What Is Context? Definition, Usage, and Literary Examples

Context definition.

Context  (KAHN-tekst) is the circumstances that inform an event, an idea, or a statement. It is the detail that adds meaning to a text. Readers can study internal context—details included by the author, such as backstory,  characterization , or  setting —as well as external context—the time period of the work’s publication, the author’s literary influences, and even their personal history.

Imagine context as a bridge between the writer and the reader that clarifies a text’s meaning and purpose. Authors provide these details to ensure a story is richly developed and true to life, and readers consider external context to understand a story’s broader significance.

Types of Context

There are several types of literary context, but the following are the most common applications.

Authorial Context

A writer’s experiences inevitably inform their writing, from content to style. This  biographical  context can refer to an author’s life history, a text’s place in an author’s body of work, the author’s success, the circumstances in which a text was written, current events at the time of publication, and even an author’s motivation for writing a text.

Historical Context

Literature is often influenced by history. Historical novels are directly grounded in past events and circumstances, but historical context also encompasses how literature reflects or responds to the society in which it was written. This can manifest as intentional criticism, in which an author addresses a social issue and perhaps argues for change (e.g., Jonathan Swift’s “ A Modest Proposal ,” his satirical indictment of the aristocracy). However, literature can also unconsciously reflect attitudes or beliefs predominant at the time of composition.  Gone with the Wind  is a beloved classic, but modern audiences often criticize its sanitized portrayal of slavery.

Philosophical Context

Literature addresses age-old questions of metaphysics, ethics, and morality. It ponders the purpose of life, the nature of God or the universe, right versus wrong, death, time—the list goes on. Philosophies go in and out of style, and the great literary movements were influenced by philosophies that waxed and waned over time.  Romanticism  was followed by  realism , which was followed by transcendentalism and then  naturalism , modernism, postmodernism, and so on. Each of these movements was influenced by contemporaneous philosophical thought, and readers can learn much about a text by researching those concepts, the associated philosophers, and the author’s stance on the issue.

Literary Context

Allusion  is a common demonstration of literary context, in which one text indirectly references another. But literary context can include several different things, such as an author’s role models or the way one text influences another. Literary context also considers how a text fits into broad categories of literature, such as the aforementioned literary movements.

How Writers Use Context

Writers use context to engage, inform, and entertain readers. These details establish the  narrative ’s  setting  and the author’s  motivation  for writing, and they help propel the action. Context adds authenticity, helping a story reflect readers’ experiences and securing their investment in the text. Like most literary tools, moderation is essential when it comes to context. Too much of it can burden a story, rendering it boring or incomprehensible.

Context can be conveyed through just about anything— characterization , setting, backstory, memory, dialogue, and so on. If a detail informs readers’ understanding of the text, engages their intellect or emotions, or hooks their interest, then it can be used as context. However, specificity is key. By choosing what context to include, and when and how to do so, writers can guide readers’ interpretation of a text. They can also incorporate specific details to better anchor a story in a particular time or place. Consider the HBO miniseries  Chernobyl . It is ostensibly about the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Pripyat, Russia, but the show’s true focus is government lies and corruption. The show uses the context of Soviet Russia to elicit nostalgia and cultural memory, emphasizing how modern politics echo that of the Cold War era.

Context can also inspire. A writer might reflect upon their life and realize they have a unique point of view worth sharing. They can use the context of their lives to communicate that perspective to the world. When a writer does this well, they spark understanding within readers, helping them make new connections and realizations.

Context and Literary Analysis

Publication opens a work up to criticism, including literary analysis, which dissects and evaluates literature to make connections that general audiences may have missed. Literary analysis hinges on context. Scholars and critics engage in close reading to discover deeper meaning, identify narrative patterns or themes, and detect influences, then analyze and synthesize their findings. They bring these disparate details together like puzzle pieces to explain why and how a text is significant and how it fits into culture and literature in general.

Writers’  Vernacular  and Context Clues

When a reader encounters an unfamiliar word, they study the surrounding text to discern its meaning. This process of gleaning connotation is called using context clues. These are details that directly or indirectly suggest information about a word, phrase, or situation.

There are several types of context clues, the following five being the most common.

  • Definition and explanation : There’s nothing subtle about these context clues, as the author clarifies the word’s intended meaning directly in the text.
  • Inferences : When a word or idea is not explained within the same sentence, readers must decipher the writer’s implied or indirect meaning from the surrounding text.
  • Synonyms and comparison : Synonyms draw comparisons that clarify, refine, or emphasize a writer’s meaning.
  • Antonyms and contrast : Antonyms convey an opposite meaning to underscore contrast or disparity.
  • Punctuation : Writers can use punctuation to several effects, such as conveying emotion (e.g., using exclamation points to express anger) or implying meaning (e.g., using parenthetical asides to suggest confidentiality).

Examples of Context in Literature

1. Margaret Atwood,  The Handmaid’s Tale

Set in a dystopian near-future,  The Handmaid’s Tale  follows Offred and other subjugated women who strive to reclaim their independence after a theonomic totalitarian state called Gilead usurps the US government. This quote comes from Chapter 6, as Offred and fellow handmaiden Ofglen observe the corpses of people murdered by the state:

Ordinary, said Aunt Lydia, is what you are used to. This may not seem ordinary to you now, but after a time it will. It will become ordinary.

Gripped by horror, Offred recalls these words, which suggest that “ordinary” is a matter of perspective and that, in time, Gilead’s atrocities will seem normal. Aunt Lydia’s assurance that murder, oppression, and subjugation can become commonplace, even routine, reveals the depth of Gilead’s power and depravity.

2. Charles Dickens,  A Tale of Two Cities

This novel, set before and during the French Revolution, tells the story of Doctor Alexandre Menette, who is imprisoned in the Bastille for 18 years then moves to London to reunite with his daughter Lucie. Dickens contextualizes the setting in the very first paragraph:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

This passage immediately establishes that the novel’s main  conflicts  revolve around binary extremes, such as good and evil or wisdom and folly. This signals that the story is rife with contradiction and controversy, and that the setting is full of tension but also hope.

3. Tim O’Brien, “ The Things They Carried ”

This is the eponymous short story in a collection of tales about the Vietnam War. The story reflects on the things soldiers carry with them into war:

To carry something was to hump it, as when Lieutenant Jimmy Cross humped his love for Martha up the hills and through the swamps. In its intransitive form, to hump meant to walk, or to march, but it implied burdens far beyond the intransitive.

The opening phrase is a context clue that directly explains the author’s meaning. The passage further explains that although  hump  has alternative meanings, such as “to walk” or “to march,” in this context it means something more abstract, something heavy and grim.

Further Resources on Context

This  Writing Cooperative article  explains how context builds trust between the writer and their audience, and why that relationship is so important.

ThoughtCo provides a  more thorough look at context clues —and their limitations.

This resource from Harper College  explains the textual elements (including context) used to analyze literature.

Related Terms

  • Characterization
  • Point of View

what is the literary context

How to Study the Bible eCourse #5

Literary context.

Listen to Scot Keen, a teacher at Ethnos360 Bible Institute (founded in 1955 as New Tribes Bible Institute),  talk about why the literary context of a passage matters. This clip was taken from our Hermeneutics class.  (3:46 watch time)

Along with grasping the context of the surrounding text, being aware of the literary context of a passage is also important to fully understanding it.  

So what is literary context?

Well, you probably learned about it in English class.  

You most likely know that you can’t read a sonnet the same way you read a novel. And you can’t read a persuasive essay the same way you read a play. There are fixed rules to different kinds of literature, rules that must be followed if we hope to accurately interpret what we are reading. For example, Shakespeare’s Macbeth will not read the same as Henry David Thoreau’s essay, “ Walden,”  and Steinbeck’s novel, “ Of Mice and Men,”  will not sound anything like Robert Frost’s poem, “ The Road Not Taken.”

God’s Word contains several different types of literary genres, and employs many literary devices such as, euphemisms, imagery and foreshadowing. So, in order to be confident that you are fully grasping a passage, we need to understand the Literary context.

The main divisions of Biblical genres are: narrative, law, poetry, wisdom, prophecy, gospel, letter, and history. We must perceive which genre we are reading, and abide by the interpretive rules of that genre as we read different passages of Scripture.

When you know the literary genre of the verse you are studying, you will better grasp the passage as a whole. The literary context gives you a better understanding of how the author is intending to say what he is saying, increasing your chances of accurately interpreting the message.

To determine the literary context, you must look at the surrounding text. Start with the most immediate textual context. Is this verse in the middle of a song or a poem? What kind of literary devices may be used here. Is this poem uses imagery to convey an idea? Is this prophecy using foreshadowing to give us a peek into the near or far future? Is it in the middle of a narrative/story? A sermon or set of instructions? Now move to the larger context. Is the entire passage a song or poem? Go broader still; is the book as a whole historical, prophetic, or a letter?

For Example:

Look at 2 Samuel 1:23:

“Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In life and in death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles; they were stronger than lions.”

Were Saul and Jonathan literally never separated in life? Were they buried together, undivided? Were they literally faster than eagles, and actually stronger than lions? Depending on how you read this verse, you could come away thinking these two men were a couple of human anomalies! What was the author meaning when he wrote this verse?

When we look at the surrounding text, we see that this verse is just one small part of a lament. A lament is an expression of grief or mourning, and is often found in the form of a song or poem. Continuing into the larger context, we find that this poetry is inside of historical narrative. The king of Israel, Saul, and his son, prince Jonathan, have just died in battle. Jonathan’s best friend and the next king of Israel, David, is writing this song while in mourning. One of the rules of song/poetry is that the lyrics are not always meant to be taken literally, but are designed to communicate a picture of a truth. David is not saying that Saul and David were some mutated men who were faster than eagles and stronger than lions. He is simply using the literary device of imagery to communicate that their swiftness, strength, and ability were worthy of praise and remembrance.

Literary context determines how each verse or passage should be interpreted, so pay attention to it! Keep in mind that no division of Scripture is just one genre. Many times a mixture of biblical genres will be combined in one book. Next week we will be talking about these different types of Biblical Genres and some examples we find in scripture.

Interested in studying the whole Bible in two years? Get your free information packet by following the button below.

what is the literary context

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what is the literary context

Course: Biblical Hermeneutics

Literary context.

Eric Lewis  Photo

All right. Welcome back. Great to be with you again. Remember last lesson, we took a look at historical, cultural contexts. And in this lesson, we’re going to get into the literary context and see what that is. So let’s go ahead and get started. Literary context is the literary genre. Well, what is genre? That refers to a type of literature. Some examples from the Old Testament. You have narrative, law, poetry, prophecy, and wisdom. And we’ll get into more details on each of these a little bit later in another lesson, but I just wanted to give you an overview. And then New Testament examples. We have gospel, history, letter, and apocalyptic literature, which is very different than anything else really.

So, a couple of things about literary context that you have to keep in mind. First thing is it’s dealing with the surrounding context, so you’re talking about the paragraphs and the chapters before and after the passage that you’re studying. So if you’re doing a study on Romans 12:1-2 about offering up your bodies as living sacrifices to God and not being conformed to this world, the immediate literary context is in Romans 11 , the previous chapter, and then the remaining part of Romans 12 . So when you’re studying Romans 12:1-2 , just don’t look at that in a vacuum. You have to look at what is being said before and after because, as we’ve seen before, the authors were intentional. God was very intentional in putting these verses in the order that he wanted.

Some dangers, though, when it comes to literary context. First of all, simply ignoring the surrounding context. One of the examples that’s one of my personal favorites is from Matthew 18:20 , which many have interpreted that as a prayer meeting where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst, which sounds great, but when you look at the actual context of that passage, not really talking about just a general prayer meeting. So let’s take a look. I just want to show you what I mean by that. So Matthew 18:15-20 . Let’s just read this together. “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

So although commonly interpreted as a prayer meeting, the actual context is dealing with leaders of a church and the discipline of a believer who refuses to repent of their sin. So the process, as Christ lays out very clearly, is one person to go in private, confront the brother or sister who’s in sin, and give them an opportunity to talk through it and to see the error of their ways and to repent. But if they refuse to repent, then to take two or three witnesses, not just gossip buddies but witnesses. And if they still refuse to repent of the sin that is very obvious, then you got to go to the church. And if they still refuse to repent in front of the church leadership, then the prayer of those leaders and the request of discipline from those leaders will be bound in heaven. God wants us to live holy lives, and so this is something that really isn’t done much today in churches, unfortunately. But that accountability is very important.

So anyway, we want to make sure that we understand the context of a passage. There’s plenty of other verses that deal with prayer and believers in prayer, and we see the power of that. So I’m not saying that you can’t have a group of believers together praying and there is no power. There obviously is. We see plenty of examples with like Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail and the believers praying for Peter to be released from prison. So again, there’s plenty of examples of prayer being effective. But this particular verse isn’t talking about just a general prayer meeting. And so you may see that as nitpicking, but again, we’re establishing a pattern as we approach any passage. We want to make sure that we’re doing our part and not adding to the text something that simply isn’t there. So I think you get the point on that.

Let’s move on to the next danger. And please know that I’m not against topical preaching. Very valid form of preaching, and I think all of us have pastors and preachers that have online ministries, etc., more public ministries that are excellent topically. But one of the dangers that you have to be careful of is not providing context when you are looking at a specific verse. For example, the one we just talked about. We were looking at Matthew 18 and a prayer meeting. Well, if you’re doing a topical series on prayer and you just talk about the power of prayer and you bring in this passage from Matthew 18:20 and the context of that is actually about church discipline but you don’t bring that up in the topical message, again, you could think I’m kind of splitting hairs here, but it’s very important that we try to get the full context because that will help us understand the meaning and to interpret things accurately.

So expository preaching, for example. If you’re looking at Romans 1:18-32 which talks about the decline of a culture, rejecting God and walking away, and then God gave them over to the desires of their heart, and eventually all the way down to depravity. And so you have Paul’s orderly thinking from verse 18 to verse 32 , and those thoughts, and then Paul’s conclusion. And then the preacher is working through that process and showing that to the congregation. And so you’re being consistent with the context of those verses and it tends to lend itself to being more accurate with the context of those verses. Topical preaching then takes different thoughts from different passages, may not look at the full context and flow of thought from each verse used. And again, it definitely has its place, but make sure you do your homework when teaching a passage. We are to be handling God’s word accurately, to do our due diligence, to make sure that we understand everything that the Scripture…just trying to nail down what God intended in his message to us. I don’t want to belabor that point. So let’s move on, then.

How to identify the surrounding context. It’s important to identify how the book is divided. We see this in Scripture. There are paragraphs and there are sections. Of course, translators and those who have put the Scriptures together have sometimes done that for you. They’ve marked the paragraphs and the chapter headings which were not included in the original manuscripts. The apostle Paul was not writing chapter and verse as he was writing his letter to the Philippians, for example. That was something that was added later for our reference point to be able to find passages more quickly.

So if you look at the paragraphs and the sections, how do you kind of know the division points? There’s some keys, a couple of them. You have conjunctions. For example, the words “therefore,” “then,” “but” show paragraphs and sections and a dividing point there. A change of genre. Maybe we’ll see sometimes in some of the Davidic writings that he breaks into psalm and there’s a bit of poetry. Solomon, we see that with Ecclesiastes 3 when he has that song. There is a time for everything and a season for everything under the sun. And so that kind of breaks away from the proverbial message and gets into some poetry. And so we see that genre change. And so that would be another natural breaking point. Change of topic or theme, of course, is an obvious one. Changes in time, location, or setting. And then grammatical changes. If it’s flashing back and going past tense in a particular narrative, that may be another key indicator that you’re looking at a paragraph or a section.

Some other things to look for when you’re identifying the surrounding context. Summarize the main idea of each section in about a dozen words or less. It’s very helpful if you can look, go back to the example from Romans 12:1-2 . If you go back to Romans 11 , read through it, summarize some of the paragraphs in that chapter leading up to Romans 12 , and then also summarize some of the paragraphs following Romans 12:1-2 that continue on into chapter 12 . That will give you a clearer flow of thought from Paul as he’s writing to the Romans. And then explain how your particular passage relates to the surrounding sections. So if you’re, again, going to be giving a Bible lesson or a message, make sure that you are connecting the dots with the sections before and after.

All right. That was a real simple and sweet lesson on literary context. Again, say it in triplicate, like I do with my students. Context, context, context. And so you’ve got the historical and cultural context that you’ve got to do a little legwork with some of those extra biblical resources, like commentaries, atlases, and concordances, etc. But then you also have got to do your work within the text itself, which is you’re looking at the verses before and after and doing your due diligence, if you will, for that. So it’s a great lesson, something that hopefully is helpful to you. Next, we’re going to get into the word studies. How do you do a word study? What are some of the resources available? And hopefully, that will be helpful as you continue to improve as a student.

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What is literary context? This article is about literary context, why it is used, and its importance when analysing literature. We will look at the types of literary context, taking into account how each type differs and what they can tell the reader about the literature. Context may be something that you overlook or take for granted, but it is important to be aware of how crucial it is to the understanding of any literary work!

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What is context in English literature?

The definition of context in English Literature refers to the descriptions of events, people and background information that offers the reader a clearer understanding of what is happening in the narrative.

Literary context - how does it work?

Literary context works to provide the reader with information about certain events and experiences in a piece of literature that would otherwise not be obvious. It helps to develop a deeper connection between the literary text and the reader, as they are more aware of the intentions of the author and/or the characters.

Without an understanding of the context, the meaning of the piece would be unclear and the reader may not be certain of its overall message.

Examples of literary context

There are lots of different examples of context in English literature, some of which include: historical, cultural, social, political, religious and biographical .

It is important to note that different contexts can overlap; the world is complex and not everything fits into neat categories! For example, historical context often overlaps with social context, as the attitudes and norms in society can change depending on events that occur at a specific time in history.

Let’s break down the types of literary context in more detail!

What is Literary context vs. historical context?

Is there such a difference between literary context vs historical context? Historical context refers to a certain period of time, events that occurred within that period, and the attitudes of the people at that point in time. This can relate to the social, political, religious and economic situation. Historical context is relevant in literary context as it provides historical settings or knowledge for the literary work.

Historical context in English literature is important as it lets the reader know what it is/was like to live in a different time period - allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of why certain events occurred in the narrative. It also gives the reader the opportunity to compare the experiences in different historical periods to current events and personal experiences, which shows how things have changed over time.

Example of historical context in literature:

The following example comes from F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby (1925).

The novel is set in the 1920s (the Roaring Twenties). Fitzgerald refers to this as the Jazz Age - a period in the US between the 1920s and 1930s in which Jazz music gained popularity. Fitzgerald uses historical context to describe the experiences of the people in 1920s US society, during which time there was a great economic boom. This led to the following:

The parties were bigger. The pace was faster, the shows were broader, the buildings were higher, the morals were looser, and the liquor was cheaper." - F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, 1925

Literary Context, flapper girl, StudySmarter

Cultural context

Cultural context in English literature refers to the traditions, beliefs and values of people belonging to a certain country or culture. Being aware of cultural context is key to the reader's understanding of what is considered normal by different cultures and why they practice certain things. It is also a good way to expand their horizons, as they can appreciate the diversity of different cultures!

Example of cultural context in literature:

The following examples are from Min Jin Lee's novel Pachinko (2017).

The novel explores the life of a Korean family that immigrates to Japan during the Japanese colonisation of Korea between 1910-1945. As with many literary works, the cultural context overlaps with historical and political context, as all of these aspects exist alongside one another within their lives. Pachinko explores many cultural aspects of daily Korean life, which lets the reader understand some of the traditions and customs specific to Koreans. An example is seen in the quote:

After each birth, Hoonie went to the market to buy his wife choice seaweed for soup to heal her womb." - Pachinko, 2017

This cultural context lets the reader know different foods eaten in Korean culture and their uses. In this case , we learn that seaweed soup is given to Korean women after they give birth to help them heal.

Also included in the cultural context throughout the book is the use of different names and terms specific to Korean language. These are romanised in the book for those who do not read Korean.

Some examples include:

'Baek-il' - refers to a celebration held on a baby's one-hundredth day.

'Hanbok' - refers to traditional Korean clothing.

'Ajumoni' - is the term used to refer to a middle-aged woman.

'Uh-muh' - means 'mum'.

Social context

Social context in English literature refers to the events happening in society at the time, and the ways in which elements of society can influence the attitudes of the characters. This often overlaps with historical context, as the attitudes and norms in society can change depending on events that occur in a specific time in history.

Example of social context in literature:

The following example comes from J.B. Priestley's play An Inspector Calls (1945).

The social context highlights the inequality between social classes (upper, middle, lower) in pre-war Britain (in 1912). The norms of society at the time affect how characters are treated. During this time, there were clear distinctions between the upper and lower classes. The upper classes were wealthy and able to live comfortably, whereas the lower classes had little money and lived in poverty. In the novel, the character of Mrs Birling (an upper-class woman) looks down on the lower class. This is especially evident when she speaks of Eva, a working-class woman:

"As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money!" - An Inspector Calls, 1945.

This lets the reader know of the social hierarchy and the attitudes of people at the time - the lower classes were not treated with the same respect or humanity as the upper classes.

Do you think the unfair treatment of the lower classes is still happening in today's society, or have things changed?

Literary Context, A man in suit looking down on another man sitting, StudySmarter

Political context

Political context in English literature concerns the political climate and political views held at a certain time, and how they influence the characters and the world around them.

Example of political context in literature:

The following examples are from Chimananda Ngozi Adichie's novel Purple Hibiscus (2003).

The novel is set in Nigeria during a time of political trouble and corruption in the late 1960s. The political climate is described throughout the novel, which gives the reader an idea of how the country is being run and the values of those in power:

...the politicians were corrupt, and the Standard had written many stories about the cabinet ministers who stashed money in foreign bank accounts, money meant for paying teachers' salaries and building roads." - Purple Hibiscus, 2003

The political context also helps the reader to understand how such political events affect the lives of the characters. For example, the effects of colonialism (from 1914 - 1960) are evident when the character of Papa stops his family from speaking their native language:

We had to sound civilised in public, he told us; we had to speak English." - Purple Hibiscus, 2003

Religious context

Religious context in English literature concerns the beliefs and customs of certain religions, and how religion affects or influences other aspects such as the characters and the plot.

Example of religious context in literature:

The following examples are from Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables (1862). The religious context in this novel helps the reader to understand the actions of the characters and the influence religion has over their lives.

For example, the character of Marius is a religious person who goes to a Roman Catholic church from a young age. The hold religion continues to have over him is evident:

Marius clung to the religious habits of his childhood." - Les Misérables , 1862

This religious context allows the reader to be aware of how his adulthood has been affected by his religious upbringing and how it will affect his future actions.

There is another example in the middle of the novel, where information is revealed about nuns in a convent. Through religious context, the reader is given an insight into how dedicating one's life to religion can affect daily life and interactions. In particular, being a nun and choosing a holy life in France meant that you were not able to talk face to face with family members:

In the case of a woman permission might be granted and they might talk through the closed shutters, which were opened only for a mother or sister." - Les Misérables, 1862

Biographical context

Biographical context in English literature refers to the information given about the experiences of the author. This helps the reader to understand the intentions and opinions of the author, as they are aware of different aspects of their life. Biographical context is particularly important in biographies or memoirs, as the main focus of the work is the life of the author!

Example of biographical context in literature:

This example comes from Jeanette Winterson's memoir, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? (2011):

"I was born in Manchester in 1959. It was a good place to be born... Manchester was the world's first industrial city; its looms and mills transforming itself and the fortunes of Britain. Manchester had canals, easy access to the great port of Liverpool, and railways that carried thinkers and doers up and down to London. Its influence affected the whole world."

- Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? 2011

What can the biographical context tell us here?

The time period in which the author was born

Where the author was born

What the author's birthplace was like

The influence the author's birthplace had on other areas in the country and the world

Gives a positive overview of Manchester in that particular time frame

Literary Context - Key takeaways

  • Literary context refers to descriptions of events, people and background information in literary texts that gives the reader a clearer understanding of what is happening.
  • Literary context works to provide the reader with information about certain events and experiences that would otherwise not be obvious.
  • There are different types of literary context, including: historical, cultural, social, political, religious and biographical.
  • Different contexts can often overlap!

Frequently Asked Questions about Literary Context

--> what are the types of literary context.

The types of literary context include: historical, cultural, social, political, religious and biographical.

--> What is the importance of literary context?

The importance of literary contexts refers to how it helps the reader gain a deeper understanding of what is happening in the narrative through the description of events, people and background information. In turn, this helps them understand the meaning of the literature and the intentions of the characters and/or author.

--> What is literary context?

Literary context refers to descriptions of events, people and background information in literary works that gives the reader a clearer understanding of what is happening.

--> What is historical and literary context?

Historical context refers to the information given about a certain period of time, events that occurred within that period, and the attitudes of the people at that point in time. Literary context refers to the information provided to the reader so that they can understand fully the events of the narrative.

--> What is an example of context?

An example of context would be providing the reader with information about when and where a character was born. For example: "Sally was born in 1992, in the small French town of Gordes."

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Literary context gives the reader extra information about what happens.True or false?

Which of the following is not a type of literary context?

Different contexts cannot overlap.True or false?

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What is literary context?

Literary context refers to descriptions of events, people and background information in literature (written works) that gives the reader a clearer understanding of what is happening.

Literary context gives the reader extra information about what happens.

True or false?

Without literary context, how will the reader's understanding of the literature be affected?

The meaning will be unclear and the reader may not be certain of the overall message of the literature.

Fill in the blanks:

Literary context helps to develop a _____ connection between the literature and the _______.

Different contexts cannot overlap.

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Definition of Context

Context is the background, environment, setting , framework, or surroundings of events or occurrences. Simply, context means circumstances forming a background of an event, idea, or statement, in such a way as to enable readers to understand the narrative or a literary piece. It is necessary for writing to provide information, new concepts, and words to develop thoughts.

Whenever writers use a quote or a fact from some source, it becomes necessary to provide their readers some information about the source, to give context to its use. This piece of information is called context. Context illuminates the meaning and relevance of the text and maybe something cultural, historical, social, or political.

Difference Between Content and Context

Content is a written text, while context is a place or situation. Although a text is not a context, content could present context within it. For example, if there occurs a statement in a certain text, it is content in its own right but it is also the context of that statement. It would show what comes next and what comes before that specific statement. Hence, it presents the context that is the place, situation or even atmosphere .

Rhetorical Context: Purpose, Author, and Audience

Although the context in literature is something different, it is different in rhetoric , too. In literary writings, it is just the situation where some statement or characters or events take place. However, in rhetoric, it is not just the text, it is also the purpose of the writing, its author and its audience that matter the most. They make up the context of that rhetorical piece. The reason is that rhetoric is specifically intended to be used for a specific purpose and by a specific person, or it loses its real purpose as well as its effectiveness.

Use of Context in Sentences

  • This story was written in the 19 th century after the end of the Civil War. (The context mentions – when)
  • Gandhi studied law in South Africa before returning to India and starting the Freedom Movement. (The context mentions – where)
  • Harry Potter was published in 1997 by Bloomsbury, United Kingdom. (The context mentions when and where)
  • Ivan heard ‘Bonjour’ as soon as he landed at the airport and saw the tower’s top on the way to the exit. (The context mentions a setting and the character is abroad)
  • The English Tommies with their weapons entered the buildings to secure the area. (The context mentions the time period of WW1, when soldiers were called ‘Tommies’)

Examples of Context in Literature

Example #1: a tale of two cities by charles dickens.

Dickens begins his novel , A Tale of Two Cities , in 1770, by describing the release of Doctor Manette from Bastille, before taking the story to 1793 and early 1794. In this time span, the narrative covers a broad story. In a larger view, this novel begins in 1757, while its final scene looks forward to the situation in post-revolutionary Paris.

This story has a historical context, which Dickens has organized around various events that occurred during the French Revolution. He has drawn historical features from major events, including the fall of Bastille, the September Massacres, and the Reign of Terror. This backdrop is the story’s context.

Example #2: Animal Farm by George Orwell

George Orwell felt disillusioned by Soviet Communism and its revolution during his time. In the phenomenal novel, Animal Farm , Orwell has expressed himself by using satire through the allegorical characters of Old Major and Boxer; relating them to the Russian Revolution and its characters. Orwell uses animals to explain the history and context of Soviet Communism, some of which relate to party leaders. For instance, the pig Napoleon represents Joseph Stalin, and Snowball represents Leon Trotsky. In fact, Orwell uses this fable for political and aesthetic reasons, following the Russian Revolution as its context.

Example #3: Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe

Historical context of Christopher Marlowe ’s Dr. Faustus is religious, as it hints at cultural changes taking place during Marlowe’s time. In 16th century Europe, there was a conflict between Roman Catholicism and the Protestant English Church. During this entire period, Calvinism was popular within the English churches; however, it was controversial. According to Calvinistic doctrine, the status of the people was predestined as saved or damned. Scholars and readers have debated on the stance that Marlowe’s play takes regarding the Calvinist doctrine, in whether Faustus is predestined to hell or not. The Renaissance period provides context for this play by Marlowe.

Example #4: Oedipus Rex by Sophocles

There is a popular saying that stories indicate the values and cultures of the societies in which their authors live. In Oedipus Rex , Sophocles presents his protagonist , Oedipus, struggling to implement his will against the destiny set forth by the Greek gods. During this process, Sophocles reveals the Greek values of the period during which he wrote the play.

He has illustrated the context of this play through the words and actions of Oedipus and other characters; as their Greek ideals concerning their governance, fate, and human relationships with the gods. These were some of the more popular themes of that era, and so form the context of the Oedipus Rex .

Example #5: Lord of the Flies by William Golding

“While stranded on a deserted island, a group of boys believe there is a dangerous creature lurking in the underbrush; Simon is the first to identify this menace, suggesting to the boys that ‘maybe,’ he said hesitantly, ‘maybe there is a beast’.”

This excerpt provides an excellent example of context, as it narrates an incident involving a group of young men on a deserted island. The context describes why they were afraid, giving a clear picture of the situation and setting.

Context is all about providing a background or picture of the situation, and of who is involved. Context is an essential part of a literary text, which helps to engage the audience. If writers ignore context, they may overlook a critical aspect of the story’s intent. Without context, readers may not see the true picture of a literary work. Context helps readers understand the cultural, social, philosophical, and political ideas and movements prevalent in society at the time of the writing.

Synonyms of Context

Context does not have an equivalent, it has several synonyms that could replace it in different contexts. For example, conditions, factors, surroundings, state of affairs, environment, situation, background, milieu, mood , ambiance, subject , text, theme , or topic.

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  • Research and Course Guides
  • Biblical Exegesis
  • 2. Examine the Historical, Cultural, and Literary Background

Biblical Exegesis: 2. Examine the Historical, Cultural, and Literary Background

  • Introduction
  • 1. Choose a Passage
  • 3. Perform Exegesis of Each Verse
  • 4. Offer an Overall Interpretation
  • 5. Provide an Application of the Passage
  • 6. Finding Books
  • 7. Finding Articles
  • 8. Citing Sources
  • Theological Reflection Papers

Online Bible Dictionaries

  • Oxford Dictionary of the Bible
  • Anchor Yale Dictionary 

Resources: Books

what is the literary context

  • Ancient World Mapping Center (Free Web Site)

The Five Gospels Parallels

  • The Five Gospels Parallels (Online - the Univ. of Toronto) Parallels for Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Thomas.

Books on Topics

Use keywords in LibrarySearch and examine results. There are thousands of subjects but here is a list of common ones and how they are "formed." Note the N T and O T and quotation marks. 

Patterns to follow: 

  • bible n t matthew feminist criticism  
  • bible n t john
  • palestine social conditions
  • bible o t psalms
  • ethics in the bible
  • "women in the bible"  
  • bible contemporary events
  • marriage biblical teaching  
  • "slavery in the bible"
  • healing in the bible
  • jesus christ passion
  • lord's supper bible
  • messiah n t 
  • dead sea scrolls
  • judaism history post-exilic
  • history inter-testamental
  • temple jerusalem
  • bible canon
  • adam biblical figure
  • mary blessed virgin
  • sarah biblical matriarch  

what is the literary context

Web Resources for Biblical Studies

  • Society for Biblical Literature
  • Resource Pages for Biblical Studies Maintained by Torrey Seland, Volda University College, Volda, Norway.

Online Encyclopedias

Schools of bible criticism.

Use LibrarySearch to explore critical schools of Bible scholarship.  Use a keyword approach as much as possible.

Overview: Guides to Biblical Scholarship series

  • General series
  • New Testament series
  • Old Testament series

Examples of critical schools:

  • Redaction Criticism
  • Feminist criticism
  • Socio-rhetorical criticism
  • Rhetorical criticism 
  • Narrative Criticism
  • Reader-response criticism
  • Social scientific criticism

Common topics for critical schools:

  • narration in the bible
  • bible social conditions
  • bible comparative studies
  • bible and literature
  • bible as literature
  • bible language style
  • bible criticism interpretation 16th century
  • exodus hermeneutics
  • islamic interpretations
  • synoptic problem
  • two source hypothesis synoptics 
  • q hypothesis synoptics

Examine the Historical, Cultural, and Literary Background of the Passage

After you have chosen a passage, you need to learn about the world of the text. What can be known of the historical situation prior to and during the time the biblical book was written? How did society function at that time, e.g., what was the status of women, children, or slaves in the culture, what religions existed at the time of writing, or what were the main cultural values in society? What other texts might be like the book that contains your passage from the same time period? Are there other texts that might help you understand your passage? The Bible did not float down from heaven untouched by human hands. Rather, it was written over a long period of time, by real people. who lived in real homes, with real families in real cultures. While there is overlap between these categories, they may be conveniently divided into:

Historical Background

Cultural background, literary background.

"Herod the Great"

Our example passage, Luke 1:26-38, takes place at a specific time and a specific place. It happens during the reign of Herod the Great (Luke 1:5), who reigned 37-4 B.C. It takes place in Nazareth, a town in Galilee. In order to understand this story better, you need to learn about Herod the Great (as opposed to the other Herods who appear in the New Testament), Galilee, and Nazareth.

The best tool for this general information would be a Bible dictionary or encyclopedia. Ask at Ireland Library for suggestions.

As a rule, the more recent a work is, the better the information in it, if it is of comparable size to other works. Using such a work will enable you to get a sense of the historical situation of the time. For example, the full significance of what Luke wrote becomes apparent only when you understand the status of Nazareth and of young, unmarried Jewish women in Galilee in this period.

  • Into his own:perspective on the world of Jesus
  • The Blackwell Companion to the Bible and Culture The Blackwell Companion to the Bible and Culture offfers readers a stimulating, one-volume reference source about twenty-first century approaches to the Bible. Drawing on interdisciplinary and international examples, the volume explores how the Bible has impacted on all the major social contexts where it has been influential – ancient, medieval and modern, world-wide.

Like our world, the world of the New Testament authors involved many competing cultural values. Given that the New Testament writers, and the people about whom they wrote, lived in a world where multiple cultures met, Jewish, Roman, and Greek, at least, it is important to understand those cultural values because even if they are not directly stated in the text, they do still have relevance to the meaning of the text.

You can approach this two ways. First, you can identify a specific cultural or social value or practice and look it up in one of the works listed above, or find a resource that deals with it. For example, if you knew that magic was an important practice in the first-century Graeco-Roman world, which was used to protect oneself from evil spirits, and you were writing an exegetical paper on Ephesians, you would probably want to consult Ephesians, Power, and Magic: The Concept of Power in Ephesians in Light of Its Historical Setting by Clinton Arnold (Call Number   BS2695.2 .A76 1989  )

The second approach is to consult a tool that talks about cultural values that may or may not talk about your passage specifically. One very helpful book is The New Testament world : insights from cultural anthropology by Bruce J. Malina (Call number:   BS2545.S55 M34 2001  )

Or, having observed that Luke 1:26-38 focuses upon a woman, you could look at one of the many works on women in the Bible and Luke-Acts specifically. Spiritually faithful women are one focus of Luke-Acts and many books consider their role in Luke's narrative. See, for example, Women, Class, and Society in Early Christianity: Models from Luke-Acts by James Arlandson (Call Number:   BS2589.6.W65 A75 1997 ), or Women in the Ministry of Jesus: A Study of Jesus' Attitudes to Women and Their Roles as Reflected in His Earthly Life by Ben Witherington, III (Call Number: BT590.W6 W57 1984  )

Of course, your passage might not focus upon women, so you would look in the online catalog and do an "Advanced Boolean" search for the words you think would be relevant, such as "Luke blind poor," which would return a book related to the blind and the poor in Luke's Gospel, The Blind, the Lame, and the Poor: Character Types in Luke-Acts by John Roth (Call Number:.   BS2589 .R684 1997 ) Each of these would help you understand how women, or the poor, or the blind, or other marginalized individuals were perceived in first-century Palestine.

Documents, including each book in the Bible, have a given genre, or category, to which they belong. Literary works without an identifiable genre would be incomprehensible because you would not know how to read or interpret them. So identifying the literary genre of the book that your passage is in, and considering similar documents from the same period, may help you in understanding your passage. This can become fairly complicated but at its most basic level, you want to be able to distinguish an account that seeks to describe an event in Jesus' life from a parable that Jesus told (which is not meant to tell about an actual event) from an argument in Romans that is not about history but concepts.

One easy way to get to the genre of a book or passage is to look at How to read the Bible : a guide to Scripture, then and now by James L. Kugel . (Call Number:   BS1171.3 .K84 2007 ) or How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (Call Number:   BS600.2 .F43 1982 ), both by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart. For much more details that will give you a good idea of how others in the first century would have read and understood particular New Testament books, see David Aune's book, The New Testament in Its Literary Environment (Call Number:   BS2361.2 A9.6 1987 ). Some genres, like parables (such as the parable of the Lost Coin), or apocalyptic (the books of Daniel and Revelation) have many books devoted to understanding these genres and those can be found in the online catalog by an Advanced Boolean or Subject search.

All of this reading should enable you to write a 1-2 page section on the historical, cultural, and literary background of your passage. There is no guarantee that a specific passage will have important elements in each of these categories, but there will definitely be at least general historical, cultural, or literary aspects to your passage. Research on our example passage would show that Luke's Gospel is almost certainly an example of Hellenistic historiography, or, less likely, biography, but clearly not fiction. The story of the annunciation to Mary of Jesus' forthcoming conception and birth has elements of both the announcement of a miraculous birth to a pious, childless couple, and of a "call narrative," such as those of Gideon. This illustrates that a book may have one general genre, while smaller units within it may have a different, more specific genre.

Go to the next tab to learn how to perform exegesis of your passage.

New Testament Greek

what is the literary context

Ancient Near East

  • Okeanos Interdisciplinary resource for the study of the Ancient, Biblical, Classical, and Late Antique Near East.

Church Fathers

Patristic sources.

  • Catena aurea : commentary on the four Gospels collected out of the works of the Fathers / by Thomas Aquinas ; with a new introduction by Aidan Nichols. ISBN: 1901157407
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  • URL: https://libguides.stthomas.edu/c.php?g=88712

© 2023 University of St. Thomas, Minnesota

How to Read the Bible in Context

  • jeremy-bouma
  • April 28, 2018
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9780310536543

The Bible is not just any book. It is God’s Word to us, given using a number of literary genres, through the stories of a cast of rotating characters, and over the span of a few thousand years.

So how do we read such a book?  

This question is important when picking up any document, from paperback to newspaper. You wouldn’t read a historical novel on WWII the same way you would a nonfiction historical account of the same time. And we read the newspaper's front page differently than the opinion-editorials (or at least, we ought to read them differently).

How, then, should we read the Bible? It starts with context.

In  Christ from Beginning to End ,  authors Trent Hunter and Stephen Wellum outline six different contexts—three specific, three general—to help you read the Bible well. For Hunter and Wellum, understanding these 6 contexts is like reading the directions before playing a board game:  

If you know the rules, the game will make sense and you might even enjoy it. But learning the rules can be a bit tedious and frustrating until you start to see how they fit into the larger game. (41)

The same is true for the Bible. Grasping these rules will help you read the Bible in context and therefore help you better study the Bible.

1. Consider the Historical Context

“Every passage of Scripture emerges in the course of history” (47). Which is why  in order to read the Bible in context, we need to read it in its historical context—beginning with the author and the original audience .  

“When thinking about the original audience,” Hunter and Wellum explain, “we should distinguish the original characters in the story from the original readers, those who were reading Scripture about those characters” (47). For example, we read about Abraham and his journey from Moses’ point-of-view as he led Israel through the wilderness on the way to the promised land. An important question to ask, then, is: “What is Moses teaching the Israelites about Abraham and the Patriarchs?” (47).  

The Gospels serve as another example:  

[I]n his Gospel account, John tells his post-resurrection readers about events that weren’t fully understood until after the resurrection, not only preserving historical accuracy but also reminding us that the original audience was reading the Gospel after Christ’s resurrection. (47)

As with the Five Books of Moses, the Gospels illustrate the principle that the historical context of the Bible is informed both by the original authors and the original audience.

2. Consider the Cultural Context

Coinciding with historical context is the cultural context of a biblical book. This includes the original cultural circumstances that gave rise to the book, as well as the cultural features of the time.  

Consider Revelation 3:14–22, where John wrote to seven churches addressing specific circumstances.   “We should not forget that these were real churches with real locations in the first century”  (47).

And in Revelation 3:15–16, the Laodicean church is described as neither “hot” nor “cold”—reflecting the cultural features of two nearby cities: Hierapolis had hot springs that were of medicinal value, while Colossae had cold springs that brought nourishment and refreshment; Laodicea’s water was lukewarm, tasteless, and useless. The cultural features of Laodicea inform the historical circumstances: “the spiritual life of the church had become like her city’s water supply— lukewarm and useless” (47–48).  

Remember that there were real-life circumstances that gave rise to the Bible's narrative books and poetry, the Gospels and the letters.   Hunter and Wellum help readers understanding these circumstances along with the cultural features of the time, helping us read the Bible in context.

3. Consider the Literary Context

”Reading a text in its literary context involves interpreting it in light of its flow of words and the form the words take” (45).

First, considering the texts literary flow involves reading a text in terms of the words around it . “Words mean something in the sentences, paragraphs, chapters, and books in which they are used” (45). That’s why we don’t start reading a novel in the middle, because each word, paragraph, and chapter all add up to something important. And yet this is often how we approach the Bible, by starting in the middle with little regard to the literary flow that adds up to specific meaning. Hunter and Wellum explain:

Since it’s a long book and pastors preach out of different sections each week, we get used to entering and exiting portions of Scripture without considering the context of the books in which they are found, let alone their location in the rest of the Bible’s storyline… But this practice can also reinforce our tendency to read passages in isolation. (45–46)

The authors offer a solution: “if you take the time to read and reflect on a book as a whole, then every part of that book will start to make more sense” (46).

Second, properly reading the Bible in its literary context means considering the literary form the author chose in writing. “The Bible’s words are written in the form of minimally three different kinds of texts: discourse, narrative, and poetry” (46):

  • “ Discourse texts are simply words spoken or written from one person to another” (46)
  • “ Narrative texts are words that tell a story” (46)
  • “ Poetic texts …[convey their] meaning through images, and [these texts are] structured" formally; consider English poetry's rhyming lines (46)

While these three are often combined, forming other genres, “learning to spot the form or the kind of text the author writes will greatly help you in your personal Bible reading” (46).

SWITCHING GEARS

That concludes a summary of the 3 specific contexts for understanding a biblical text. The summary only scratches the surface of what Hunter and Wellum discuss in their book .

Now we transition to a summary of 3 general contexts:

4. Look Down at the Close Context

“When we look down at the page, we seek to understand the words in their immediate context. The close context takes into account the divine inspiration and human character of the words written” (42–43). This general kind of context includes the chosen words, communicated ideas, and the specific book we’re reading, understood within its historical setting. It’s everything we see when we read the page in front of us, both the divine and human aspects of the book.

Scripture as a divine book means it is unified, from one Author, coherent, sufficient, perfect, and urgent. These truths carry several implications for how we read the Bible:

  • “We should read it with creaturely humility because these words are from our Creator and Lord”
  • “We are to read with expectation”
  • “We should also read with caution, recognizing that we are inclined to misunderstand what God has written”
  • “We should read the Bible patiently to accurately discern what God has said”
  • “We don’t stand over Scripture; we stand under it in submission to God” (44–45)

Since the Bible is also a human book, we need to pay attention to its human aspects. We must not focus on the Bible’s divine character to the extent we neglect its human ones. Hunter and Wellum remind us that “God speaks to us through what the authors wrote, which demands hard work from us to discern what the authors intended to say. Reading a given text in its close context means reading it in its literary and historical context” (45).

Hunter and Wellum remind us  to “take seriously every word and read them in keeping with their divine and human intent” (48).

5. Look Back at the Continuing Context

Since the Bible was written over time and spanning several centuries, “we must look back in the story to discover how a given passage relates to what preceded it” (49). We need to discern the deeper shape and flow of the story, understanding the movements of characters and events and how they relate to the underlying structure of the Bible.

But how? One way is simply to work through the Bible, starting at the beginning with Genesis. But this has limitations because the Bible isn’t necessarily compiled chronologically as we often think of books. Instead, Hunter and Wellum suggest we concentrate on tracing two of the Bible’s major divisions: its plot movements and covenants.

First, the Bible’s story can be outlined in four major plot movements, which explains the story of reality : creation, fall, redemption, and new creation. “These four plot movements are helpful because they follow the Bible’s own plot and help us think about the Bible’s unique worldview against other worldviews” (51–52), which answers four major questions:

  • Where did we come from? (Creation)
  • What went wrong? (Fall)
  • What is the solution to our problem? (Redemption)
  • Where is history ultimately going? (New Creation)

Second, the Bible’s covenants bring order, direction, and focus to God’s story. What is a covenant? “A covenant is a chosen relationship between two parties ordered according to specific promises ” (55). In our case, God’s relationship to humanity and his promises to us. Hunter and Wellum identify five important covenants that define the contours of the Bible’s story:

  • God’s covenant with creation through Adam and Noah
  • God’s covenant with Abraham and his children
  • God’s covenant with Israel through Moses
  • God’s covenant with David and his sons
  • God’s new covenant in Christ

“As we read the Bible’s story, we are always asking ourselves, How does this covenant reveal the God who saves and the Savior he sends?” (62) Hunter and Wellum help you explore this question and make sense of the covenants.

6. Look Ahead to the Complete Context

“The complete context—what we can also call the canonical context—is where we look ahead to discover the fullness of God’s intent in light of the fullness of Scripture’s message” (63). There are at least two ways Scripture connects the details of the Bible’s big picture.

The first way is the promise-fulfillment theme, which centers on Christ. “There is continuity between the promises God makes and the fulfillment he brings. Promise and fulfillment glue the Bible’s diverse phases together. Knowing this helps us discern how a given part of Scripture relates to the Christ of Scripture” (64). The Old-New Testament distinction best reveals the promise-fulfillment structure of Scripture. It reminds us how God’s promises are now fulfilled in Christ. In other words: “the Old Testament is the story of God’s promise and the New Testament is God’s fulfillment of all he has promised” (64).

The second way is the unfolding of typology through the biblical covenants . Typology is the way in which certain thematic patterns are traced through the covenants as the Bible’s story unfolds. These types or patterns “help us see how the revelatory features of God’s unfolding plan in the past relate to his new revelation in Christ” (65).  There are  three general categories of these types: people, events, and institutions. One example is how Moses points to Christ as a greater prophet than himself. They also outline several characteristics these types share:

  • Types are patterns rooted in history . “Types are not merely imaginative ideas; they are real people, events, and institutions that signify something greater to come” (67)
  • Types are designed by God . “Types are not random; they are purposeful in God’s plan” (68)
  • Types involve progression toward fulfillment in Christ . “As types are unpacked through the covenants, they move from lesser to greater in scope and significance for God’s purposes, especially as they come to final fulfillment in Christ” (68)

Why We Need to Study the Bible (Not Just Read It)

“If you’ve been puzzling over the Bible for a few years, you might be in a place where you’re familiar with its many parts but are unsure of how they fit together” (27–28). This is why we need to take the time to study the Bible, with all of its various components and pieces—and not just read it. As the authors explain:

Like a puzzle, the pieces of the Bible—the various books, letters, characters, and stories—do fit together. The Bible contains mysteries, but its meaning is not intended to be mysterious or hidden from us, especially in its central teaching. God does not try to hide truth from us; he reveals it. The Bible reveals more than a picture for us to enjoy. It reveals a person for us to know. (28)

And, like any puzzle, we need to put the pieces of the Bible together in order to get a clear understanding of the Bible’s unity and central message. When we do, we will become more competent in reading the Bible for ourselves—all in order to do as Paul says: comprehend “how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:18–19).

Justin Taylor says of Christ from Beginning to End , “In this book you’ll learn what Scripture is, how to read it, and how it all hangs together. Who wouldn’t want to pick up a book like that?”

Pick up your copy today to better understand how every part of Scripture fits together to reveal the glory of Christ Jesus, and read the Bible in its many contexts.

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How Does Archeology Contribute to Biblical Studies?

what is the literary context

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What is Context — Definition and Examples for Writers Featured

  • Scriptwriting

What is Context — Definition and Examples for Writers

C ontext has the ability to change the meaning of a story and how we view its characters — but what is context? We’re going to answer that question by looking at examples from The Office, In Cold Blood and more. We’ll also look at some tips and tricks for how you can effectively implement this necessary element in your own stories. By the end, you’ll know why context is so important and how to apply it in a variety of different ways. But before we jump into our examples, let’s define context.

Content vs Context Definition

What does context mean.

Whether we realize it or not, context is all around us. It is the fundamental way we come to understand people, situations and ideas. Everything that we think, say, see, hear, and do is a response to the external stimuli of the world.

And how we regard that stimuli is largely in response to the context it’s presented to us in. For more on this idea, check out the video from the University of Auckland below.

What is Context? By University of Auckland

So you’re probably thinking, “Okay that’s fine and good and all, but what is context? Surely the meaning can’t be so vague.” Well, it is and it isn’t.

But by understanding the essential aspects of the term, we’re better prepared to apply it in meaningful ways. So without further ado, let’s dive into a formal context definition.

CONTEXT DEFINITION

What is context.

Context is the facets of a situation, fictional or non-fictional, that inspire feelings, thoughts and beliefs of groups and individuals. It is the background information that allows people to make informed decisions. Most of the time, the view of a person on a subject will be made in response to the presented context. In storytelling, it is everything that surrounds the characters and plot to give both a particular perspective. No story takes place without contextual information and elements.

Characteristics of Context:

  • Information that’s presented to us
  • Used in an argumentative sense
  • Biased/subjective form of education

ContextUal Information

Context clues : in and out of context.

In terms of storytelling, there are only two kinds of context: narrative and non-narrative. The former gives us information on the story and the latter gives us information on everything outside of the story.

Narrative types of context include: 

Narrative context is everything that explains “what’s going on” in a story. Take a comedy series like The Office for example: there are a lot of moments in the show that wouldn’t make sense without contextual information — and there just so happens to be a video that explores The Office “out of context.”

What Does Context Mean in The Office?

Even the most ardent fans of The Office may find themselves asking, “what in the world is going on?” when presented with these clips out of context. On social media channels, moments from film and television are often presented like this — like this screen grab from The Good Place .

Out of Context Examples

Context Definition and Examples

In a sense, out of context moments have become a type of humor in and of themselves. But it’s important that we also consider how information outside of the narrative may influence our feelings on the story.

Non-narrative types of context include:

Non-narrative context is everything outside the story that influences our thoughts and opinions on the subject matter. Take Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood for example: when we learn of the circumstances outside of the subject matter, it’s impossible for us to feel the same way about the story.

In Cold Blood is an investigative novel about the murder of a family of four in Holcomb, Kansas. Capote started writing about the murders in earnest before expanding his research into a full-fledged novel — the end result speaks for itself — not only is Capote’s prose considered some of the greatest of all-time, but it also pioneered true-crime writing.

But when In Cold Blood is viewed through the context of the man who wrote it, the setting it took place in, and the precedence of its writing, the meaning is liable to change. The two convicted murderers in the novel, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, were interviewed by Capote through the writing process.

Their testimony is admitted in the novel, but filtered by Capote. So, for us to say their testimonies are veracious would be irresponsible, considering the context through which it was written.

Elsewhere, critics argue that we can only judge a piece of art based on the merit of the art itself, not the context it was created in. French literary theorist Roland Barthes said that “text” can only speak for itself and that the thoughts and feelings of the author should have no impact on its merit. For more on this “The Death of the Author” theory, watch the video below.

Exploring Context Clues  •  Lindsay Ellis on ‘The Death of the Author’

In recent years, many fans have criticized J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books in light of her political views. Some critics argue that her views change the meaning of the novels. Others argue that her views should have no impact. Alas, there’s no “right” answer, but it’s important to consider how context, both inside and outside of a story, can influence readers.

Context Clues Set the Stage

How to use context as exposition.

There’s a word in screenwriting that most screenwriters shutter to hear… and that word is exposition . Ah yes, the dreaded exposition — or explanatory description — has been known to sink more than a few good scripts. So, how do screenwriters use exposition effectively? Well, it starts with a need for context. When I say need, I mean the story would have no impact without it.

We imported the On the Waterfront screenplay into StudioBinder’s screenwriting software to look at an iconic scene where context is the primary force behind exposition. 

In this scene, Terry details how Charley and Johnny abandoned him. This backstory, or exposition, adds the necessary context needed to make Terry’s exclamation, “I coulda’ been a contender!” impactful.

Click the link below to read the scene.

What is Context On The Waterfront Example StudioBinder Screenwriting Software

What is Context?  •   Read the On the Waterfront Screenplay

This explanatory description establishes a context in which we’re able to see that Terry has endured “years of abuse.” The context is further executed as Terry laments the actions of his best friends. Think of it this way: proper exposition should act like a tea-kettle; each relevant detail making the kettle hotter and hotter — or more contextual and more contextual — until — the tension is released… and whoosh, the conflict is resolved. 

How to Add Context Clues

Tips for incorporating context.

Context plays a huge role in guiding the attention and emotional attachment of the audience. Say a character does something really bad, like kill another character. Our natural inclination is to vilify them, but if their actions are given context, we might view their actions as heroic.

Take Ridley Scott’s Gladiator for example: when Maximus kills Commodus, we view him as the hero. Let’s take a look at how this scene plays out:

Context Examples in Gladiator

In context, Maximus’ actions are justified. Commodus killed Maximus’ family and rigged the fight against him. As such, it makes sense that we root for his death. Here are some tips for how to incorporate context in your own works:

  • Create empathy for your protagonist
  • Vilify your antagonist
  • Maximize conflict
  • Develop themes
  • Callback to prior events

By utilizing these strategies, you’ll create narrative continuity. Context relies on the impact of the past, so you should be mindful of the character’s pasts at all times when writing. 

What is a Plot?

Context may be what informs our understanding of a story’s events, but it would mean nothing if there weren’t events to be informed of. Plot refers to the events and actions that take place within a story — and it’s an essential aspect of every narrative. In this next article, we look at how plot is used in Die Hard to connect narrative threads from beginning to end!

Up Next: Plot Definition and Examples →

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Biblical Exegesis: Step Two: Examine the Literary Context

  • Step One: Establish the Text

Step Two: Examine the Literary Context

  • Step Three: Examine the Historical-Cultural Context
  • Step Four: Establish the Meaning
  • Step Five: Determine the Theological Principle(s) in the Text
  • Step Six: Application

Guiding Question: How does the Bible communicate as literature? 

  • Determine the Literary Genre [1]

Three features of genre that should be taken into consideration:

  • Form – the framework (e.g., narrative, poetry, gospel, letter, apocalypse)
  • Content – subject matter
  • Function – the author’s purpose (i.e. to inform, persuade, criticize, praise, etc.)

a. Determine then define the literary genre of the book.

b.Determine then define the literary genre of the selected passage.

2. Apply interpretive principles appropriate for each respective genre. [2]

3. Observe the Text

A. Sentence analysis

  • Observe the passage at the sentence level. Look for repetition of words, contrasts, comparisons, lists, cause and effect, figures of speech, conjunctions, verbs, and pronouns.
  • Comment on important features of individual verses.
  • Decisions to be made concerning the relevance of important features in the passage:

a. Relevance of the observations for determining the meaning of the passage. Repetition does not always point to relevance. Sometimes the relevant items are mentioned only once in a passage.

b. Relevance for application? How does repetition of items contribute to understanding the author’s intent and any action to be taken by the audience?

c. Key words or concepts for further study

B. Paragraph Analysis

  • Divide the selected passage into paragraphs then provide reasons for your paragraph divisions. Comment briefly on the important features in the overall structure of the passage.
  • Observe the selected passage at the paragraph level looking for questions and answers, dialogue, means, purpose/result statements, general to specific and specific to general, conditional clauses, actions/roles of God, actions/roles of people, emotional terms, and the tone of the passage.
  • Identify the theme of each paragraph then state the theme in one sentence followed by any necessary justification, explanation of illustration. The theme may be a key sentence taken directly from the text or a statement in your own words summarizing an implied theme.

C. Determine the major themes in the book in which the selected passage appears.

  • Determine then list the major themes of the book in which the selected passage appears?
  • Determine the theme of the selected passage.
  • Determine how the themes of the selected passage relates to the major theme(s) of the book.

D. Discourse and Literary Analyses  

Observe the passage at the discourse level. Using three or more detailed outlines of the book, look for connections to other paragraphs and episodes, shifts in the story/pivots, interchange between scenes or characters, chiasm , inclusion, etc. You may choose an existing outline, modify an existing outline, or compose an outline of the book for further study. Answer the following:

  • What is the selected passage’s role, function, or purpose in the book?
  • What would happen if we removed this section from the book?
  • Why did the author include this section as a crucial part of the whole?
  • Comment on important features of the discourse.

E. Evaluate the placement of the selected passage in its immediate and larger contexts within the book in a 2-4 sentence paragraph.

4. Provide a synthesis of the meaning of the text for the biblical audience using past tense verbs and refer to the biblical audience.

[1] David E. Aune, The New Testament in Its literary Environment . Wayne Meeks, ed. (Philadelphia: Westminster John Knox Press, 1987), 32-6.

[2] Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All its Worth , 4th ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014). William W. Klein, Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard, Jr., Introduction to Biblical Interpretation , revised and updated edition (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers).

  • << Previous: Step One: Establish the Text
  • Next: Step Three: Examine the Historical-Cultural Context >>
  • Last Updated: Feb 7, 2024 4:07 PM
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Writing an exegetical paper.

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What is Literary Context?

what is the literary context

When looking at the literary context for your exegetical paper, you want to keep in mind the immediate context and the larger literary context.

  • How does the current passage relate to the section right before it and after it?
  • How does the current passage relate to a larger section of literature? For example, “How does my passage relate to the book that it is included in?"

Gorman recommends asking the following questions when you are considering the literary context:

Immediate Context

  • What is the subject of the paragraph immediately preceding this passage? How does that material lead into the passage at hand?
  • Does the Material following the passage connect directly to it or help explain it?

Larger Context

  • Where does this passage occur in the structure of the book? Of what major section is it a part? What significance does this position have?
  • What has happened so far in the book? What will happen later in the book?

Research Steps

  • Consult the library databases in regards to literature pertaining to your particular passage.
  • Use the Scripture Search feature in ATLASerials Plus . This will be the quickest way to narrow resources for your particular passage.
  • Commentaries are useful in the beginning of the book to look for literary themes that run throughout the book.

Library Resources

  • Library Catalog
  • OhioLINK Catalog

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Suggested Books on Literary Analysis

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Example sentences literary context

Secondly, the idea of searching for the right image seems, well, so right in a literary context ; a visual metaphor means something.
Literary context helps, up to a point.
Carefully note the literary context and form.
And we are encouraged to begin thinking about the literary context in which the poems were written.
The editors' chapter introductions soundly introduce the literary context - and the letters themselves have been selected with conviction and care.

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Definition of 'literary' literary

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what is the literary context

Introduction to Literary Context: English Literature

Tags: 1 Volume 274 Pages 31 Works Bibliography Index

Introduction to Literary Context: English Literature provides richly detailed essays on significant works of English Literature. Coverage includes the most studied works of English Literature, both historical and contemporary, in high school and undergraduate college literature programs.

This series is designed to introduce students to the world’s greatest works of literature—including novels, short fictions, novellas, and poems – not only placing them in the historical, societal, scientific and religious context of their time, but illuminating key concepts and vocabulary that students are likely to encounter.

English Literature covers 31 works – novels, short stories, and poems —written by English authors, published between 1516 and 2003. The authors in this collection – 6 women and 18 men – represent a variety of ages, life styles, and political beliefs, including those whose work has been banned, burned, and revered.

With in depth analysis of works by the likes of Charles Dickens, Charlotte Brontë, H. G. Wells, Salman Rushdie, J. K. Rowling, Rudyard Kipling, and Roald Dahl, Introduction to Literary Context: English Literature offers students the tools to grasp more firmly and dig deeper into the meanings of not only the works covered here, but English literature as a whole.

The essays in English Literature appear alphabetical by title of the work. Each is 6–8 pages in length and includes the following sections:

- Content Synopsis:  summarizes the plot of the work, describing the main points and prominent characters in concise language. - Historical Context:  describes the relevance to the story of the moods, attitudes and conditions that existed during the time period in which the novel took place. -Societal Context:  describes the role that society played within the work, from the acceptance of traditional gender roles to dealing with mental illness. -Religious Context:  explains how religion—of the author specifically, or a group generally—influenced the novel. - Scientific & Technological Context:  analyzes to what extent scientific and/or technological progress has affected the story. - Biographical Context:  offers biographical details of the author’s life, which often helps students to make sense of the story. -Discussion Questions:  a list of 8–10 thoughtful questions that are designed to develop stimulating and productive classroom discussions. -Essay Ideas:  a valuable list of ideas that will encourage students to explore themes, writing techniques, and character traits. -Works Cited

English Literature  ends with a  General Bibliography  and  Subject Index.

A great starting point from which to embark on further research, Introduction to Literary Context is a perfect foundation for Critical Insights , Salem’s acclaimed series of critical analysis written to deepen the basic understanding of literature via close reading and original criticism.

View a Full List of Titles from the Introduction to Literary Context  Series

Additional titles of interest.

what is the literary context

Introduction to Literary Context: World Literature

Introduction to Literary Context: World Literature provides richly detailed essays on significant works of literature from around the world that are studied by high school and undergraduate college students. With coverage of both novels and works of short fiction, the essays provide an in-depth examination of the most-studied, historical and contemporary works of literature from around the world.

what is the literary context

January 2014

Critical Insights: Jane Eyre

Critical Insights: Jane Eyre presents a variety of new essays on Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, considered by many to have revolutionized the art of fiction. Many agree that Bronte was ahead of her time as she explored the individualistic character of Jane, and topics such as classism, sexuality, religion and issues of gender.

what is the literary context

February 2014

Critical Insights: Midnight's Children

The essays in this novel discuss topics such as ethics, nationalism, translation, and the culture of globalization.

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  • English Emblem Book Project This site from Pennsylvania State University provides access to images of (scanned) pages of nine emblem books printed in Early Modern England. The text is keyword searchable
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  • Shakespeare in an Age of Visual culture (Folger Shakespeare Library)
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  • "'Noyses, Sounds and Sweet Aires': Music in Early Modern England" - Folger Exhibition on Early Acoustics Navigate through list of topics to your left, including "Sounds of Bells," "Street Music," "Tavern Sounds," etc...
  • 18th to 20th Century paintings of Ophelia Chronological listing, documenting the establishment of a pictorial tradition and revealing the changing perception of Ophelia's character over time.
  • Grove Art Online This link opens in a new window an encyclopedia with art & architecture-related topics More Info Full-Text UB ONLY
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  1. Reading in Literary Context

  2. Literary Terms Defined and Described 77: Parable #poetry #songs #love #shorts

  3. The Tell-Tale Heart

  4. the purpose of non-literary text

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  6. How To Read The Bible... LITERARY CONTEXT

COMMENTS

  1. Understanding Literary Context in the Bible

    Literary Context - What Is It? Understanding literary context in the Bible is a big step towards interpreting the Bible accurately. So what is literary context? Well, you probably learned about it in English class. You most likely know that you can't read a sonnet the same way you read a novel.

  2. Context in Literature: Definition & Examples

    Literary Context Allusion is a common demonstration of literary context, in which one text indirectly references another. But literary context can include several different things, such as an author's role models or the way one text influences another.

  3. What is Historical and Literary Context?

    Literary context, as we will see in chapter 8, relates to the context within the book, e.g., the form a passage takes, the flow of argument within the book, and the meaning of the words and sentences that surround the passage you are studying. (p. 118)

  4. Literary Context

    The literary context gives you a better understanding of how the author is intending to say what he is saying, increasing your chances of accurately interpreting the message. To determine the literary context, you must look at the surrounding text. Start with the most immediate textual context. Is this verse in the middle of a song or a poem?

  5. Literary Context

    1. Literary context - The material that works with and surrounds the passage under consideration. 2. We have several layers of context and we must consider: a. How each fits into the passage. b. How each fits into the paragraph. c. How each one fits into the section of the book. d.

  6. Why Is Context Important in Writing? 4 Types of Context, Explained

    Context is information that helps the message of a literary text make sense. Whether it's a novel, a memoir, or a collection of short stories, a piece of writing can be interpreted variably depending on the contextual factors you provide as the author.

  7. Unit #3 Lesson 3: Literary Context

    Literary context is the literary genre. Well, what is genre? That refers to a type of literature. Some examples from the Old Testament. You have narrative, law, poetry, prophecy, and wisdom. And we'll get into more details on each of these a little bit later in another lesson, but I just wanted to give you an overview.

  8. Literary Context: Definition & Types

    Literary context refers to descriptions of events, people and background information in literary texts that gives the reader a clearer understanding of what is happening. Literary context works to provide the reader with information about certain events and experiences that would otherwise not be obvious.

  9. Context

    Context is the background, environment, setting, framework, or surroundings of events or occurrences. Simply, context means circumstances forming a background of an event, idea, or statement, in such a way as to enable readers to understand the narrative or a literary piece.

  10. Literary Context

    Literary Context. In this lesson, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of the literary context and its importance in reading the Bible better. You'll learn about the definition of literary context and its role in interpreting the Bible. You'll also discover how to identify the literary context by recognizing the literary genre and ...

  11. PDF EXAMINING THE LITERARY CONTEXT Going from the "What" to the "Why"

    What Exactly Is the Literary Context? A. The English word "context" comes from the Latin verb contexo, which means "to connect or weave together." Used generically, the term refers to "that which surrounds and gives meaning to something else."

  12. 2. Examine the Historical, Cultural, and Literary Background

    All of this reading should enable you to write a 1-2 page section on the historical, cultural, and literary background of your passage. There is no guarantee that a specific passage will have important elements in each of these categories, but there will definitely be at least general historical, cultural, or literary aspects to your passage.

  13. How to Read the Bible in Context

    It starts with context. In Christ from Beginning to End, authors Trent Hunter and Stephen Wellum outline six different contexts—three specific, three general—to help you read the Bible well. For Hunter and Wellum, understanding these 6 contexts is like reading the directions before playing a board game:

  14. Context

    The context is the setting in which a story, poem, novel, play, or other literary work is situated. E.g. In Charles Dickens' 'A Tale of Two Cities,' the rich historical context of the French Revolution serves as a backdrop, providing readers with a deeper understanding of the novel's themes of sacrifice and resurrection.

  15. What is Context

    Context is the facets of a situation, fictional or non-fictional, that inspire feelings, thoughts and beliefs of groups and individuals. It is the background information that allows people to make informed decisions. Most of the time, the view of a person on a subject will be made in response to the presented context.

  16. Exploring context in fiction texts for KS3 English students

    Context is the circumstances in which a text is written and also the circumstances in which the text is read. Context can play an important role in understanding fictional texts. Historical,...

  17. Biblical Exegesis: Step Two: Examine the Literary Context

    b.Determine then define the literary genre of the selected passage. 2. Apply interpretive principles appropriate for each respective genre. [2] 3. Observe the Text. A. Sentence analysis. Observe the passage at the sentence level. Look for repetition of words, contrasts, comparisons, lists, cause and effect, figures of speech, conjunctions ...

  18. LibGuides: Writing an Exegetical Paper: Literary Context

    Literary Context - Writing an Exegetical Paper - LibGuides at Ashland University Archer Library Writing an Exegetical Paper What is Literary Context? Literary Context When looking at the literary context for your exegetical paper, you want to keep in mind the immediate context and the larger literary context.

  19. Literature in Context

    About Literature in Context Understanding of literary texts can be greatly enhanced by an appreciation of the context within which their authors lived and worked.

  20. LITERARY CONTEXT definition and meaning

    Definition of 'context' context (kɒntekst ) variable noun [oft adjective NOUN] The context of an idea or event is the general situation that relates to it, and which helps it to be understood. [...] See full entry for 'context' Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers Definition of 'literary' literary

  21. Salem Press

    Introduction to Literary Context: World Literature provides richly detailed essays on significant works of literature from around the world that are studied by high school and undergraduate college students. With coverage of both novels and works of short fiction, the essays provide an in-depth examination of the most-studied, historical and ...

  22. What is the difference between text and context in literature?

    Text is a highly specific term and refers to the written word as such. Context, as a term, can be employed on various levels within a work of literature and outside a work of literature. In ...

  23. Literary Structure—a Key to Interpreting the Revelation

    1977. March. Literary Structure—a Key to Interpreting the Revelation. & nbsp; THE RECENT trend toward better application of apocalyptic literature, including the book of Revelation, is both interesting and welcome. But as for the matter of interpreting the messages in the Revelation, the results seem as diverse as ever, if one is to judge by ...

  24. Visual Archives, Backgrounds, Historical Context

    Visual Archive, Backgrounds, Historical Context English Emblem Book Project This site from Pennsylvania State University provides access to images of (scanned) pages of nine emblem books printed in Early Modern England.