The History of Religions School Today: Essays on the New Testament and Related Ancient Mediterranean Texts (Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen Zum Neuen Testament)

The present volume offers a glimpse at one currently thriving expression of the distinguished history of religions school approach to the New Testament and early Christian literature. Begun circa 1884 at the University of Göttingen and pioneered by scholars such as Albert Eichhorn, Wilhelm Bousset, Johannes Weiss, and William Wrede, today applications of this approach are diverse. Scholars adapt the method, incorporating the latest technologies and insights, to optimize the school's original goal of accurate biblical interpretation. In North America, the University of Chicago has long been a hub of this type of investigation. Over the last century, many of these Chicago studies have produced groundbreaking results. Still, the approach has never been without its critics. Applying the history of religions school approach to a range of interesting topics and themes, the essays in this collection demonstrate against current opposition how the history of religions school continues to steer scholarly innovation in the field of New Testament studies by offering constructive new interpretations of early Christian and other writings and advancing discussion in key areas of research. Cover Acknowledgments Table of Contents Abbreviations and References Clare K. Rothschild: Introduction I. Introduction II. History of Religions School III. Some Objections IV. Present Volume V. Conclusion Part One: New Testament Paul Mark Reasoner: Paul’s God of Peace in Canonical and Political Perspectives I. God Grants Peace Together with Righteousness II. False Prophets Who Proclaim Peace Bring Divine Judgment on Themselves III. The Theology of Imperial Peace in the Early Principate IV. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 V. Philippians 4:9 VI. Two Objections VII. Romans 10:15 VIII. Romans 15:33 IX. Romans 16:20 X. The Canonical Legacy of Paul’s God of Peace XI. Conclusion Robert Matthew Calhoun: Romans 1:18–32 among Ancient Accounts of the Origin of Religion I. Introduction II. Ancient Accounts of the Primordial Origin of Religion 1. The basic theories: Prodicus, Democritus and Critias 2. Philosophical elaboration of the theories: Cleanthes and Lucretius 3. Historiographic and ethnographic accounts: Hecataeus and Euhemerus 4. Rhetorical and epistolary applications: Dio Chrysostom and ‘Anacharsis’ 5. Wisdom 13–15 on the origin of pagan polytheism 6. Summation III. Paul’s Account in Rom 1:18–32 1. Sub-proposition (1:18–19a) 2. Divine self-manifestation and human response (1:19b–23) 3. Punishment of the heart (1:24–27) 4. The punishment of the mind (1:28–31) and conclusion (1:32) IV. Conclusions Meira Z. Kensky: The “Hymnic” Conclusion to Romans 11 I. Introduction II. Romans 11:33–36 III. Linguistic and Structural Elements IV. Scriptural Allusions V. Wisdom and Apocalyptic in Romans 9–11 Deutero-Pauline Literature Jeffrey R. Asher: Missiles, Demagogues, and the Devil: The Rhetoric of Slander in Ephesians 6:16 I. The Rhetoric of Slander II. The Devil as a Πονηρός III. Weapons of Shame IV. The Fiery Bolts of the Gods V. Shields, Missiles, and the Shame of the Devil VI. Conclusion Gospels/Acts Laurie Brink: Going the Extra Mile: Reading Matt 5:41 Literally and Metaphorically I. Introduction II. Matt 5:41 interpreted as Ἀγγαρεία 1. Reading Ἀγγαρεύω Literally 2. The Roman Practice and Abuse of Ἀγγαρεία 3. Ἀγγαρεία in Israel 4. Ἀγγαρεία as Extortion III. Matt 5:41 Interpreted as Extortion 1. Resisting Retaliation: The Fifth Antithesis 2. Who Is the Antagonist of Matt 5:38–42? IV. Matt 5:41 Interpreted as Fulfilling the Law V. Conclusion David G. Monaco: The Rhetoric of Narrative in Acts 8:26–40: Ramifications of the Baptism of the Ethiopian Eunuch for the Author of Luke-Acts I. Introduction II. Rhetorical Analysis of the Pericope III. How Does the Text Fit in the Book of Acts? IV. Conclusion Apocalypse Paul B. Duff: The Scroll, the Temple, and the Great City: The Crisis in the Asian Assemblies and the Interlude of Rev 10:1–11:13 I. Introduction II. The Scroll Narrative (10:1–11) III. The Mighty Angel IV. The Scroll V. The Consumption of the Scroll VI. The Temple and Witness Narrative VII. Jerusalem as “Sodom” and “Egypt” VIII. The Inhabitants of Jerusalem IX. Resolving the Ambiguity X. The Crisis Addressed by John XI. An Episode within a Narrative or a Story within a Story? XII. Reading the Interlude against the Background of John’s Struggle for Legitimacy in the Divided Communities XIII. Concluding Remarks Jewish Christianity Matt Jackson-McCabe: Orthodoxy, Heresy, and Jewish Christianity: Reflections on Categories in Edwin Broadhead’s Jewish Ways of Following Jesus I. II. III. IV. Jeffrey A. Trumbower: Christians, Sabbateans, and the Dead Sea Sect: A Comparative Case Study in Jewish Sectarian Logic Part Two: Related Ancient Mediterranean Texts Clare K. Rothschild: Παιδεία as Solution to Stasis in 1 Clement I. Proof-texts & Commentary II. Proof-texts III. Authorial Commentary IV. Conclusion Matthijs den Dulk and Andrew M. Langford: Polycarp and Polemo: Christianity at the Center of the Second Sophistic I. Introduction II. The Talented Mr. Polemo III. Polycarp and Polemo IV. The Martyrdom of Polycarp and the Second Sophistic 1. (Re)Constructing Ancient Masculinities 2. (Old) Age 3. Prosōpon 4. Hand movement 5. Gaze 6. Witticisms and Improvisation 7. Arranging an Address, Proposing a Theme 8. The Father and Teacher of Asia V. Concluding Remarks Annette Bourland Huizenga: On Choosing a Wet-Nurse: Physical, Cultural and Moral Credentials I. Myia to Phyllis II. Physical Credentials III. Cultural Credentials IV. Moral Credentials Justin R. Howell: Lucian’s Hermotimus: A Fictive Dialogue with Marcus Aurelius I. Hermotimus as Marcus Aurelius 1. The Name and Age of Hermotimus 2. Hermotimus as Philosopher-King II. An Appeal for Marcus to Reign as Civilis Princeps III. A Concluding Proposal: The Cynicism of the Hermotimus Thomas R. Blanton IV: De caelo patrocinium: The Economy of Divine Patronage in Apuleius’ Metamorphoses I. Introduction II. Roman Patronage: An Overview III. The Economy of the Offering in Apuleius of Madauros’ Metamorphoses IV. Conclusions Bibliography List of Contributors Indices References Hebrew Bible/Septuagint Old Testament Pseudepigrapha Dead Sea Scrolls Rabbinic Literature New Testament Apostolic Fathers and Other Early Christian Literature Other Ancient Authors and Texts Modern Authors Subjects