Resisting Empire: Rethinking the Purpose of the Letter to "the Hebrews" (The Library of New Testament Studies)

I wish to express my gratitude to the numerous people who helped me bring this project to fruition. My colleagues in Baylor's Classics Department, especially Tim Heckenlively, Jeff Hunt, Dan Hanchey, and Simon Burris, graciously pointed me to resources, stimulated my thinking, and entertained all my queries about Roman imperial culture. They often welcomed me unannounced into their of ces to answer questions I had from laboring over material related to the Roman world. My colleagues in the Religion Department, Lidija Novakovic, Mikeal Parsons, and Bruce Longenecker, gave me helpful feedback and thoughtprovoking discussion at various stages of this project. I have been blessed to work with such generous colleagues and established scholars. Alden Smith at Baylor University and Karl Galinsky at the University of Texas engaged the Baylor New Testament Colloquium on the Aeneid. Both are generous scholars and made a signi cant impact on all participants in the colloquium. Michael Martin at Lubbock Christian University, a close friend since my graduate days, read several of the chapters and always provided sage advice. Ken Schenck gave a formal and helpful response to a chapter I presented in a Hebrews session at the annual SBL meeting in Chicago. Carey Newman at Baylor University Press helped me to think through the shape of this project and to construct my proposal. Carey's probing questions helped me to grasp my project with greater clarity. Mark Goodacre patiently shepherded my proposal through the review process with LNTS. Mark always kindly answered my numerous inquiries. Mariam Cantwell, Caitlin Flynn, Dominic Mattos, and Chloe Shuttlewood were all immensely helpful at Bloomsbury T&T Clark for guiding the manuscript to publication. I also wish to thank my copy-editor, Duncan Burns, for his work in the nal stages of preparation. I am also grateful to the Religion Department and Honors College at Baylor University for providing support to travel to the International SBL in St. Andrews in order to present a chapter I was working on for this book. Baylor University also awarded me a summer sabbatical so that I could complete this book. x Acknowledgments 1 I want especially to thank my graduate assistants. David Beary meticulously worked through the rst draft of this book and assembled the bibliography. David was also a good conversation partner and helped ll in some gaps in research along the way. Natalie Webb worked through the nal draft and assembled the indices of this book. David and Natalie engaged in their tasks with enthusiasm and rigor. Finally, I want to thank Charles and Betty Talbert, Phyllis Tippit, my life group at Calvary Baptist Church, and my wife Jennifer for their constant encouragement of this project from its inception to its completion. They patiently listened to my frustrations and breakthroughs. Their constant encouragement helped me to push through dif cult periods of writing. I am especially grateful to Jennifer and my daughter Hannah who allowed me the time I needed to complete this book. It is to Hannah that I dedicate this book. I will always remember her prayers at bedtime for "Daddy's book," her delight when she found my rst book in the library, and her joy when she proudly presented me her rst book fully illustrated. "This book offers a fresh reading about the purpose for which Hebrews was written. In this book Whitlark argues that Hebrews engages both the negative pressures (persecution) and positive attractions (honor/prosperity) of its audience's Roman imperial context. Consequently, the audience of Hebrews appears to be in danger of defecting to the pagan imperial context. Due to the imperial nature of these pressures, Hebrews obliquely critiques the imperial script according to the rhetorical expectations in the first-century Mediterranean world-namely, through the use of figured speech. This critique is the primary focus of Whitlark's project. Whitlark examines Hebrews's figured response to the imperial hopes boasted by Rome along with Rome's claim to eternal rule, to the power of life and death, and to be led by the true, victorious ruler. Whitlark also makes a case for discerning Hebrews's response to the challenges of Flavian triumph. Whitlark concludes his study by suggesting that Hebrews functions much like Revelation, that is, to resist the draw of the Christians' Roman imperial context. This is done, in part, by providing a covert opposition to Roman imperial discourse. He also offers evaluation of relapse theories for Hebrews, of Hebrews's place among early Christian martyrdom, and of the nature of the resistance that Hebrews promotes.--Bloomsbury Publishing This book offers a fresh reading about the purpose for which Hebrews was written. In this book Whitlark argues that Hebrews engages both the negative pressures (persecution) and positive attractions (honor/prosperity) of its audience's Roman imperial context. Consequently, the audience of Hebrews appears to be in danger of defecting to the pagan imperial context. Due to the imperial nature of these pressures, Hebrews obliquely critiques the imperial script according to the rhetorical expectations in the first-century Mediterranean world-namely, through the use of figured speech. This critique is the primary focus of Whitlark's project. Whitlark examines Hebrews's figured response to the imperial hopes boasted by Rome along with Rome's claim to eternal rule, to the power of life and death, and to be led by the true, victorious ruler. Whitlark also makes a case for discerning Hebrews's response to the challenges of Flavian triumph. Whitlark concludes his study by suggesting that Hebrews functions much like Revelation, that is, to resist the draw of the Christians' Roman imperial context. This is done, in part, by providing a covert opposition to Roman imperial discourse. He also offers evaluation of relapse theories for Hebrews, of Hebrews's place among early Christian martyrdom, and of the nature of the resistance that Hebrews promotes CONTENTS Acknowlegments Abbreviations Chapter 1 -- INTRODUCTION: HEBREWS AND ITS IMPERIAL CONTEXT I. Assumptions II. Method III. Arrangement Chapter 2 -- THE RHETORIC OF RESISTANCE: FIGURED SPEECH AND THE CRITIQUE OF IMPERIAL POWER I. General Definition of Figured Speech II. Types of Figured Speech III. Conditions for the Use of Figured Speech IV. Effectiveness of Figured Speech V. Detection of Figured Speech VI. Figured Speech and the Roman Imperial Context VII. Conclusion Chapter 3 -- RESISTING ASSIMILATION: THE WARNING AGAINST IDOLATRY I. Negative Pressures and Positive Attractions in Hebrews II. Idol Polemic Among Early Jews and Christians III. Figured Use of Idol Polemic in Hebrews IV. Conclusion Chapter 4 -- RESISTING ASSIMILATION: A BETTER HOPE I. Figured Comparisons and an Oblique Reference II. A Better Oikoumene III. A Better Patris IV. A Katapausis Free of “Works” V. Conclusion Chapter 5 -- RESISTING IMPERIAL CLAIMS: THE ETERNAL CITY AND ITS RULER I. A City That Does Not Remain in Hebrews 13:14a II. The Eternity of Rome and Its Emperor III. The Eternal City and Its Ruler in Hebrews IV. Conclusion Chapter 6 -- RESISTING IMPERIAL CLAIMS: JESUS’ DEFEAT OF THE DEVIL I. The Devil as One Having the Power of Death: A Figured Reference to Roman Imperium II. Jesus’ Defeat of the Devil: Resistance to Coercive Imperial Power III. Conclusion Chapter 7 -- RESISTING IMPERIAL CLAIMS: JESUS’ HERCULEAN LABOR OF LIBERATION I. The Herculean Jesus of Hebrews II. The Herculean Emperors of Rome III. The Anti-Imperial Implications of the Herculean Jesus of Hebrews Chapter 8 -- RESISTING IMPERIAL CLAIMS: ANSWERING THE THEODICAL CHALLENGE OF FLAVIAN TRIUMPH I. Multiple Aims of a Discourse and the Theodical Aim of Hebrews II. The Theodical Challenge of Flavian Victory III. Some Jewish and Christian Responses to Flavian Victory IV. Hebrews’s Figured Response to Flavian Victory V. Implications of Hebrews’s Figured Critique of Flavian Victory Chapter 9 -- CONCLUSION I. Summary II. Relapse Theories and Hebrews III. The New Testament and Hebrews IV. Christian Martyrdom and Hebrews V. Resisting Empire and Hebrews Bibliography Index of References Index of Authors