What is the Reception History of the Bible? Meaning and Examples

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily match my own. - Dr. Bart D. Ehrman

For much of the history of modern biblical scholarship, the central question has been, “What did this text originally mean?” However, reception history asks a different question: “What has this text come to mean?” This shift in perspective reveals that the influence of the Bible in Christian history extends far beyond the words on the page.

In this article, I’ll explain what reception history is, how it differs from traditional historical-critical approaches, and why it has become an important tool in biblical studies. Additionally, I'll provide examples ranging from ancient Jewish interpretations to the New Testament, and Christian apocrypha, demonstrating how the Bible has continually been given new meanings as it has been received by different communities throughout history.

What Is Reception History?

Princeton professor of Old Testament Brennan Breed defines reception history as “the study of how biblical texts have changed over time in different cultures and communities, through transmission, translation, or reading, retelling, and reworking. In other words, reception history explores all the different ways that people have received, appropriated, and used biblical texts throughout history.” Reception history includes the history of interpretation but can also examine how biblical texts have been received through art, music, politics, ritual, literature, film, and other cultural expressions.

We can distinguish this approach from what is known as biblical criticism, which attempts to discover what the original text meant to its author and/or original audience. For example, someone doing biblical criticism might ask what the author(s) of Genesis intended to convey in the stories of creation and the Fall, whereas someone doing reception history would ask how different people in different historical times and places have interpreted and used the Genesis stories. Breed gives us a cogent illustration of how reception history works:

“For example, a scholar doing biblical criticism would deny that the serpent in Gen 3 is the devil, as the ancient Israelites did not seem to believe in a particular embodiment of cosmic evil. In addition, the narrator makes no judgment about the serpent. A reception scholar, however, might take interest in the perception of the serpent as an embodiment of evil and would identify the interpretive twists and turns that led to this reading, whether the original text and times would have endorsed the notion.”

Moreover, reception history doesn’t just look at written interpretations of texts, but, as Timothy Beal says, incorporates “stories, images, and characters through the centuries in the form of citation, interpretation, reading, revision, adaptation, and influence.”

Interestingly, though, reception history did not begin as a method within the field of biblical studies. Instead, it grew out of developments in twentieth-century hermeneutics and literary theory. Hans-Georg Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics and Hans Robert Jauss's reception aesthetics were especially influential. Specifically, Georg Gadamer, in his book Truth and Method, published in 1960, argued that because we are all entrenched within specific histories and cultures, interpreting any text entails discovering how the text's history communicates with us within the perspectives of our own histories and societies.

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Another landmark book for the development of reception history was written by the abovementioned Hans Robert Jauss. In his 1967 book Toward an Aesthetic of Reception, Jauss argued that a text's meaning evolves based on how different audiences interpret it over time. In that sense, the meaning of a text (or piece of music, or artwork), once published and experienced, changes and develops in unexpected ways despite the author’s intention. Meaning, therefore, is rarely fixed.

Despite these beginnings, in the 1960s, reception history became an established subfield within biblical studies during the 1990s and early 2000s. Before this, biblical scholars had mainly used historical-critical methods, that is, investigating the origins and historical contexts of ancient texts, to attempt to discover their original meaning. The historical-critical method included things like textual criticism—comparing ancient manuscripts to determine the original wording of a text—and source criticism—which concerns attempts to identify any written and oral sources used by biblical authors. 

But in the late 90s and early 2000s, biblical scholars began to adapt Jauss and Gadamer's theories to look at how Scriptures had been interpreted throughout history, politics, and art. One early example of this, for those interested in reading more, is Isaiah Through the Centuries by John F.A. Sawyer. In this book, Sawyer looked at the influence of the language and imagery of the book of Isaiah over time on literature, art, and music.

Breed, again referring to the example of the serpent in Genesis 3, notes that reception history opens up possibilities for biblical scholarship that are all but foreclosed by earlier methods:

“Reception historians can also analyze the reuse of the Edenic serpent by Aztec converts to Christianity in the 16th century, or its function in the work of early modern philosophers such as David Hume, or Toni Morrison’s use of Gen 3:1 in her 1973 novel Sula. All of these avenues of research, and many more, would be included in the practice of reception history.”

Early Jewish and Christian Interpretations in Antiquity

The Exodus Story

There are many biblical examples we can investigate through the lens of reception history. For instance, in his 1849 autobiography Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, An American Slave, escaped slave and abolitionist Henry Bibb, along with many other African-American authors in the 19th century, aptly identified Southern slave-owners with Pharaoh from the Exodus story and identified themselves with the righteous Israelites trying to escape from bondage.

Later, during the American Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr., who, by the way, had a Ph.D in Systematic Theology, would sometimes refer to the Pentateuchal narrative of the Israelites as well. For instance, in his "I’ve Been to the Mountaintop" speech of 1968, he drew heavily on the imagery of the promised land, which he viewed as an ideal America in which African Americans were given the same rights and freedoms as white people. He also tacitly identified himself as Moses:

“And [God’s] allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!”

Six Days of Creation

For an even longer view of reception history, let’s look at some of the ways the six days of creation from Genesis 1 have been interpreted over time. 

In the 1st century CE, Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria, writing in his work ”On the Creation,” interpreted those six days not as actual 24-hour periods, but as an overall logical framework revealing the inherent harmony, order, and perfection of the universe. He argued, based on earlier Greek philosophical traditions, that 6 was a perfect number since it was equal to the sum of its divisors: 1 + 2 + 3 = 6. For Philo, this meant that six was a perfect symbol for the inherently harmonious and complete nature of God's creation.

Later on in the 4th century CE, eminent Christian bishop Augustine of Hippo in On Genesis Against the Manichees wrote that the six days of creation represented levels of spiritual knowledge, ideally resulting in the levels of the soul’s ascent to God.

Meanwhile, 13th-century uber-theologian Thomas Aquinas wrote in his masterwork the Summa Theologiae that the six days of creation were divided into two symmetrical halves he called “distinction” and “adornment.” The six days were a way to convey God’s deliberate ordering of creation:

Days 1–3 (Distinction): God ends the formlessness and void of the earth.

Day 1: Light is created and separated from darkness.
Day 2: The firmament separates the waters above from the waters below.
Day 3: Waters are gathered, revealing dry land and vegetation. 

Days 4–6 (Adornment): God populates the forms established in the first three days.

Day 4: The sun, moon, and stars are created to adorn Day 1.
Day 5: Birds and fish are created to populate the sky and waters of Day 2.
Day 6: Land animals and humanity are created to inhabit the dry land of Day 3.

Reception History Within the Biblical Canon

Jeremiah

In some cases, we can see biblical books that interpret earlier biblical writings, a form of reception history where the later text interprets the earlier one. This can demonstrate how even within the Bible, interpretive frameworks changed over time.

One example of this is the way the book of Jeremiah apparently used the writings of the Deuteronomist, the anonymous author or school of scribes to whom the core of the Book of Deuteronomy and the subsequent historical narrative known as the Deuteronomistic History (seen in the books of Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Kings) is attributed.

In point of fact, scholars still debate the influence of the Deuteronomist on Jeremiah and to what extent it can be proven. However, scholars generally classify Jeremiah's use of the Deuteronomic tradition into a few categories.

The first is structural. Prose sermons in Jeremiah have convincing linguistic and theological connections to the Book of Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomistic History. Michael Coogan writes that Deuteronomistic scribes and editors shaped much of Jeremiah, using a similar vocabulary to explain the fall of Jerusalem as a necessary effect of breaking the covenant with God. 

Next, we see thematic allusions connected to Deuteronomy. The prophet Jeremiah was active during the reign of King Josiah, who introduced religious reforms based on a rediscovered scroll, which is widely assumed to be Deuteronomy. Thus the book of Jeremiah frequently draws upon this source.

Finally, Jeremiah often cites or slightly changes Deuteronomic legal wording to criticize his own society. This includes Jeremiah’s promise of a "New Covenant" written on the heart rather than on stone tablets. This directly draws upon the Deuteronomic concept of the divine covenant but emphasizes an inward transformation instead. Furthermore, in Jeremiah 34, the author directly attacks wealthy Judahites for breaking the Deuteronomic law requiring the release of Hebrew slaves after six years of service.

Ezekiel

In a similar way, the book of the prophet Ezekiel, who is introduced as a priest in the Zadokite lineage, uses the same language, ideas, and worldview as the Priestly source, otherwise known as P, who wrote material interspersed throughout the Pentateuch. While the author clearly did not copy from P directly, he utilized common cultic terminology, theological concepts, and ritual traditions from it to shape his own prophecies. 

For instance, Ezekiel places a massive emphasis on maintaining ritual purity and separating the holy from the everyday, all of which are common P emphases. He also uses P terminology about defilement (words like bloodguilt, uncleanness, and abominations). 

In addition, Ezekiel Chapters 40–48, detailing architectural plans and guidelines for a reestablished Temple, depend greatly on Priestly traditions about the correct performance of sacrifice, offerings, and the division of sacred space.

Finally, Ezekiel 44 only grants the highest priestly obligations to the descendants of Zadok like himself. While Ezekiel’s list of sacred duties is identical to those in the Levitical/Priestly codes, his specific promotion of the Zadokites demonstrates how he used the priestly perspective to promote his own agenda rather than simply copying P.

New Testament Examples

The New Testament has several examples of reception history in early Christianity, where authors reinterpreted older Scriptures for a different context and to serve a different purpose.

One example involves the interpretation of Hebrew Bible texts as indications of future, celestial realities in the book of Hebrews. Following a common exegetical method in the New Testament and early Church fathers, the author of Hebrews sees the tabernacle and sacrificial system from the Hebrew Bible as a type pointing to the ultimate, heavenly reality of Jesus's priesthood (Hebrews 8:4–6).

Another example involves the Gospels’ reinterpretation of prophetic material to explain the narrative of Jesus’ life. The Gospel of Matthew, for instance, frequently quotes Hebrew Scriptures (such as Isaiah 7:14, which is interpreted as predicting the virgin birth), placing them into totally new contexts to explain the distinctiveness and divine mission of Christ (see also Matt. 2:5–6, citing Micah 5:2, and Matthew 2:15, citing Hosea 11:1).

Finally, Paul reinterprets the story of Abraham to justify including Gentiles in the community of Christ-believers. In Romans 4, for instance, Paul completely reinterprets the Genesis story of Abraham, whom Paul calls the father of both Jews and Gentiles who have faith in Jesus.

Christian Apocrypha

Christian books that weren’t included in the canon, often called the Christian apocrypha, can provide examples of reception history around the identity and mission of Jesus and his apostles. For instance, some Gnostic groups reinterpreted Jesus as a purely divine emanation who brought secret knowledge to free the soul from the material world, which they often viewed as the evil product of an inferior deity.

The Gospel of Thomas, for example, is introduced at its beginning as secret sayings from Jesus, although many of them sound far more cryptic than anything Jesus says in the canonical Gospels. For instance, in Saying 108, Jesus says, "He who will drink from my mouth will become like I am; I myself shall become he, and the hidden things will be revealed to him." The implication is that people who see Jesus for what he really is will understand such mysterious utterances.

Likewise, in the Apocryphon of John, Jesus is described as a divine, shape-shifting entity who appears to John in order to reveal the origins of the universe and secrets of the divine realm.

Tracing the Development of Theological Concepts Over Time

Reception history can help scholars trace how doctrines such as the Trinity and atonement developed through successive interpretations of biblical texts. 

For instance, Philo described the “Logos” or Word of God as an intermediary being and the agent through which the universe was created. The author of the Gospel of John, writing decades later, used this concept in John 1 to identify Jesus: “In the beginning was the Logos (Word).”

Reception history can also sometimes show why concepts shifted. Theological ideas change when moving across eras and geographical areas because communities adapt texts and concepts to cope with problems, new philosophies, and changing societal norms. 

In addition, unlike traditional historical-critical methods that hunt for a single, original meaning, reception history welcomes the many interpretive voices of a text, proving it can be reconfigured to convey entirely different messages.

Finally, reception history emphasizes the selective process of history, showing which concepts and adaptations a community accepts as valid, and which ones are eventually thrown away when the situation changes.

Reception History in the Arts

Film

Film theory draws heavily from reception history, recognizing that directors embed ideologies, visual cues, and morals into a movie, sometimes deliberately and sometimes inadvertently, as a reflection of their own contexts. Reception history analyzes how audiences decipher these messages, which often shifts into different types of interpretations. Sometimes the audience fully accepts the filmmaker's intended message, for instance, while in other cases, there are negotiated interpretations in which viewers accept the basic story but adapt or modify aspects of it based on their personal context.

One example of this is the 1982 film “Blade Runner.” A box-office failure at its initial release, the film’s reputation grew over time until it became seen as one of the classics of the sci-fi genre. While it’s impossible to know why this happened, perhaps the growth of technology over time made the film’s premise seem more relevant.

Music

Musical reception history, usually applied to classical music, maps out performance histories, and public consumption, demonstrating that the legacy of any piece of music is rarely set at its initial performance. For example, Igor Stravinsky's “The Rite of Spring” actually incited a riot at its premiere, simply because it defied common ideas of beauty and harmony. However, it later became part of the classical music canon, its innovations incorporated by later composers.

Visual Art

In the visual arts, reception history can investigate the “dialogue” between the viewer, society, and the art piece itself. This can explain, for example, why certain artists can be forgotten for centuries, only to be canonized by later generations. For instance, 17th-century painter Johannes Vermeer was completely forgotten by the art world for about 200 years until a French art critic identified his scattered works and made him an artistic icon.

Conclusion

Reception history is a method commonly used by contemporary biblical scholars to see how the meaning of texts changes when the culture and time period of the reader changes. It looks at how texts, music, and works of art are interpreted and used differently according to the geographic location, culture, and time period in which they are received.

This method was first formally introduced in the 1960s in the general humanities, but, several decades later, was utilized by biblical scholars as well. This allowed scholars to see biblical texts with new “lenses,” analyzing how interpretations  changed over time and why.

This is in stark contrast to the older historical-critical method, which focuses on an original text with an original, intended meaning to be discovered. Since the 90s, though, reception history has become an established scholarly approach within the biblical studies discipline, a valid method of understanding texts as receptacles of adaptable meanings.