Conversation Analysis

Abstract

Conversation Analysis (hereafter CA) has its origins in qualitative approaches in sociology. In the 1960s and 1970s Harvey Sacks assumed that language is fundamental to all social interaction, so that the study of naturally occurring conversation as the most basic form of language is essential to understanding all human interaction, even within institutions. That is, in order to understand institutional talk, one must first understand everyday conversation and then determine how practices in ordinary talk are adapted in institutional settings. Because of its emphasis on “naturally occurring” conversation, few scholars of CA have applied this method to written texts. Since CA has now had a significant influence in various disciplines—sociology, linguistics, communication, anthropology, and psychology, many of which have also influenced the study of literature—a growing number of literary scholars are using CA in their research, including in biblical studies. Furthermore, with newer technological forms of communication, a growing number of scholars of CA are applying their methods to written forms of communication. Therefore, the interdisciplinary use of CA within biblical studies is the topic of this entry. The below bibliography is arranged in sections to provide an introduction to studies by scholars of CA first before introducing a representative group of studies by biblical scholars who have applied CA in their research.