The Nussbaum Contribution

A central premise of this study is that stories, which include Biblical narratives, are excellent tools for fashioning not only awareness, but also fellowship and compassion. Although there are traces of these elements in the empirical feedback of much of the work mentioned up to now, for example that of Van der Walt (2014) and De Wit et al (2004), excellent theory on the subject is to be found in the work of the political philosopher Martha Nussbaum, and specifically in her 2013 book Political Emotions.

Nussbaum’s work is not strictly theological, but theology often loans from different disciplines (including philosophy), and the trajectory of this study is distinctly political, which makes the conversation between disciplines important. The following paragraphs will follow Nussbaum’s reasoning, and explain how it links to intercultural Bible reading.

Nussbaum argues that all societies are full of emotions: anger, fear, sympathy, disgust, envy, grief, love. Some of these are not private but take as their object the nation, its goals, its institutions and leaders, its fellow citizens. Such public emotions often have consequences for the nation’s progress towards its goals. All political principles, good and bad, need emotional support to ensure their stability over time (Nussbaum 2013: 2). Using this would acknowledge that this ICBS, in its interculturality within a single nation, has a political colour. Concepts such as justice and peace and flourishing can be said to political as well as theological - an important insight, considering the fact that the political has long since been considered a characteristic of feminist theology.

Nussbaum names two tasks for the political cultivation of emotion: the first is to create and sustain strong commitment-worthy projects that require effort: such as social redistribution,

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the inclusion of the previously marginalized groups, and protection of the environment. Most people tend towards narrowness of sympathy, and people need help to think larger thoughts and commit themselves to a common good. The second task is to keep in check the negative forces: tendencies to protect the fragile self by subordinating others. Disgust and envy must be educated to cultivate the ability to see full and equal humanity in another person

(Nussbaum 2013: 3).

Another link that Nussbaum names already seems accustomed: room must be made for subversion and humour (Nussbaum 2013: 7). This theme reminds of the feminist lens of Jackson, as will be explained in Chapter Four of this study. Making fun of the grandiose pretensions of patriotic emotions or fervent anger is one of the best ways to keep things down to earth. This is, for example, what Abigail does with David. Humour is a way to question the Empire and its violence.

One of the main points of Nussbaum’s argument in Political Emotions is that the major emotions are all eudaimonistic in nature (Nussbaum 2013: 153), meaning that they appraise the world from that person’s viewpoint. We grieve for people we care about, not for total strangers. This notion describes my discomfort in the methodological analysis up to this point, for the gap in the discussion on the methodology of Contextual Bible studies. We need more than awareness, because people do not change by knowing things that still are far away from them.

Nussbaum’s position as stated above is not egoistic in nature: we may still hold that other people have intrinsic value. But the ones who stir deep emotions in us are the ones to whom we are somehow connected through our imagining of a valuable life, in other words, our circle of concern. If distant people and abstract principles are to impact our emotions, these emotions must somehow enter our circle of concern, creating a sense of our life in which these people and events matter as parts of our us, our own flourishing. For this movement to take place, Nussbaum (2013: 11) maintains that poetry and symbols are crucial, as also was encouraged by the methodology of CBS.

This, then, is one of the reasons that interpersonal contact is so transformative to people reading Bible stories together: people who have been far away, who have been outside my circle of concern (whether for lack of access or for political reasons), becomes part of my own story. I contribute to their flourishing, and they to mine. Remarkable is that these other people include story characters with whom I associate. An “us” is created, where there was

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none. Of course, the creation of eudaimonistic feelings, the cultivating of compassion for those who were previously strangers, depends on many factors and is not automatically true for every participant.

Since the consideration to cultivate compassion will have a direct influence on the questions chosen for the Bible study on 1 Samuel 25 for this study, further aspects on cultivating compassion deserves notice. Describing more accurately what is meant with compassion, in association with its related terms, helps to clarify the significance of Nussbaum’s work for this study. One aspect she emphasizes, is the difference between compassion, sympathy and empathy (2013: 145). She argues that sympathy is of little use in the public sphere, not even psychology regards it significant. Considering the title of her book Political Emotions. The use of political emotions for flourishing is thus not an emotional exercise as such. One can cultivate good emotions without being emotionally unsettled (Nussbaum 2013: 146). On the other hand, compassion is often an outgrowth of empathy, although empathy is not sufficient for compassion, since a sadist can use empathy to hurt others. But vividly imagining the other and their circumstances is helpful, though not necessary.

The whole of Nussbaum’s Chapter Seven of her book Political Emotions deals with radical evil and how to contain it, as an opposite of compassion. Nussbaum offers an excellent exposition on the origins of radical evil. Different religions have different views on the roots of bad behaviour. Nussbaum uses a secular humanist approach, but reaches conclusions that most religious people would agree with. There has been much work done on disgust, peer pressure and other tendencies to help her extract a core of radical evil (Nussbaum 2013: 163). In terms of studies on childhood development, Nussbaum (2013: 176) convincingly shows how moral relationships develop in babies, with love propelling the infant towards creative reciprocity. It is only through trust in an uncertain world that one ever finds the “way out from a smothering narcissism”.

Working on creating an intercultural conversation for this study, Nussbaum’s ideas on disgust as root for racism is both revolutionary and obvious (2013: 182). Disgust is not inherited, it is taught, and quite late in the scale of survival skills. But history (Nussbaum uses examples from the history of the United Kingdom and India – two great nations who have both strived for justice, although there are many differences between them) has shown that manners, cleanliness, sexuality and other mythical differences between races have been used to create disgust. It is also not hard to see that food and eating has been used as a weapon against

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cultivating compassion, and wielded as a tool to exclude. This is quite interesting in the context of this ICBS study, since Abigail uses food to include and reveal her compassion and wisdom; more on food and inclusion in the following chapter.

Apart from radical evil, compassion has other enemies like fear, envy and shame (Nussbaum 2013: 314). Another negative aspect that any creator of a Bible study should also be aware of, concerns the effects of peer pressure and authority in a group setting. This resonates with the statement earlier that places compassion and power on two contrary and opposing sides. Although the purpose of this study is not to study power relations in-group dynamics, one should remain aware that any intercultural conversation should anticipate peer pressure and the use of influence, in whatever way, of commanding personalities. The method of using questions and expecting answers from all participants is still a great vanguard against this problem.

There are thoughts that accompany compassion that could help this from developing: the measure of the seriousness of a problem, the measure of non-fault or blamelessness, the measure of similar possibilities, and the already named eudaimonistic thought. Nussbaum (2013: 191) also uses the work of Winnicot to answer the question of how to develop the trust and confidence needed for compassion. The answer is indeed again both simple and

profound, proven by empirical psychological work: the healthy, subtle interplay of childhood is what is most instrumental for this. There is another potential space where play happen when we grow up where roles and options can be tried without the real-life stress: arts and culture (Nussbaum 2013: 181).

The emphasis on art and culture is another paramount theme that Nussbaum develops throughout the book: that art in all its forms carry, inspire, create and render stable emotions – hopefully, when positively wielded – of love, compassion and justice. In this regard, one could argue from both a philosophical and psychological point of view for the essentiality of the narrative, and especially the Biblical narrative as well-known stories in my context, and its use in communal readings. I will return to this point when in the next chapter, I will engage with the work of Claassens so as to show how 1 Samuel 25 can be considered to be a very suitable narrative for cultivating compassion (see Chapter 4.3.4.).

My case for the contextuality of this current study, as stated and augmented in Chapter Two of this study, is strengthened by Nussbaum’s argument from the very beginning, that a good proposal for the cultivation of political emotions must be highly contextual (2013: 200).

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Nussbaum has argued this point in terms of examples from Tagore and Mozart, and has shown convincingly how both succeeded in evoking positive public emotions. Good public emotions do embody general principles, but they clothe them in the garb of concrete narrative history. For this reason, theory about political emotions cannot be top-down, but must be contextual, aligning well with the general focus of this study. I propose that an ICBS is a helpful avenue for cultivating good political emotions within a nation divided.

Nussbaum asks and answers the question: where are public emotions generated? Evidently in the rhetoric of political leaders, but also through gestures and clothes, artworks, monuments and parks, celebrations, symbols and festivals and songs, even comedy and sports, film and photographs, public education and discussions – in the case of this study, also a ICBS (2013: 203).

With the above in mind, the following chapter will invite the reader into the imaginative space of the character called Abigail, the female hero of the narrative chosen for this study. An ICBS with this story as conversation document is the ideal safe space for honest

conversation. Even more than openness, the reader may expect to be inspired to good emotions, since letting Abigail into our world, may even cultivate compassion.

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