Historical Economics and the Minor Prophets
This essay calls for a thorough reassessment of economics and the Minor Prophets. Since existing economic models based on both Marxism or (Neo-) liberalism are problematic as are many basic economic concepts, new theorizing based on ancient data is necessary. Taking Bourdieu’s “economic field” as a starting frame, this essay considers the material elements of production and consumption in the ancient southern Levant, their patterns and social structures, and some issues in the socioeconomic world of the Minor Prophets. These then raise new questions for sample prophetic passages (Amos, Joel, Haggai, Micah, and Zechariah). The essay points to some issues these considerations raise for analyzing the famous calls for social justice, and it closes by pointing in some potential directions for improved theoretical models in future research.