Anthropological dimension of the parable of the talents (Mt 25, 14-30)

Abstract

The paper conducts an anthropological study of Jesus’ metaphorical call to his disciples to emulate enslaved individuals who reliably carry out the business interests of their master, as conveyed in his Parable of the Talents (Mt 25, 14- 30). In the first part of the paper, the research is methodologically positioned concerning the relationship between anthropology and the Bible/biblical studies. In the second part, ethnographically collected data on the parable’s meaning is interpreted through the historical context of Matthew’s Christianity. The paper then demonstrates that the metaphor of profit-oriented slavery in the Parable of the Talents served to warn Matthew’s Christians not to falter in the face of adversities during Jesus’ absence and the inherent (Jewish) understanding of messianism. Matthew’s Christians are called by the parable to, like good and faithful slaves, overcome possible fears and urgently participate in bringing all nations into the status of their/Jesus’ disciples (28, 18-20). By showing that anthropological analysis may overcome methodological errors in the scholarly interpretation of the parable/Bible, the paper also aims to promote the contribution of anthropology to biblical studies and the collaboration between the two fields.

Keywords

• gospel of matthew
• parable
• slavery
• profiteering
• new testament scholarship