Author: James R. Harrison
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1532613466
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 475
Book Description
Paul’s Language of Grace in Its Graeco-Roman Context was originally published by Mohr Siebeck in 2003 and is now reprinted by Wipf and Stock with a new introduction by its author, James R. Harrison. The book was the first major investigation of charis (‘grace’, ‘favor’) in its social, political, and religious context since G. P. Wetter’s pioneering 1913 monograph on the topic. Focusing on the evidence of the inscriptions, papyri, philosophers, and Greek Jewish literature, Harrison examined the operations of the eastern Mediterranean benefaction system, probing the dynamic of reciprocity between the beneficiary and benefactor, whether human or divine. Before Paul’s converts were first exposed to the gospel, they would have held a variety of beliefs regarding the beneficence of the gods. The apostle, therefore, needed to tailor his language of grace as much to the theological and social concerns of the Mediterranean city-states in his missionary outreach as to the variegated traditions of first-century Judaism. In terms of human grace, although Paul endorses the reciprocity system, he redefines its rationale in light of the gospel of grace and transforms its social expression in his house churches. The explosion of ‘grace’ language that occurs in 2 Corinthians 8–9 regarding the Jerusalem collection is unusual in its frequency in comparison to the honorific inscriptions, underscoring the apostle’s distinctive approach to giving. Regarding divine beneficence, Paul accommodates his gospel to contemporary benefaction idiom. But he retains a distinctiveness of viewpoint regarding divine charis: it is non-cultic; it is mediated through a dishonored and impoverished Benefactor; it overturns the do ut des expectation (‘I give so that you may give’) regarding divine blessing in antiquity. Harrison’s book still remains the authoritative coverage of the Graeco-Roman context of charis.
Paul's Language of Grace in its Graeco-Roman Context
Author: James R. Harrison
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1532613466
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 475
Book Description
Paul’s Language of Grace in Its Graeco-Roman Context was originally published by Mohr Siebeck in 2003 and is now reprinted by Wipf and Stock with a new introduction by its author, James R. Harrison. The book was the first major investigation of charis (‘grace’, ‘favor’) in its social, political, and religious context since G. P. Wetter’s pioneering 1913 monograph on the topic. Focusing on the evidence of the inscriptions, papyri, philosophers, and Greek Jewish literature, Harrison examined the operations of the eastern Mediterranean benefaction system, probing the dynamic of reciprocity between the beneficiary and benefactor, whether human or divine. Before Paul’s converts were first exposed to the gospel, they would have held a variety of beliefs regarding the beneficence of the gods. The apostle, therefore, needed to tailor his language of grace as much to the theological and social concerns of the Mediterranean city-states in his missionary outreach as to the variegated traditions of first-century Judaism. In terms of human grace, although Paul endorses the reciprocity system, he redefines its rationale in light of the gospel of grace and transforms its social expression in his house churches. The explosion of ‘grace’ language that occurs in 2 Corinthians 8–9 regarding the Jerusalem collection is unusual in its frequency in comparison to the honorific inscriptions, underscoring the apostle’s distinctive approach to giving. Regarding divine beneficence, Paul accommodates his gospel to contemporary benefaction idiom. But he retains a distinctiveness of viewpoint regarding divine charis: it is non-cultic; it is mediated through a dishonored and impoverished Benefactor; it overturns the do ut des expectation (‘I give so that you may give’) regarding divine blessing in antiquity. Harrison’s book still remains the authoritative coverage of the Graeco-Roman context of charis.
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1532613466
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 475
Book Description
Paul’s Language of Grace in Its Graeco-Roman Context was originally published by Mohr Siebeck in 2003 and is now reprinted by Wipf and Stock with a new introduction by its author, James R. Harrison. The book was the first major investigation of charis (‘grace’, ‘favor’) in its social, political, and religious context since G. P. Wetter’s pioneering 1913 monograph on the topic. Focusing on the evidence of the inscriptions, papyri, philosophers, and Greek Jewish literature, Harrison examined the operations of the eastern Mediterranean benefaction system, probing the dynamic of reciprocity between the beneficiary and benefactor, whether human or divine. Before Paul’s converts were first exposed to the gospel, they would have held a variety of beliefs regarding the beneficence of the gods. The apostle, therefore, needed to tailor his language of grace as much to the theological and social concerns of the Mediterranean city-states in his missionary outreach as to the variegated traditions of first-century Judaism. In terms of human grace, although Paul endorses the reciprocity system, he redefines its rationale in light of the gospel of grace and transforms its social expression in his house churches. The explosion of ‘grace’ language that occurs in 2 Corinthians 8–9 regarding the Jerusalem collection is unusual in its frequency in comparison to the honorific inscriptions, underscoring the apostle’s distinctive approach to giving. Regarding divine beneficence, Paul accommodates his gospel to contemporary benefaction idiom. But he retains a distinctiveness of viewpoint regarding divine charis: it is non-cultic; it is mediated through a dishonored and impoverished Benefactor; it overturns the do ut des expectation (‘I give so that you may give’) regarding divine blessing in antiquity. Harrison’s book still remains the authoritative coverage of the Graeco-Roman context of charis.
Paul and the Imperial Authorities at Thessalonica and Rome
Author: James R. Harrison
Publisher: Mohr Siebeck
ISBN: 9783161498800
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 460
Book Description
James R. Harrison investigates the collision between Paul's eschatological gospel and the Julio-Claudian conception of rule. The ruler's propaganda, with its claim about the 'eternal rule' of the imperial house over its subjects, embodied in idolatry of power that conflicted with Paul's proclamation of the reign of the risen Son of God over his world. This ideological conflict is examined in 1 and 2 Thessalonians and in Romans, exploring how Paul's eschatology intersected with the imperial cult in the Greek East and in the Latin West. A wide selection of evidence - literary, documentary, numismatic, iconographic, archeological - unveils the 'symbolic universe' of the Julio-Claudian rulers. This construction of social and cosmic reality stood at odds with the eschatological denouement of world history, which, in Paul's view, culminated in the arrival of God's new creation upon Christ's return as Lord of all. Paul exalted the Body of Christ over Nero's 'body of state', transferring to the risen and ascended Jesus many of the ruler's titles and to the Body of Christ many of the ruler's functions. Thus, for Paul, Christ's reign challenged the values of Roman society and transformed its hierarchical social relations through the Spirit.
Publisher: Mohr Siebeck
ISBN: 9783161498800
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 460
Book Description
James R. Harrison investigates the collision between Paul's eschatological gospel and the Julio-Claudian conception of rule. The ruler's propaganda, with its claim about the 'eternal rule' of the imperial house over its subjects, embodied in idolatry of power that conflicted with Paul's proclamation of the reign of the risen Son of God over his world. This ideological conflict is examined in 1 and 2 Thessalonians and in Romans, exploring how Paul's eschatology intersected with the imperial cult in the Greek East and in the Latin West. A wide selection of evidence - literary, documentary, numismatic, iconographic, archeological - unveils the 'symbolic universe' of the Julio-Claudian rulers. This construction of social and cosmic reality stood at odds with the eschatological denouement of world history, which, in Paul's view, culminated in the arrival of God's new creation upon Christ's return as Lord of all. Paul exalted the Body of Christ over Nero's 'body of state', transferring to the risen and ascended Jesus many of the ruler's titles and to the Body of Christ many of the ruler's functions. Thus, for Paul, Christ's reign challenged the values of Roman society and transformed its hierarchical social relations through the Spirit.
Paul and the Ancient Celebrity Circuit
Author: James R. Harrison
Publisher: Mohr Siebeck
ISBN: 3161546156
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 467
Book Description
"In this study, James R. Harrison compares the modern cult of celebrity to the quest for glory in late republican and early imperial society. He shows how Paul's ethic of humility, based upon the crucified Christ, stands out in a world obsessed with mutual comparison, boasting, and self-sufficiency." --
Publisher: Mohr Siebeck
ISBN: 3161546156
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 467
Book Description
"In this study, James R. Harrison compares the modern cult of celebrity to the quest for glory in late republican and early imperial society. He shows how Paul's ethic of humility, based upon the crucified Christ, stands out in a world obsessed with mutual comparison, boasting, and self-sufficiency." --
Paul as Missionary
Author: Trevor J. Burke
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0567464903
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 289
Book Description
Paul as Missionary: Identity, Activity, Theology and Practice takes the view that before anything else Paul must first and foremost be identified as a missionary. Using the entire Pauline corpus the contributors to this volume assess what Paul's correspondence can tell us about how he perceived his role and identity. The work comprises four parts: in section one, Paul's identity as priest, eschatological herald, and missionary-pastor are explored while in part two topics such as the apostle's activity among pagans, his suffering, and Paul's missionary message; to the church at Rome are considered. Section three comprises essays on the Spirit as the governing dynamic, the glory of God as the apostles missionary goal, and the importance of Paul's Christology in shaping his mission to the Gentiles. Finally, part four addresses Paul's missionary praxis, including his support of his missionary enterprise.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0567464903
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 289
Book Description
Paul as Missionary: Identity, Activity, Theology and Practice takes the view that before anything else Paul must first and foremost be identified as a missionary. Using the entire Pauline corpus the contributors to this volume assess what Paul's correspondence can tell us about how he perceived his role and identity. The work comprises four parts: in section one, Paul's identity as priest, eschatological herald, and missionary-pastor are explored while in part two topics such as the apostle's activity among pagans, his suffering, and Paul's missionary message; to the church at Rome are considered. Section three comprises essays on the Spirit as the governing dynamic, the glory of God as the apostles missionary goal, and the importance of Paul's Christology in shaping his mission to the Gentiles. Finally, part four addresses Paul's missionary praxis, including his support of his missionary enterprise.
The Divine Heartset
Author: Crispin Fletcher-Louis
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1666744743
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 955
Book Description
The fruit of a decade’s research, this volume offers a new interpretation of the dense Christological narrative in Philippians 2:6–11, taking inspiration from recent advances in our understanding of the letter’s Greek and Roman setting and from insights made possible by recently created linguistic databases (such as TLG and PHI). The passage’s praise of Christ engages the language of Hellenistic ruler cults, Platonic metaphysics and moral philosophy, popular (Homeric) beliefs about the gods, and Greek love (eros), to articulate a scripturally grounded theology in which God is revealed to be one in two persons (God the Father and LORD Jesus Christ). The volume also explores hitherto unseen ways in which the central Christ Hymn is tightly connected to the rest of Paul’s argument. The hymn presents Christ as an epitome of the ideals of Greek (and Roman) virtue, to support Paul’s summoning his readers to a life of praiseworthy and exemplary civic conduct (in 1:27). New or recently proposed translations are advanced for numerous words and phrases (in, e.g., 1:8, 11, 27; 2:3, 4, 6, 11; 3:2, 4) and a new (non-Stendahlian) approach to Paul’s boasting in 3:4–6, that is Christological rather than biographical, is put forward.
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1666744743
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 955
Book Description
The fruit of a decade’s research, this volume offers a new interpretation of the dense Christological narrative in Philippians 2:6–11, taking inspiration from recent advances in our understanding of the letter’s Greek and Roman setting and from insights made possible by recently created linguistic databases (such as TLG and PHI). The passage’s praise of Christ engages the language of Hellenistic ruler cults, Platonic metaphysics and moral philosophy, popular (Homeric) beliefs about the gods, and Greek love (eros), to articulate a scripturally grounded theology in which God is revealed to be one in two persons (God the Father and LORD Jesus Christ). The volume also explores hitherto unseen ways in which the central Christ Hymn is tightly connected to the rest of Paul’s argument. The hymn presents Christ as an epitome of the ideals of Greek (and Roman) virtue, to support Paul’s summoning his readers to a life of praiseworthy and exemplary civic conduct (in 1:27). New or recently proposed translations are advanced for numerous words and phrases (in, e.g., 1:8, 11, 27; 2:3, 4, 6, 11; 3:2, 4) and a new (non-Stendahlian) approach to Paul’s boasting in 3:4–6, that is Christological rather than biographical, is put forward.
The State of Pauline Studies
Author: Nijay K. Gupta
Publisher: Baker Books
ISBN: 1493438174
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 345
Book Description
In every generation, the study of Paul evolves with new insights and questions. This enigmatic ancient figure continues to ignite interesting conversations and vigorous debates. Complementing the successful The State of New Testament Studies, this book surveys the current landscape of Pauline studies, offering readers a concise guide to contemporary discussions in Pauline scholarship. It brings together a diverse team of leading scholars, providing up-to-date, expert analysis on important issues in Pauline studies, such as Christology, salvation, the Spirit, gender, and empire. In addition, each of the Pauline letters is examined in detail. This book will serve as an ideal supplemental textbook for Paul courses. Contributors include Ben Blackwell, Dennis Edwards, Timothy Gombis, John Goodrich, Nijay K. Gupta, Erin Heim, Chris Hoklotubbe, Joshua Jipp, Scot McKnight, Peter Oakes, B. J. Oropeza, Angela Parker, Kris Song, Jennifer Strawbridge, Sydney Tooth, Cynthia Long Westfall, and Kent Yinger.
Publisher: Baker Books
ISBN: 1493438174
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 345
Book Description
In every generation, the study of Paul evolves with new insights and questions. This enigmatic ancient figure continues to ignite interesting conversations and vigorous debates. Complementing the successful The State of New Testament Studies, this book surveys the current landscape of Pauline studies, offering readers a concise guide to contemporary discussions in Pauline scholarship. It brings together a diverse team of leading scholars, providing up-to-date, expert analysis on important issues in Pauline studies, such as Christology, salvation, the Spirit, gender, and empire. In addition, each of the Pauline letters is examined in detail. This book will serve as an ideal supplemental textbook for Paul courses. Contributors include Ben Blackwell, Dennis Edwards, Timothy Gombis, John Goodrich, Nijay K. Gupta, Erin Heim, Chris Hoklotubbe, Joshua Jipp, Scot McKnight, Peter Oakes, B. J. Oropeza, Angela Parker, Kris Song, Jennifer Strawbridge, Sydney Tooth, Cynthia Long Westfall, and Kent Yinger.
Paul and Patronage
Author: Joshua Rice
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1725247933
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 206
Book Description
The question of how leadership and authority functioned in the Pauline church remains one of the most polarizing issues in New Testament scholarship today. On the one side are egalitarian and counterimperial readings that stake their interpretation of the liberating gospel upon a depiction of the Pauline church as radically countercultural with regard to leadership and authority. On the other side are authoritarian readings that just as easily conceive of Paul as fully embedded within the cultural conceptions and structures of leadership and authority in vogue across the Greco-Roman world. This study employs social-science criticism to construct a model of ancient patronage conventions and power-exchange dynamics in the Greco-Roman world, and this model is then applied to 1 Corinthians. This study finds that when Paul addresses his own apostolic relationship to the Corinthians, he tends toward reinscribing traditional hierarchies, but that when Paul addresses relationships between participants of the Corinthian assembly, he tends toward overturning them.
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1725247933
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 206
Book Description
The question of how leadership and authority functioned in the Pauline church remains one of the most polarizing issues in New Testament scholarship today. On the one side are egalitarian and counterimperial readings that stake their interpretation of the liberating gospel upon a depiction of the Pauline church as radically countercultural with regard to leadership and authority. On the other side are authoritarian readings that just as easily conceive of Paul as fully embedded within the cultural conceptions and structures of leadership and authority in vogue across the Greco-Roman world. This study employs social-science criticism to construct a model of ancient patronage conventions and power-exchange dynamics in the Greco-Roman world, and this model is then applied to 1 Corinthians. This study finds that when Paul addresses his own apostolic relationship to the Corinthians, he tends toward reinscribing traditional hierarchies, but that when Paul addresses relationships between participants of the Corinthian assembly, he tends toward overturning them.
Mutual Boasting in Philippians
Author: Isaac D. Blois
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0567694070
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 225
Book Description
Isaac Blois argues that Paul's focus in Philippians on the mutual boasting shared between himself and his converts draws on the mutual boasting shared between Israel and her covenant God, as apparent in both Deuteronomy and Isaiah. Using the appearance of this central theme in the pivotal passages of Phil 1:25-26 and 2:14-16 as his focus, Blois stresses the integral relation between mutual boasting and the role that it plays in Paul's exhortations to the Philippian believers, exploring its backdrop in both the biblical tradition and the cultures surrounding them. Blois demonstrates how the mutual boasting that Paul shares with his beloved community is culturally appropriate; the sharing of honor among friends and family was common in antiquity, as seen through the epistolary writing of prominent Roman authors such as Cicero, Seneca, and Fronto. In light of the Scriptural and cultural basis for this motif of shared boasting, Blois argues that the apostle is able to deploy the motif in order to motivate an appropriate response from his audience in the letter. Focusing on the prominence of mutual honor and its use for motivation in Philippians 1 and 2, Blois offers a fresh perspective on the exhortative function of the eschatological boasting that is to exist between Paul and his congregation on the day of Christ.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0567694070
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 225
Book Description
Isaac Blois argues that Paul's focus in Philippians on the mutual boasting shared between himself and his converts draws on the mutual boasting shared between Israel and her covenant God, as apparent in both Deuteronomy and Isaiah. Using the appearance of this central theme in the pivotal passages of Phil 1:25-26 and 2:14-16 as his focus, Blois stresses the integral relation between mutual boasting and the role that it plays in Paul's exhortations to the Philippian believers, exploring its backdrop in both the biblical tradition and the cultures surrounding them. Blois demonstrates how the mutual boasting that Paul shares with his beloved community is culturally appropriate; the sharing of honor among friends and family was common in antiquity, as seen through the epistolary writing of prominent Roman authors such as Cicero, Seneca, and Fronto. In light of the Scriptural and cultural basis for this motif of shared boasting, Blois argues that the apostle is able to deploy the motif in order to motivate an appropriate response from his audience in the letter. Focusing on the prominence of mutual honor and its use for motivation in Philippians 1 and 2, Blois offers a fresh perspective on the exhortative function of the eschatological boasting that is to exist between Paul and his congregation on the day of Christ.
Holiness in the Letters of Paul
Author: J. Ayodeji Adewuya
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1498294553
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 209
Book Description
Paul's understanding of holiness stems from the holiness of God as revealed in the Old Testament. Using varied terminology, Paul describes the holiness that should characterize the believers as the people of God. God expects moral integrity of his people, because he has provided believers with his Holy Spirit to enable them to live exemplary, Christlike lives in this present world, though polluted, as they prepare for the world to come. Believers, who, like Paul, anticipate the Parousia, must not only desire but also pray that holiness becomes a reality in their lives, cognizant of the fact that holiness is a matter of practice, not merely a status that one attains upon justification. Thus, holiness is an imperative for the people of God.
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1498294553
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 209
Book Description
Paul's understanding of holiness stems from the holiness of God as revealed in the Old Testament. Using varied terminology, Paul describes the holiness that should characterize the believers as the people of God. God expects moral integrity of his people, because he has provided believers with his Holy Spirit to enable them to live exemplary, Christlike lives in this present world, though polluted, as they prepare for the world to come. Believers, who, like Paul, anticipate the Parousia, must not only desire but also pray that holiness becomes a reality in their lives, cognizant of the fact that holiness is a matter of practice, not merely a status that one attains upon justification. Thus, holiness is an imperative for the people of God.
Luke's Portrait of Paul
Author: John Clayton Lentz
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521433169
Category : Bible
Languages : en
Pages : 208
Book Description
The purpose of this book is to seek a fuller understanding of how the characterisation of Paul in Acts would have been perceived by those who first read or heard the Lucan narrative. As the author makes clear, the careful reader of Acts should be amazed at the way St Paul is portrayed therein. Dr Lentz demonstrates, through a careful examination of particular texts, the great improbability that a Jew of strict Pharisaic background would have held, let alone been proud of, Roman citizenship and citizenship of the city of Tarsus. By investigating the social and legal expectations of the first century, the author shows that Paul is seen to be deferred to in matters of legal minutiae by those in positions of authority. He is given high social status and abundant moral virtue in order to attract to Christianity the high-ranking citizen who would recognise in Paul the classical cardinal virtues.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521433169
Category : Bible
Languages : en
Pages : 208
Book Description
The purpose of this book is to seek a fuller understanding of how the characterisation of Paul in Acts would have been perceived by those who first read or heard the Lucan narrative. As the author makes clear, the careful reader of Acts should be amazed at the way St Paul is portrayed therein. Dr Lentz demonstrates, through a careful examination of particular texts, the great improbability that a Jew of strict Pharisaic background would have held, let alone been proud of, Roman citizenship and citizenship of the city of Tarsus. By investigating the social and legal expectations of the first century, the author shows that Paul is seen to be deferred to in matters of legal minutiae by those in positions of authority. He is given high social status and abundant moral virtue in order to attract to Christianity the high-ranking citizen who would recognise in Paul the classical cardinal virtues.