Belly and Body in the Pauline Epistles (Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series, Series Number 120)

Throughout history, the human belly has been regarded as both a source of shame and pride. Modern cultures, particularly in the West, have developed means to cultivate this part of the body through corsets, exercises, and revealing fashions. Does St. Paul address a culture in which the stomach ranks high? This study aims to answer the question and the results may be surprising. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 5 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 CONTENTS......Page 9 PREFACE......Page 13 ABBREVIATIONS......Page 15 PART 1 Prolegomena......Page 17 1.0 Introduction......Page 20 1.1 Bible translations......Page 21 Observance of Jewish dietary laws......Page 23 Comments......Page 24 Gluttony or greed......Page 25 Comments......Page 26 1.3 Methodological considerations......Page 27 1.4 Belly and body – the Pauline context of the study......Page 30 PART 2 The Graeco-Roman belly......Page 39 2.0 Introduction......Page 40 2.1 The stomach as a sign......Page 43 2.2 Summary......Page 50 3.0 Introduction......Page 51 3.1 Euripides (born probably in the 480s BC)......Page 53 3.2 Plato (c. 429–347 BC)......Page 55 3.3 Xenophon (born around 430 BC)......Page 58 3.4 Aristotle (384–322 BC)......Page 61 3.5 Dio Chrysostom (AD c. 40/50–110)......Page 62 3.6 Musonius Rufus (AD 30 – AD 101/102)......Page 63 3.7 Epictetus (mid first century to second century AD)......Page 65 3.8 Plutarch (AD c. 50 – c. 120)......Page 68 3.9 Athenaeus (flourished c. AD 200)......Page 70 3.10 Summary......Page 73 4.0 Epicurus – the popularity and reputation of a doctrine......Page 77 The proverbial figure of Sardanapalus......Page 81 4.2 Seneca......Page 87 4.3 Plutarch......Page 90 4.4 Summary......Page 93 5.0 Introduction......Page 95 5.1 Parties for pleasure......Page 96 5.2 Seneca – the moral philosopher......Page 99 5.3 Horace and Juvenal – two Roman satirists......Page 102 5.4 Athenaeus and Alciphron......Page 105 5.5 Summary......Page 108 PART 3 The appropriated belly......Page 111 6.2 T. Rub. 2:1–3:8......Page 113 6.3 3 Macc. 7:10–11......Page 114 6.4 4 Maccabees......Page 117 6.5 Aristeas to Philocrates 140–1......Page 120 6.6 T. Mos. 7:2–4......Page 121 6.7 Cairo Geniza Wisdom......Page 122 7.0 Introduction......Page 124 7.1 Anthropology......Page 125 7.2 The ‘geography’ of the belly......Page 128 7.3 The serpent crawling on its belly......Page 129 7.4 Esau selling his birthright for the sake of his belly......Page 133 7.5 Joseph and the servants of Pharaoh......Page 137 7.6 Jewish customs as means of controlling the stomach......Page 139 7.7 Fasts and Sabbaths......Page 142 7.8 Food laws......Page 144 7.9 Conversion – the safest way to rule the belly......Page 146 7.10 Summary......Page 147 PART 4 Belly-worship and body according to Paul......Page 149 8.0 Introduction......Page 152 8.1 ‘Stand firm’ and the rhetoric of examples......Page 154 8.2 ‘Whose god is the belly’......Page 157 Self-loving citizens......Page 165 Shameful living......Page 169 8.3 Opponents?......Page 171 8.4 Belly-worship and body in Philippians......Page 175 8.5 Summary......Page 178 9.1 Warning against deceivers......Page 181 9.2 Worshipping the belly – Gen. 3:15, Satan and flattery......Page 185 9.3 Why call the adversaries belly-worshippers?......Page 188 9.4 ‘Serving the belly’ and body in Romans......Page 191 9.5 Summary......Page 195 10.1 1 Cor. 15:32: Epicurean lifestyle versus faith in resurrection......Page 197 10.2 1 Cor. 11:17–34: the Lord’s Supper or stuffing one’s own stomach?......Page 203 10.3 1 Cor. 6:12–20: the Christian faith has implications for stomach and sex......Page 207 Introduction......Page 215 Line of thought......Page 216 Paul’s argument in 1 Cor. 10:1–22......Page 217 Reading 1 Cor. 10:1–13 in the light of its subtext......Page 219 Sex as well?......Page 226 10.5 Belly and body in 1 Corinthians......Page 228 10.6 Summary......Page 231 PART 5 The earliest expositors of Paul......Page 233 11.1 Clement of Alexandria (c. 150 – c. 215)......Page 235 11.2 Tertullian (c. 160–c. 225)......Page 239 11.3 Origen (c. 185–c. 254)......Page 242 11.4 Cyprian (d. 258)......Page 246 11.5 Novatian (d. 257–8)......Page 248 11.6 Methodius of Olympus (d. c. 311)......Page 250 11.7 Ambrosiaster (c. 300)......Page 251 11.8 Pelagius (late fourth and early fifth centuries)......Page 253 11.9 Jerome (c. 345–420)......Page 254 11.10 John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)......Page 260 11.11 Augustine of Hippo (354–430)......Page 268 11.14 Theodore of Mopsuestia (c. 350–428)......Page 272 11.15 Theodoret of Cyrrhus (c. 393–c. 460)......Page 274 11.17 Gennadius of Marseilles (fl. 470)......Page 275 11.18 Antiochus, the Patriarch of Antioch (d. 598)......Page 276 11.20 Summary......Page 277 PART 6 Conclusions......Page 279 12.1 Paul’s critique of belly-worship in an ancient setting......Page 281 12.2 Belly-worship and body in Paul’s letters......Page 285 Works of reference......Page 291 Sources......Page 292 Secondary literature......Page 294 INDEX OF MODERN AUTHORS......Page 308 INDEX OF GRAECO-ROMAN SOURCES......Page 311 The Old Testament......Page 319 Old Testament Apocrypha......Page 321 Other Jewish Writings......Page 322 The New Testament......Page 327 Early Christian writings......Page 331 The belly is today a matter of much concern. Modern cultures, particularly in the West, have developed means to cultivate this part of the body: corsets, exercises, revealing fashions. In this compelling exploration of the'belly'motif, Karl Olav Sandnes asks whether St Paul might be addressing a culture in which the stomach is similarly high on the agenda. The result is a surprising new insight into his writings. Paul twice mentions the enigmatic phrase'belly-worship'(Phil 3; Rom 16). The proper context for these texts is the moral philosophy debate about mastering the desires, and the reputation of Epicurus'philosophy as promoting indulgence. The belly became a catchword for a life controlled by pleasures. Belly-worship was not only pejorative rhetoric, but developed from Paul's conviction that the body was destined to a future with Christ. Part I. Prolegomena: Introducton, Previous Solutions, Method And Pauline Context -- Part Ii. Graeco-roman Belly: -- Belly As A Sign: Ancient Physiognomics -- Belly In Ancient Moral Philosophy -- Ancient Critique Of Epicureanism -- Banquets: Opportunities For The Belly -- Part Iii. Appropriated Belly: -- Belly-topos In Jewish-hellenistic Sources -- Belly In Philo's Writings -- Part Iv. Belly-worship And Body According To Paul: -- Lifestyle Of Citizens Of The Heavenly Politeuma: Phil. 3:17-21 -- 'serving The Belly' As Kinship With Satan: Rom 16:17-20 -- Corinthian Belly -- Part V. Earliest Expositors Of Paul: -- Belly-dicta Of Paul In Patristic Literature -- Part Vi. Conclusions: Concluding Remarks. Karl Olav Sandnes. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 275-291) And Indexes. "The belly is today a matter of much concern. Modern cultures, particularly in the West, have developed means to cultivate this part of the body: corsets, exercises, revealing fashions. In this compelling exploration of the 'belly' motif, Karl Olav Sandnes asks whether St. Paul might be addressing a culture in which the stomach is similarly high on the agenda. The result is a surprising new insight into this writings."--BOOK JACKET. The belly is today a matter of much concern. Modern cultures have developed means to cultivate this part of the body. Does St Paul in any way address a culture in which the stomach is similarly high on the agenda? To answer this question is the aim of this investigation The commonest terms for stomach in ancient writings ( and ) occur in the following texts in the undisputed Pauline epistles: 1 Thess. 5:13; Gal. 1:15; Phil. 3:19; 1 Cor. 6:13; Rom. 16:18.