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Tyler Perry Reads Scripture

Nyasha Junior

Introduction
Popular media forms may be considered biblical in that they include
veiled or explicit references to biblical texts, characters, and images.
Yet, such usage is often understood as referring to biblical values that
are necessarily reflected in biblical content. Tyler Perry’s film Madea’s
Big Happy Family (2010) [MBHF] would seem to have little in common
with the New Testament Epistles. The film explores the complex rela-
tionship dynamics of a contemporary African American extended fam-
ily in crisis, while the Epistles provide instruction and advice to nascent
Christian communities in the first and second centuries CE. No obvi-
ous linkage between this film and these texts exists. Yet, like MBHF,
the New Testament Epistles, particularly the household codes, exhibit
concerns regarding proper order within a patriarchal family structure,
especially for women and children within the household. This chapter
examines this film in light of the household codes. It illustrates how this
film reflects and reinforces conservative, “Bible-based” notions of fam-
ily and demonstrates how it upholds the stereotype of the strong black
woman who takes on what is regarded as an inappropriate leadership
role in the family.

Bible and Popular Media

The Christian Bible, including the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible and
the New Testament, plays an important role in American art, culture,
and public discourse. Popular media forms including film, television,
and magazines use the Bible frequently by employing biblical imagery,
L. S. Manigault-Bryant et al. (eds.), Womanist and Black Feminist Responses to Tyler Perry’s Productions
© LeRhonda S. Manigault-Bryant, Tamura A. Lomax, and Carol B. Duncan 2014
28 Nyasha Junior

characters, quotations, and allusions. In some instances, the use of bib-

lical texts is explicit. For example, Mark Burnett produced a History
Channel television miniseries called The Bible. The series, which aired in
2013, is a 10-hour, 12-part scripted series that highlighted key biblical
events such as the Exodus and the nativity and crucifixion of Jesus.1 Also,
GSN (Game Show Network) premiered The American Bible Challenge
in August 2012. Hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy, this television
game show tests contestants’ knowledge of biblical content.2 The Bible
has also provided rich material for filmmakers since the early twentieth
century with silent films such as Samson and Delilah (1903) and Ben
Hur (1907). Classic films like The Robe (1953) and Cecil B. DeMille’s
The Ten Commandments (1956) are based on biblical texts. The Bible
continues to supply contemporary filmmakers with an abundance of
story lines and characters. For instance, in Evan Almighty (2007), Evan
Baxter, the central character, is a modern-day Noah who builds an ark
(Genesis 6:5–9:17). 3
Since the Bible is a religious text, its use can generate controversy. Tim
Tebow, an avowed Christian and New York Jets quarterback, is featured
in the September 2012 issue of GQ. The magazine’s article, “Have You
Accepted Tim Tebow as Your QB and Sunday Savior?” includes a pho-
tograph of a shirtless Tebow. He stands in a crucifix pose with his arms
outstretched and legs crossed at the knees.4 This depiction of Tebow as a
crucified Christ-figure created a media firestorm and presumably increased
sales. Some popular media forms may lack explicit biblical references but
may be regarded as reflecting “biblical” values and morals by engaging
Christian themes or by reflecting what is perceived as a Christian perspec-
tive on particular issues. For instance, the NBC television series “Highway
to Heaven,” starring Michael Landon, was widely regarded as a Christian
program. The show aired from 1985 to 1989 and dealt with issues such
as forgiveness, repentance, and death. It featured angels who reported to
“The Boss” and who were sent on assignment to Earth.
In most instances, the use of biblical material in popular media is not
explicit. In President Barack Obama’s speech to the United Auto Workers
(UAW) Conference in February 2012, he alludes to a biblical text. In
speaking of political debates regarding American values, he explains:

I keep on hearing these same folks talk about values all the time. You
want to talk about values? Hard work—that’s a value. Looking out for one
another—that’s a value. The idea that we’re all in it together, and I’m my
brother’s keeper and sister’s keeper—that’s a value. 5

While Obama adds a gender-inclusive note, his speech references the bib-
lical story of Cain and Abel. In this story, the Lord asks Cain, “Where is
 Tyler Perry Reads Scripture 29

your brother Abel?” (Genesis 4:9).6 Cain, who has killed Abel, retorts, “I
do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9). Obama’s veiled
use of biblical texts is quite typical in public discourse. He does not cite
a biblical text or mention that he is referring to the Bible. Those who do
not recognize the reference to Genesis may not ascribe any importance
to the phrase “brother’s keeper,” or they may understand his words as
only part of a common saying. Among other things, this unidentified use
of biblical texts allows the speaker to insert the Bible without offending
those who might object to a more overt use of the Bible.
Those who do identify the reference and are familiar with the larger
context of the biblical story of Cain and Abel may interpret Obama’s
words as a type of shorthand that refers to personal and collective respon-
sibility. In addition, it signals to them that the speaker is someone with
knowledge of biblical content who chose to use biblical texts deliberately.
The audience members may feel a connection with the speaker and feel
that they share an understanding of this text.7 Readers and viewers may
regard popular media forms as biblical due to their use of direct or indi-
rect references to biblical texts, but often, they treat this use as shorthand
for common “biblical” values that may not reflect the content of the bibli-
cal texts.

Bible and Perry

In general, Tyler Perry’s movies and plays do not have explicit references
to biblical texts. Instead, they include a few isolated quotations and para-
phrases. For example, in the film Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005),
Helen speaks to her mother, Myrtle, regarding Helen’s abusive husband,
Charles. Helen explains, “He was my everything.” Myrtle snaps back,
“God is your everything. Don’t you know he is a jealous God; put no
man before him.” In this instance, Myrtle cautions her daughter against
her unqualified adoration of her husband. For those with knowledge of
biblical content, her words would sound like a quotation from the Ten
Commandments.
Yet, Myrtle reworks a biblical text regarding idol worship to coun-
ter her daughter’s hero worship of her husband. In Exodus, the Lord
says, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of
Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before
me” (Exodus 20:2–3; cf. Deuteronomy 5:6–10). Here, the Lord demands
complete fidelity to the covenant relationship. Thus, Israel is not to wor-
ship other gods. Myrtle claims that Helen is worshipping Charles as a
god. Following a commandment not to make idols, the Lord continues,
“ . . . For I the Lord your God am a jealous God . . . ” (20:5). Myrtle repri-
mands Helen for treating Charles as an idol.
30 Nyasha Junior

Also, in Diary, the Bible is used for comedic effect. For example,
Myrtle says, “Peace be still. That’s what he said.” Madea replies, “Well,
peace always comes with steel.” Then, taking a gun out of her purse, she
continues, “’Cause I keeps me a piece o’ steel.” Myrtle is calling for calm
and invokes the words of Jesus when he stills the storm in the face of the
fear of the disciples (Mark 4:39; Matthew 8:23–27; Luke 8:22–25). Most
Christians would recognize Myrtle’s use of the biblical text easily. Madea
twists Myrtle’s demand for peace by threatening violence in order to keep
the peace.
At other points, Perry’s films include phrases that may be considered to
be biblical texts although they do not appear in the Bible. For example, in
MBHF, while speaking with Cora at the hospital, Aunt Bam says, “The
Lord moves in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform.” Although many
people assume that this text is biblical because it is commonly quoted,
it is not found in the Bible. It is taken from William Cowper’s poem
“God Moves in a Mysterious Way” (1774), which provided the lyrics for
a hymn of the same name. Despite these mangled quotations and pseudo-
biblical texts, many Christians will understand this and other references
as biblical. Even without chapter and verse citations, familiar words and
fragments serve as triggers that many people will associate with the Bible.
Furthermore, they tend to associate these texts with particular biblical
values even if they are not explicitly identified in the biblical text.
Perry’s films, like other popular media forms, are biblical in that they
make use of biblical texts and images through direct, oblique, or pseudo-
biblical forms. Yet, what is “biblical” in popular culture does not necessar-
ily reflect biblical content. Given the authority of the Bible within Christian
communities, for many Christians, the notion of something as biblical
carries an additional burden of normativity. That is, what is understood
as biblical is regarded as prescriptive for living a “Bible-based” Christian
lifestyle. Due to the ways in which biblical texts have been used to support
male headship and the subordination of women and children, Perry’s rep-
resentations of appropriate family structure and order can be understood
as reflecting biblical family values. This chapter draws links between these
texts and MBHF in order to illustrate how both express concerns regard-
ing the appropriate regulation of the household.

Haustafeln
Background
According to the New Testament, the earliest followers of Jesus in the
early first century CE expected his imminent return. For example, in
the Gospel of Mark, Jesus explains the necessity of remaining watchful
 Tyler Perry Reads Scripture 31

for the return of the Messiah, the parousia.8 Jesus cautions his follow-
ers, “Beware, keep alert for you do not know when the time will come”
(Mark 13:33). Yet, as time passes, the followers of Jesus must deal with
the delay of the parousia. The term “parousia” originally referred to
a visit by an important visitor or official. It came to be used for the
expected return of the Messiah. Thus, in the Acts of the Apostles, fol-
lowing the death and resurrection of Jesus, Jesus’s followers question him
regarding the restoration of Israel. He replies, “It is not for you to know
the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you
will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you . . . ” (Acts
1:7–8). As it takes longer for Jesus to return, his followers must adjust
their expectations.
The New Testament Epistles include a range of correspondence to
various communities to assist in coping with the delay of the parousia.
The Epistles provide advice and adjudicate disputes, and as time contin-
ues to pass, they offer organizational management advice for the grow-
ing communities of faith. Since at least the time of Martin Luther in the
sixteenth century, the term “Haustafeln” (singular: Haustafel; German
for “house-tables” or “household codes”) has been used to describe bibli-
cal texts that address family responsibilities and organization.9 Scholars
debate the particular texts that make up this group as well as the distinc-
tive form-critical characteristics of the Haustafel.10 Although treated as
a group (with the larger group including Colossians 3:18–4:1; Ephesians
5:21–6:9; 1 Peter 2:18–3:7; 1 Timothy 2:8–15; 5:1–2; 6:1–2; and Titus
2:1–10; 3:1), these texts appear in separate epistles and were written to
different groups at different times in the first and second centuries CE.
Furthermore, since most biblical scholars consider the apostle Paul to be
the author of only six of the New Testament Epistles (1 Thessalonians,
1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Philemon, Galatians, Romans),
the Haustafeln do not include the work of Paul.11
Colossians and Ephesians are considered to be Deutero-Pauline.
Many scholars contend that disciples or students of Paul wrote these
epistles in the late first century CE. Colossians is written to the believers
at Colossae, and Ephesians is addressed to those at Ephesus. Colossians
3:18–4:1 includes instructions for maintaining household order. It
upholds a binary relationship of superior to inferior. Thus, wives are sub-
ject to husbands; children to parents; and slaves to masters. Likewise,
Ephesians 5:21–6:9 includes the same binary relationship structure and
creates an analogy of husband to wife and Christ to the church.
1 Peter is probably a pseudonymous letter that was attributed to the
apostle Peter by tradition (1 Peter 1:1). In 1 Peter 2:18–3:7 slaves are
exhorted to endure suffering as Christ suffered. Furthermore, wives are
cautioned against wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing and braiding
32 Nyasha Junior

their hair. The wife’s submission extends even to her non-Christian hus-
band who may be persuaded by the good example of his wife.
1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus are called the Pastoral Epistles.
Although attributed to Paul, they are also probably pseudonymous. Unlike
other Epistles, they do not address a particular community in a geographic
location but reflect a concern with the church leadership and growing
organizational issues of the institutional Church. They probably reflect a
late second century CE date. In 1 Timothy 2:8–15 women are encouraged
to dress modestly. Furthermore, they are told to learn in silence and are
not permitted to teach or to have authority over a man. The author invokes
the Creation stories in Genesis 2–3 to explain the subordination of Eve to
Adam and Eve’s alleged deception. 1 Timothy 5:1–2 highlights appropri-
ate behavior based on age group and family status, including the behavior
of widows and elders. In 1 Timothy 6:1–2 enslaved men and women are
enjoined to honor their slave masters. Titus 2:1–10 and 3:1 offer additional
admonitions regarding community order and respect.
While some laypersons may understand these texts as unproblem-
atic and easily applicable to our contemporary period, modern biblical
scholarship has demonstrated the diversity of women’s roles in the early
church. Also, it has investigated the literary, historical, and cultural con-
texts of these texts.12 Biblical scholars note that these texts were written
at different times and locations to different audiences. Scholars do not
assume that these literary documents reflect actual historical practices
in antiquity. Biblical scholars marshal evidence from biblical and extra-
biblical sources as well as material culture to support their interpreta-
tions of texts. Furthermore, most scholars do not assume that these texts
are prescriptive for contemporary men and women.

Contemporary Interpretation
Interpreters have used the Haustafeln and other biblical texts from the
Old and New Testaments to support women’s subordination for millen-
nia. Despite the work of biblical scholars, traditional interpretations of
these texts remain influential today and are used to support inequal-
ity between men and women, particularly within Christian conservative
circles. Based on these conservative interpretations, women’s subordina-
tion is regarded as biblical and therefore prescriptive. According to this
view, these biblical texts do not simply describe historical perspectives
or practices. Instead, they prescribe particular behavior for men and
women today. Thus, “biblical” does not refer to the content of the text
but describes certain so-called biblical values.
As with popular media, contemporary interpreters (not trained pro-
fessional biblical scholars) do not often cite texts to support their posi-
tions. For example, in 2000 the Southern Baptist Convention published a
 Tyler Perry Reads Scripture 33

revision of its 1963 summary statement of faith called the “Baptist Faith
and Message.” This official convention document states, “While both
men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor
is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.” Furthermore, it contends
that the marriage relationship models the way that God relates to God’s
people. Therefore, it explains:

A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. The husband has
the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his fam-
ily. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her
husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ.13

These statements are based in a mélange of biblical texts, including

Haustafeln texts such as 2 Timothy and Titus. The statement does not
involve any detailed scholarly arguments as evidence for these positions,
but it includes a list of texts to support these statements.
Bishop T. D. Jakes is a popular author, speaker, and pastor who also
demands submission from women. In his popular book, The Lady, Her
Lover, and Her Lord, Jakes explains, “The Bible is written to ensure the
feminine heart the boundaries and restrictions needed to protect her from
exploitation. Yes, it teaches submission. It teaches it without apology.”14
Jakes explains how a woman should welcome submission to a man who
loves her as Christ loves the Church. These statements are similar to
Haustafeln texts that use the analogy of the household, but Jakes does
not cite any biblical texts in his advice for women. “As Christ loves the
Church” is a partial quotation from Ephesians 5:25, but the phrase alone
serves as a trigger for many Christians. For Jakes’s conservative Christian
audience, no textual citations are necessary. The message of women’s
subordination is assumed to be a value that is embedded in the Bible and
therefore prescriptive.
Like Perry, Jakes is also a filmmaker whose works support conserva-
tive ideologies regarding women. For instance, Jakes’s film Woman Thou
Art Loosed (2004),15 an adaptation of Jakes novel of the same name
(cf. Luke 13:11 King James Version), shares similarities with Perry’s
Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005). Both main characters (both played
by Kimberly Elise) are African American women who have experienced
significant struggles and for whom the film offers faith and forgiveness
as solutions.

Family Order and Discipline

Many viewers will regard MBHF as a Christian film, because they will
assume that it reflects biblical values. In particular, the opening scene
34 Nyasha Junior

sets the tone for a film that concerns itself with matters of faith, although
it is not labeled as a Christian film. The key figure, Shirley, is portrayed
as a Christian woman. As the movie begins, Aunt Bam asks Shirley if she
is nervous as she waits for the doctor. With resignation, Shirley explains,
“It’s gon’ be whatever it’s gon be.” In response, Aunt Bam calls Shirley a
woman of “strong faith.” When the doctor informs Shirley of the return
of her previously diagnosed cancer, she counsels him not to be sad. She
explains, “What I know is this. Every day that God gives us is a gift and
when he stops giving to me, then I get to be with him. So it’s alright.” The
doctor responds, “You’re an amazing woman, Shirley. Your faith gives
me hope.” Calmly, Shirley says, “God bless you.” Shirley’s stoicism in the
face of misfortune fits the image of long-suffering Christian woman. The
film focuses on faith, forgiveness, and family and would be identified by
many viewers as a Christian film with a wholesome, positive message.
Although none of Shirley’s “faithful” statements are biblical quotations,
they may seem to reflect a biblical faith for the movie’s audience.
While the film could easily be identified as Christian, MBHF also
includes representations of family order and structure that many
Christians would identify as biblical. Given that biblical texts are gen-
erally not cited in popular media and other communication forms, it is
unlikely that a layperson would identify the linkages with particular bib-
lical texts, but these representations would serve as triggers for Christian
viewers. Despite their differences, several points of connection exist
between MBHF and the Haustafeln, including its focus on the family
and its emphasis on male headship.
In MBHF, the family is a concern that is integral to the development of
the film. The title of the film emphasizes importance of family. Also, the
song “Family” by Macy Gray plays during the opening credits. The film
revolves around Shirley’s efforts to assemble all of her children together
for a family dinner to inform them of her medical condition. Mabel/
Madea assists her niece Shirley by strong-arming the family members
to gather for dinner. Throughout the film, Madea offers advice on fam-
ily relationships, and after Shirley’s death, Madea addresses the family
fragmentation by recommending immediate and future communication
strategies.
The “household” (Greek oikos “house,” “household,” or “family” and
Greek oikeios “household members”) is a central image in the Epistles,
since the community of believers is described as a household or a fam-
ily. For example, Paul counsels, “Let us work for the good of all, and
especially for those of the family of faith” (Galatians 6:10). In Ephesians,
Jews and Gentiles are “members of the household of God” (Ephesians
2:19). Also, according to 1 Timothy 3, a bishop must be a good husband
and father who keeps his own household in order. The text understands
 Tyler Perry Reads Scripture 35

the household of the individual as analogous to the church, which is the

household of God. Both must be kept in order. Like MBHF, the writers
of the Epistles had an expressed focus on the family.

Male Headship
In MBHF, although Madea serves as the central figure in the extended
family, male headship is considered essential within the family structure.
This is most evident in the relationship between married couple Tammy
and Harold. In the initial scene in which Tammy and Harold appear,
Tammy walks in with an attitude and berates Harold. When he com-
plains about her while she is out of the room, she returns with her hands
on her hips to confront him. Harold is portrayed as a henpecked husband
who does not stand up for himself. Later, Harold complains that he and
Tammy have not had sex in over a year. He says that there is no peace in
his home and that their marriage of 17 years is like a prison.
At the family dinner, Madea counsels Harold and Tammy regarding
their marriage. She tells Tammy to stop speaking to Harold in a disre-
spectful manner and tells them both to go into the kitchen to talk. She
tells Harold, “Stand up and be a man in your house. No woman wants
a weak man; be a man.” When Harold and Tammy enter the kitchen,
Harold grabs Tammy’s arm forcefully. The camera switches back to
Madea who continues to urge Harold, “Be a man.” The camera returns
to Harold who bangs his hand on the counter. He signals nonverbally to
Madea that he is following her orders. When Harold speaks to Tammy,
the camera is angled downward to view her from above. She lowers her
head and cowers as she says, “I’m sorry.” Furthermore, urged by Madea,
Harold says, “Now, sit your ass down. S-I-T.” With Madea’s encourage-
ment, Harold takes charge physically and verbally. Being a man is under-
stood as bullying and intimidating his wife. As the man of the house,
he must take control and establish his dominance over the household.
Later in the film, we see Harold and Tammy kissing with champagne and
roses. Presumably, Harold’s newfound assertiveness as head of his house-
hold has brought about a reconciliation in his relationship with Tammy.
Like MBHF, the Haustafeln texts are concerned with male headship.
They reflect the Roman notion of the pater familias (Latin for “head
of household”). According to Roman law, the pater familias exercised
potria potestas (“right of the father”), which gave him complete con-
trol over the household. The understanding of the faith community as
a household involves Roman societal expectations. Thus, in 1 Peter the
text exhorts wives to accept the authority of their husbands even if the
husbands are nonbelievers (3:1). Likewise, slaves are told to accept the
authority of their masters whether those masters are kind or harsh (2:18).
36 Nyasha Junior

Men who are husbands, masters, and parents have duties toward their
inferiors. For example, husbands are to honor their wives “as the weaker
sex” (1 Peter 3:7). In Colossians, while wives are subject to their hus-
bands, husbands are told to love their wives and not to treat them harshly
(Colossians 3:18). Despite these admonitions, the male householder is in
charge of the household.
The disciplining of children is another element of MBHF’s emphasis
on family structure and order. Aunt Bam goes to Madea to tell her to
help Shirley with her children. Madea says, “I don’t know why folks run
to the elders after their children get out of control. When the elders be
telling them all along they need to get these children straight.” Madea
claims that there are two different styles of raising children. While Shirley
believes in praying, Madea believes in punching. When complaining to
Calvin and Byron about Tammy, Harold claims that Tammy will not
allow him to discipline their children, H. J. and Will. While alone with
Harold and Tammy’s children, at Harold’s auto repair shop, Madea dis-
ciplines H. J. by slapping him repeatedly after he talks back to her. She
exclaims, “Young folks so disrespectful. I got silver hair, but I also have
silver bullets. Be disrespectful again and I’m gon’ beat your ass.” When
Madea leaves, H. J. offers a submissive “Goodbye, ma’am.” Later, at
the family dinner, H. J. follows Madea’s command to leave the table
without comment. He has been cowered into submission with physical
discipline. Again, in the Haustafeln, the pater familias has control of the
family, including children. Children are to obey their parents (Ephesians
6:1; Colossians 3:20). Fathers are enjoined not to provoke their children
(Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 3:21), but the male householder is dominant
and controls his wives, children, and slaves.
Whether or not Perry’s viewers connect MBHF with Haustafeln texts,
they would probably agree that it reflects biblical values of order and
discipline with a wholesome, positive message of family unity. Such
emphasis reflects a conservative Christian “Bible-based” view of fami-
lies. This focus on male headship has been an important element in
traditional interpretations of these texts to the extent that many con-
servative Christians believe that the Bible requires women’s submission.
Current pastors, denominations, and some scholars use these notions in
order to regulate the behavior of women in church and in society today.
Furthermore, children’s absolute obedience is mandated, although it
creates a dangerous environment that straddles between discipline and
domestic violence.
For example, on September 10, 2012, Pat Robertson, host of the
Christian Broadcasting Network’s “700 Club” and unsuccessful candi-
date for the 1988 Republican Party’s nomination for the presidency of
the United States, was asked for advice by a listener whose wife did not
 Tyler Perry Reads Scripture 37

respect him as “head of the house.”16 Robertson says that the man “can-
not let her get away with this stuff” and suggests somewhat jokingly that
the man become a Muslim and move to Saudi Arabia where Robertson
presumes that domestic abuse is tolerated. Robertson goes on to describe
the woman as a “rebellious child” who “does not want to submit to any
authority.” He surmises that the woman had “temper tantrums” as a child
and that she has transferred her rebelliousness from her father to her hus-
band. The broadcast was later edited to remove Robertson’s more inflam-
matory comments about becoming a Muslim. Although Robertson does
not cite any biblical texts in his support of the notion of a man’s place as
head of household, most of his listeners would treat his comments as in
keeping with proper notions of hierarchy within Christian families.

Implications
Perry’s representations of African American families, particularly in the
relationship of Harold and Tammy, reflect a dependency upon the stereo-
type of the strong black woman who needs to be put in her place. African
American sociologist Patricia Hill-Collins refers to this stereotype as the
Matriarch, which is intertwined with historical notions of black women
as loud, controlling, and emasculating.17 Despite the creative strategies
that African Americans have used to create and to maintain extended
families based on blood relations as well as fictive kinship bonds, the
problems of African American families are blamed on the perceived con-
flict between the so-called black female matriarchs and the black men
who are not permitted to take their “rightful” place as head of house-
hold. There is an assumption that African Americans would be better off
if nuclear patriarchal families became the norm. As usual, biblical texts
are not cited in these conversations, but the notion of a “natural” order
for the family stems in part from understandings of biblical texts that
support the rights and responsibilities of the pater familias. Although
these texts support the subordination of wives, children, and slaves, the
rigid gender roles and household hierarchies assumed by the Haustafeln
are not necessary for the survival of the African American family or for
the African American Christian family.
I teach introductory biblical studies courses at a historically black
divinity school. Every semester, I have numerous students who are amazed
at the great gulf that divides what they assumed was in the Bible versus
what is in the text. Each semester, I become more aware of the Bible’s role
not as a book but as a living text that is embedded with biblical values.
For some readers/listeners, the actual content of the Bible is less impor-
tant than the pastiche of biblical and pseudo-biblical key words and
38 Nyasha Junior

phrases. For example, my students love to hear someone say, “David was
a man after God’s own heart.” This positive description comes from Acts
13:22 and is often cited in sermons that hold up David as a role model.
Yet, when we read about David’s exploits in 1 and 2 Samuel, many of my
students are shocked that other texts depict David an adulterer, a cold-
blooded murderer, a mercenary for the Philistines, and as someone with
questionable parenting skills. I have learned that perceptions about the
Bible are much more influential than the text itself.
Visual images have become increasingly important in our society.
Television news outlets run stories that have accompanying videos. Online
articles include links to photo gallery or images. Thus, Tyler Perry’s
film MBHF and its reflection of conservative “Bible-based” notions of
African American families is not simply film that entertains. Instead, due
to the ways in which some Christians will regard the film as biblical, they
will also understand it as prescriptive. Many women, including Christian
women, have internalized the rigid gender roles and have accepted the
pernicious debilitating stereotype of the strong black woman. Despite
other texts that support equality, they regard submission as biblical, as
prescriptive, and as necessary for family stability and happiness.
For many Christians, living a Christian lifestyle requires living bibli-
cally. The authority of the Bible is understood to require following the
rules and regulations of the Bible. Nevertheless, such attempts to follow
biblical precepts involve particular interpretations that support the empha-
sis of certain texts over others or a “canon within a canon” approach. For
example, 1 Timothy 2 states that a woman should not teach a man. For
some conservative interpreters, this text is used to support male-only ordi-
nation. They treat the text as a universal one that applies to the contem-
porary era. Yet, Ephesians 6:5 states, “Slaves be obedient to your earthly
masters with fear and trembling.” This clear, unequivocal pro-slavery
statement in the New Testament is regarded as culturally time bound and
not applicable to the twenty-first century. Thus, any attempt to live “bibli-
cally” involves privileging certain texts in a selective way.
As New Testament scholar Mary Ann Tolbert explains, authorized
interpreters within communities use notions of biblical authority “to
assure not the continuing importance of widely attested or programmatic
themes in scripture, but rather the divine inspiration of the tenuous and
marginal.”18 Biblical texts support slavery, but these texts are rejected
as antiquated regulations for a slave economy. Yet, texts that require the
submission of women are upheld despite other texts that support a more
egalitarian approach. For instance, in one of the Pauline Epistles, Paul
explains that traditional divisions are not part of the community of faith.
He writes, “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or
free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ
 Tyler Perry Reads Scripture 39

Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). MBHF is biblical in that it relies on common

understandings of biblical texts that require male headship and women’s
subordination.
Although there is no deliberate or literal link between the film and these
texts, both share concerns regarding proper order within a patriarchal
family structure, especially regarding the appropriate regulation of women
within the household. In addition, the film supports the negative stereo-
type of the strong black woman as inappropriately taking a leadership role
in her relationship with her husband and children. The Haustafeln and
MBHF are similar in their requirement for order, but Christians need not
treat what is biblical in terms of biblical content as necessarily prescriptive
for Christian religious practice.

Notes
1. Bill Carter, “Next for ‘Survivor’ Producer: Bible-Based Scripted Drama,”
New York Times, May 24, 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/24
/arts/television/reality-tv-producer-mark-burnett-tackles-the-bible.html.
Accessed June 1, 2013.
2. Lisa De Moraes, “Jeff Foxworthy to Host ‘American Bible Challenge,’”
Washington Post, March 21, 2012. http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle
/style/jeff-foxworthy-to-host-the-american-bible-challenge/2012/03/21
/gIQAtYcYSS_story.html. Accessed June 1, 2013.
3. Ben Hur directed by Sidnye Olcott, Frank Oakes Rose, and H. Temple
(Kalem company, 1907); The Ten Commandments directed by Cecil B.
DeMille (Paramount Pictures, 1956); The Robe, directed by Henry Coster
(Twentieth Century-Fox, 1953); Samson and Delilah, directed by Ferdinand
Zecca (Pathé Frères, 1903); Evan Almighty, directed by Tom Shadyac
(Universal Pictures, 2007).
4. Devin Gordon, “Have You Accepted Tebow as Your QB and Sunday
Savior?” GQ, September 2012, http://www.gq.com/sports/profiles/201209
/tim-tebow-gq-september-2012-cover-story. Accessed June 1, 2013.
5. Barack H. Obama, “Remarks by the President to UAW Conference,” Daily
Compilation of Presidential Documents 201200131 February 28, 2012,
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/DCPD-201200131/pdf/DCPD-201200131.
pdf. Accessed June 1, 2013.
6. All biblical translations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version.
7. For a classic discussion of allusion, see Ziva Ben-Porat, “The Poetics of
Literary Allusion,” PTL: A Journal for Descriptive Poetics and Theory of
Literature, Vol. 1 (1976): 105–128.
8. For a discussion of the hoped-for coming of the Messiah in different com-
munities, see John T. Carroll, The Return of Jesus in Early Christianity
(Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2000).
9. On Haustafeln in African American biblical interpretation, see C. J.
Martin, “The Haustafeln (Household Codes) in African American Biblical
40 Nyasha Junior

Interpretation: ‘Free Slave’ and ‘Subordinate Women,’” in Stony the Road

We Trod: African American Biblical Interpretation, ed. C. H. Felder
(Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1991), 206–231.
10. For an overview of biblical scholarship on the Haustafeln, see James
P. Hering, The Colossian and Ephesian Haustafeln in Theological Context:
An Analysis of Their Origins, Relationship, and Message, vol. 260 (New
York: Peter Lang, 2007).
11. For a review of recent scholarship in Pauline studies, see James D. G.
Dunn, The Cambridge Companion to St. Paul (Cambridge, UK; New York:
Cambridge University Press, 2003).
12. On the roles of women in early house churches, see Carolyn Osiek, Margaret
Y. MacDonald, and Janet H. Tulloch, A Woman’s Place: House Churches in
Earliest Christianity (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2006).
13. Southern Baptist Convention. “The Baptist Faith and Message,” http://
www.sbc.net/bfm/bfm2000.asp. Accessed June 1, 2013.
14. T. D. Jakes, The Lady, Her Lover, and Her Lord (New York: G. P. Putnam’s
Sons, 1998), 62.
15. Directed by Michael Schultz (Los Angeles, CA, Woman Thou Art Loosed,
LLC).
16. Christian Broadcasting Network, “700 Club September 10, 2012 broadcast,
http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/archive/club/700Club
091012_WS. Unedited clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoHdO2rw
GwE&feature=related. Accessed June 1, 2013.
17. Patricia Hill-Collins discusses four key stereotypes of black women, includ-
ing Mammy, Matriarch, Welfare Mother, and Jezebel. See “Mammies,
Matriarchs, and Other Controlling Images” in Feminist Philosophies:
Problems, Theories, and Applications edited by Janet A. Kournay, James
P. Sterba, and Rosemarie Tong, 2nd ed. (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice
Hall, 1999), 142–152. Also, see Michele Wallace, Black Macho and the
Myth of the Superwoman (New York: Verso, 1990); Joan Morgan, When
Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: A Hip-Hop Feminist Breaks It Down
(New York: Simon and Schuster, 2000); and Kimberly Springer, “Third
Wave Black Feminism?” Signs, Vol. 47 (2002): 1059–1082.
18. Mary Ann Tolbert, “A New Teaching with Authority: A Re-Evaluation
of the Authority of the Bible,” in Teaching the Bible: The Discourses and
Politics of Biblical Pedagogy, ed. Fernando Segovia and Mary Ann Tolbert
(Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1998), 168–189, 171.