John the Baptist, social identity and imperial space in Luke 3:1–22

Abstract

This article sought to understand the presentation of social identities and spatiality in Luke 3:1–22. Here, John the Baptist preaches a sermon of repentance, warning his readers not to rely on physical descent from Abraham as their only identity marker. The article sought to understand the social identity of the Israelite people (largely with reference to Abraham) and how this relates to the space of the land of Israel. It also examined how Roman imperialism attempted to create a space of Roman imperialism inside the space of the Israelite homeland. The article examined how Israel functioned as a sacred space for the worship of the God of Israel and then analysed how the social group that was to occupy this space was affected by Roman imperial rule.
Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Finally, this article sought to understand how the preaching of John the Baptist related to these social identities and their occupation of this space, and their attempts to transform the space into a more equitable space.