experience", and shows th... more This paper proposes a scientifically informed concept of "extraordinary experience", and shows the historical plausibility that after Jesus' death there was an authentic effervescence of such type of experiences among his followers.

This article assesses John Pilch's contribution to the exegesis of Biblical texts dealing with ex... more This article assesses John Pilch's contribution to the exegesis of Biblical texts dealing with extraordinary experiences and phenomena such as visions, flights of the soul, healings and the like. It focuses on Pilch's methodology for reconstructing the interpretation that the original audiences had most probably given to such texts.

RESUMEN: La antropología, la psicología y la neurología han llegado conjunta-mente a la conclusió... more RESUMEN: La antropología, la psicología y la neurología han llegado conjunta-mente a la conclusión de que la capacidad de acceder a ciertos tipos de expe-riencias no ordinarias reflejadas en testimonios procedentes de culturas y religiones tradicionales es una potencialidad natural de nuestra especie. Este estudio propone un marco conceptual que permite hablar coherentemente de estas experiencias, así como de algunos de los fenómenos cognitivos y sociales que son capaces de generar. ABSTRAC: Anthropological, psychological and neurological studies concur on the conclusion that the capacity to have certain types of non-ordinary experiences , suggested by many traditional and religious testimonies, is a natural aptitude of our species. In this paper I propose a conceptual framework that allows us to discuss in a coherent way about such experiences and some cog-nitive and social phenomena they are likely to generate. Introducción El presente estudio quiere proponer un marco conceptual coherente que posibilite hablar con rigor de lo que en el lenguaje corriente enten-demos por " experiencias religiosas extraordinarias ". Aunque parte de nociones familiares en la tradición cultural del occidente cristiano, mi pro-puesta quiere ser aconfesional y, por tanto, útil tanto para quienes identi-fican la causa última de dichas experiencias en términos de una fe religio-sa, como para quienes mantienen su reflexión en el ámbito de las pers-pectivas filosóficas o científicas.

Biblical Theology Bulletin vol. 45, number 3, pp. 144-154, 2015

In this article I propose an interpretation of the Marcan fig tree episode (Mark 11:12-14.20-25) ... more In this article I propose an interpretation of the Marcan fig tree episode (Mark 11:12-14.20-25) in its final form that draws on a vegetable metaphor widely known in Antiquity, and highlights the connexion between the episode and the temple scene (Mark 11:15.19) that divides it. This interpretation addresses the problem posed by the narrator’s commentary in v.13d and makes of it a key element to understand the Marcan Jesus’ attitude towards the temple. With the aid of James C. Scott’s work on resistance discourse of subordinated groups, I show that this text, together with the other Marcan references to the temple’s destruction, belong to one type of Scott’s resistance discourse, and deduce some implications for the social setting of the Gospel of Mark.

This paper shows how to use the anthropological model of I. M. Lewis on spirit possession and exo... more This paper shows how to use the anthropological model of I. M. Lewis on spirit possession and exorcisms, to clarify the role of Jesus' exorcism in the context of the religious movement created by him.

Estudios Bíblicos, 2012

This paper advocates for a symbolic and ironical reading of the Markan fig tree episode (Mk 11:12... more This paper advocates for a symbolic and ironical reading of the Markan fig tree episode (Mk 11:12-14.20-25) that shows its meaningful connection with the intercalated temple scene (Mk 11:15-19), takes seriously Jesus' own account of the incident with the tree, and succeeds in making sense of the strange statement of the narrator in v.13d: "for it was not the time for figs". It resorts to traditional metaphors that use the image of destroyed fruitless plants as symbols of humans that deserve punishment because of their moral inadequacy.

This paper tries to recover the cultural meaning and the literary function of the presence in Mk ... more This paper tries to recover the cultural meaning and the literary function of the presence in Mk 1:21-28 of two apparently unrelated elements: the authority of Jesus' teaching and his power to exorcize unclean spirits. Anthropological research about possession and exorcism in pre-industrial cultures allows us to think that the conjunction of these two elements reflects the demand that these cultures impose on religious innovators of legitimating their proposals with the exhibition of extraordinary spiritual powers.

Así empezó el cristianismo, 2010

Revista Medellín, 2010

Cultural Anthropological models can help Biblical scholars in the reconstruction of significant a... more Cultural Anthropological models can help Biblical scholars in the reconstruction of significant aspects presuposed by the texts they investigate and that would, otherwise, be difficult for them to grasp because their cultural remoteness. This paper uses the ethnological study of Ioan M. Lewis on spiritual possession and exorcism to shed light on the gospel tradition about Jesus' exorcisms. The use of this model allows us to discover relevant connections between Jesus' practice as an exorcist and other better known aspects of his ministry, as his ethical teachings and the proclamation of God's kingdom.

La Semana Santa: Antropología y Religión en Latinoamérica II , 2010

This paper applies James C. Schott's work on resistant discourse to the Markan narrative of Jesus... more This paper applies James C. Schott's work on resistant discourse to the Markan narrative of Jesus' last days in Jerusalem.

Estudio Agustino, 2010

This paper deals with Bergson's use of the concept of biological "adaptation" in his philosophy o... more This paper deals with Bergson's use of the concept of biological "adaptation" in his philosophy of knowledge.

Estudios Bíblicos, 2010

The image of Jesus as a mediator that in some Christian texts is related to his death (1Tm 2:5; H... more The image of Jesus as a mediator that in some Christian texts is related to his death (1Tm 2:5; Hb 8:6; 9:15; 12:24), appears also in the Gospel of Mark as a key to his whole mission. However, unlike those other texts, Mark does not use a religious pattern to construct this image of Jesus. Instead he draws on the widespread social model of patronage relationships to portray him as the broker between God and his people. His status as the Son of God and his acting as the agent of divine benefits, identify him as the mediator through which God interacts with His people.

Biblical Theology Bulletin: A Journal of Bible and Theology, 2010

This article uses the ethnological research of I. M. Lewis on possession and exorcism as a method... more This article uses the ethnological research of I. M. Lewis on possession and exorcism as a methodological tool to solve some exegetical problems related to the interpretation, historical origin, and literary pre-synoptic development of the "Beelzebul controversies" (Mark 3:22-30; Matthew 12:22-32; Luke 11:14-23)

El presente escrito tiene un doble propósito. Criticar, primero, la imagen, ampliamente difundida... more El presente escrito tiene un doble propósito. Criticar, primero, la imagen, ampliamente difundida, de un Jesús mayoritariamente incomprendido en su entorno social. Mostrar, después, el carácter popular de su persona y su mensaje, así como la popularidad de que habría gozado entre la gente de su condición. En el marco de las actuales investigaciones sobre cultura popular, la metodología aquí utilizada se caracteriza por usar una definición de “sector popular” basada en criterios socioculturales específicamente pertinentes para el Imperio romano, e identificar a sus miembros a partir de las actitudes cognitivas y prácticas que distinguirían a dicho sector respecto a las élites dominantes.

Palabras clave: Jesús. Sector popular. Perspectiva cognitiva. Actitud práctica. Popularidad.

Abstract: This paper has two purposes. First: to criticize the widely held image of Jesus as someone misunderstood by the majority of the people in his society. Second: to show the popular character of his mentality and his message, as well as the popularity he enjoyed among the people of his condition. In the context of the ongoing research on popular culture, the methodology used in this paper is characterized
by a definition of the “popular sector” in terms of sociocultural criteria which are specifically significant for the Roman Empire, and by identifying its members after the cognitive and pragmatic attitudes that would distinguish them from the dominant elites.

Keywords: Jesus. Popular sector. Cognitive perspective. Practical attitude. Popularity.