Paul's approach to the cultural conflict in Corinth : a socio-historical study

The problem of cultural conflict in congregations have been a serious challenge to the church throughout its history. Many approaches to tackling the problem of cultural intolerance and tensions have often been quite pragmatic in nature, without the presence of a solid biblical foundation or pastoral model. In this book Paul's approach as a slave-leader, emptying himself in analogy of Christ's own kenosis is thoroughly discussed, and posed as a biblical approach and solution to handling this very complex and contentious issue in churches, especially in the context of Botswana. Cover Table of Contents Bibliography 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 CONTEXT 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT 1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES 1.4 CENTRAL THEORETICAL ARGUMENT 1.5 METHOD OF RESEARCH 2 THE WIRKUNGSGESCHICTE OF PAUL’S APPROACH TO THE CONFLICT IN CORINTH: 2.1 INTRODUCTION 2.2 BIBLICAL SOURCES FOR STUDYING PAULINE CHRISTIANITY 2.3 COMPOSITION AND IDENTITY OF THE CONGREGATION IN CORINTH 2.3.2 THE SOCIO-POLITICAL, SOCIO–ECONOMIC AND SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL COMPOSITION OF SOCIETY AS INTERPRETING PRINCIPLE FOR THE DIVISION 2.3.3 THE “WEAK” AND THE “STRONG” IN 1 CORINTHIANS 8-10 2.3.4 THE HEBREWS IN 2 CORINTHIANS 11:22 2.4 THE EXISTENCE OF CULTURAL CONFLICT IN CORINTH 2.5 PAUL AND THE CONFLICT IN CORINTH 2.5.1 PAUL’S LIFE AND STATUS 2.5.2 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM MISSIOLOGY 2.5.3 THE FOCUS ON THE DEGRADATIONAL APPROACH OF CLASS 2.5.4 THE CONTRIBUTION OF 2 CORINTHIANS 2.6 CONCLUSION 3. THE CONTEXT AND BELIEFS OF THE RELEVANT CULTURAL GROUPS IN CORINTH 3.1 INTRODUCTION 3.2 UNDERSTANDING FIRST CENTURY CULTURE 3.2.1 DEFINITIONS OF CULTURE 3.2.2 THE SOCIO-HISTORICAL APPROACH 3.2.3 “CULTURE” FROM THE SOCIO-SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVE 3.2.4 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM ANTHROPOLOGY 3.3 THE CITY OF CORINTH 3.3.1 LOCATION AND HISTORY OF THE CITY46 3.3.2 GOVERNMENT 3.3.3 LAYOUT AND ACTIVITIES IN THE CITY 3.4 THE RELEVANT CULTURAL GROUPS WITHIN THE CITY 3.4.1 The Romans as the rulers of Corinth, and the influence of the Greek culture 3.5 THE CULTURAL CONTEXT OF THE RELEVANT GROUPS IN THE CITY 3.5.1 THE JEWS AS A CULTURAL GROUP WITHIN THE DIASPORA 3.5.2 THE GREEK CULTURE 3.6 CONCLUSION 4. THE BIBLE ON CULTURAL INTERACTION 4.1 INTRODUCTION 4.2 THE RELEVANCE AND REVELATION-HISTORICAL PLACE OF BIBLE PORTIONS ON CULTURAL INTERACTION 4.3 DEDUCTIONS FROM THE INVESTIGATION OF BIBLICAL DATA 4.4 CONCLUSION 5. THE INFLUENCE OF THE CULTURAL GROUPS IN CORINTH ON THE VARIOUS CONFLICTS 5.1 INTRODUCTION 5.2 ANALYSIS OF THE CULTURAL UNDERLAYS IN DIFFERENT CONFLICTS IN THE CORINTHIAN LETTERS 5.3 CONCLUSION 6. PERSONAL BACKGROUND OF THE APOSTLE PAUL 6.1 INTRODUCTION 6.2 CHRONOLOGY OF PAUL’S LIFE AND WORK 6.3 A PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF PAUL 6.4 PAUL AS A JEW 6.5 PAUL AS A CITIZEN OF TARSUS AND ROME 6.6 CONCLUSION 7. PAUL’S APPROACH TO CULTURAL PLURALISM IN CORINTH 7.1 INTRODUCTION 7.2 SUFFERING AND SELF-ENSLAVEMENT IN PAUL’S THEOLOGY 7.3 PAUL AND THE METAPHOR OF SLAVERY 7.4 AN EXEGESIS OF 1 CORINTHIANS 9:19-23 7.5 CONCLUSION 8. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE MINISTRY IN THE DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH IN BOTSWANA 9.CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY