| 1. |
- Kelhoffer, James Anthony, 1970-
(författare)
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Conceptions of “Gospel” and Legitimacy in Early Christianity
- 2014
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Bok (refereegranskat)abstract
- The struggles to define what “gospel” was and to bolster a leader’s or a group’s legitimacy amidst inter-ecclesial competitors are hallmarks of much early Christian literature. Commencing with Kelhoffer’s inaugural lecture at Uppsala University, this volume makes available sixteen revised and updated articles, originally published between 1998 and 2013, focusing on method, “gospel” and legitimacy. In regard to method, it is argued that the so-called “historical-critical method” should not be construed as just one method in contrast to (or, as an alternative to) newer methods and approaches to biblical studies. Kelhoffer’s investigations of “gospel” in early Christian literature include when εὐαγγέλιον came to designate a written “Gospel,” whether Basilides of Alexandria wrote a Gospel, Paul’s concept of Heilsgeschichte, and patristic debates about the original conclusion to Mark. Examinations of struggles for legitimacy survey a range of topics and literature – the prayers attributed to the Maccabees, miracles as a confirmation of Paul’s legitimacy as an apostle, Luke’s apologetic portrayal of Paul as a former persecutor of the church, a readiness to withstand persecution as a source of authentication according to Paul and the Revelation of John, Hippolytus of Rome’s attacks against miracle-working ‘heretics,’ and the allegedly higher status of maimed “confessors” at the Council of Nicaea. Those already familiar with Kelhoffer’s Miracle and Mission (2000), Diet of John the Baptist (2005) and Persecution, Persuasion and Power (2010) will find in this volume refreshing insights suggested but not developed in his other books.Table of Contents:I. Reflections on Method• New Testament Exegesis as an Academic Discipline with Relevance for Other Disciplines• Early Christian Studies among the Academic Disciplines• The Significance of the Earthly Jesus in MatthewII. Conceptions of “Gospel” in Early Christianity• “How Soon a Book” Revisited: ΕUΑΓΓΕΛΙΟΝ as a Reference to “Gospel” Materials in the First Half of the Second Century• Basilides’s Gospel and Exegetica (Treatises)• The Struggle to Define Heilsgeschichte: Paul on the Origins of the Christian Tradition• The Witness of Eusebius’s ad Marinum and Other Christian Writings to the Original Conclusion of MarkIII. Struggles for Legitimacy• The Maccabees at Prayer: Pro- and Anti-Hasmonean Tendencies in the Prayers of First and Second Maccabees• Suffering as Defense of Paul’s Apostolic Authority• Paul and Justin Martyr on the Miraculous: A Comparison of Appeals to Authority• The Gradual Disclosure of Paul’s Violence against Christians in Acts as a Defense of the Lukan Paul• Revelation’s Date, the Imperial Cult and the Value of Christians’ Suffering in Revelation 1–3• “Hippolytus” and Magic: An Examination of Elenchos IV.28–42 in Light of the Greek Magical Papyri• The Search for Confessors at the Council of NicaeaIV. Early Christian Virtues in Practice• Suppressing Anger in Early Christianity: Examples from the Pauline Tradition• Early Christian Ascetic Practices and Biblical Interpretation: The Witnesses of Galen and Tatian
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| 2. |
- Kelhoffer, James Anthony, 1970-
(författare)
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Miracle and Mission : The Authentication of Missionaries and Their Message in the Longer Ending of Mark
- 2000. - 1st
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Bok (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The Longer Ending of the Gospel of Mark (Mark 16:9–20) was appended to the earliest Christian Gospel in the first half of the second century. This book offers a comprehensive analysis of Mark 16:9–20 and explores what can be ascertained about the otherwise unknown Christian author of this passage. Whereas most scholars have examined Mark 16:9–20 from the standpoint of its relation to Mark 1:1–16:8 and the question of Markan authorship, my study explores the passage’s distinct witness to the use of gospel traditions and the development of Christian thought. Concerning the origin of this passage, I argue that a single author made use of the ‘New Testament’ Gospels in forging a more satisfactory ending to Mark, and study the passage’s sometimes innovative literary forms. Also of interest is the author’s claim that the ascended Lord will help “those who believe” to perform miraculous signs—casting out demons, speaking in new languages, picking up snakes, drinking poison with impunity and healing the sick—when they proclaim the good news (verses 17–18, 20). This expectation is compared with portraits of miracles, especially in the context of mission, in the New Testament, various apocryphal acts, and Christian apologists of the second and third centuries. Another previously unexplored area concerns the question whether the promise concerning the picking up of snakes (verse 18a), which is cited by modern serpent-handlers, points to the existence of an analogous group in the ancient world. Accordingly, the two final chapters interpret the signs of picking up snakes and drinking a deadly substance with impunity (verse 18b) in their history-of-religions contexts. The literary and pictographic pieces of evidence discussed in these last two chapters stem primarily from the Hellenistic and Roman periods, but date as far back as the pre-classical Minoan civilization on the island of Crete and stretch as far forward as the early Byzantine and Medieval periods.
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| 3. |
- Kelhoffer, James Anthony, 1970-
(författare)
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Persecution, Persuasion and Power : Readiness to Withstand Hardship as a Corroboration of Legitimacy in the New Testament
- 2010. - 1st
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Bok (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This monograph examines an often overlooked aspect of New Testament constructions of legitimacy, namely the “value” of Christians’ withstanding persecution as a means of corroborating their religious identity as Christ’s followers. The introductory chapter defines the problem in interaction with sociologist Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of “cultural capital.” Chapters 2–10 examine the depictions of persecuted Christians in the Pauline letters, First Peter, Hebrews, Revelation, the NT Gospels, and Acts. These exegetical analyses support the conclusion that assertions of standing, authority, and power claimed on the basis of persecution play a significant and heretofore under-appreciated role in much of the NT. It is also argued that depictions of persecution can have both positive and negative implications for constructions of legitimation: they can work positively, confirming the standing of Jesus’ faithful followers, as well as negatively, calling into question the standing of those construed as persecutors of the early Jesus movement(s). An epilogue considers later examples of early Christian martyrs and confessors, as well as John Foxe’s “Book of Martyrs.” The epilogue also addresses the ethical and hermeneutical problem of asserting the withstanding of persecution as a basis of legitimacy in ancient and modern contexts. This problem stems from the observation that, although the NT authors present their construals of withstanding persecution as a basis of legitimation as if they were self-evident, such assertions are actually the culmination of numerous presuppositions and are therefore open to dissenting viewpoints. Yet the NT authors do not acknowledge the possibility of competing interpretations, or that oppressed Christians could someday become oppressors. Accordingly, this exegetical study calls attention to ethical and hermeneutical quandary that the NT bequeaths to the modern interpreter, a quandary inviting input from ethicists and other theologians.
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| 4. |
- Kelhoffer, James Anthony, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
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The Catholic Epistles, Hebrews, and Revelation
- 2016. - 1
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Bok (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- For many people, the nine books comprising the Catholic Epistles, Hebrews, and Revelation are the least-known parts of the New Testament. The volume also introduces eleven writings known as the Apostolic Fathers, produced during roughly the same period as those included in the Bible. With review and discussion questions and helpful content summaries, this introduction offers fresh insights into the turbulent years following the first generation of Christ believers.
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| 5. |
- Kelhoffer, James Anthony, 1970-
(författare)
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The Diet of John the Baptist : “Locusts and Wild Honey” in Synoptic and Patristic Interpretation
- 2005. - 1st
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Bok (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Much scholarly attention has been devoted to four of John the Baptist’s actions—most famously, his baptizing in the Jordan River, but also his preaching a message of repentance, having disciples and wearing clothing made of camel’s hair. Considerably less attention has been given to another deed attributed to John, namely his eating “locusts and wild honey” (Mark 1:6c||Matt 3:4c). The Diet of John the Baptist offers the first ever comprehensive analysis of Mark 1:6c||Matt 3:4c in its socio-historical context, the Synoptic Gospels and subsequent Christian interpretation. The first chapter surveys various anecdotes about John’s food in the Synoptic Gospels and notes that there has never been a consensus in scholarship concerning John‘s “locusts and wild honey.” Chapters 2 and 3 address ancient perspectives on locusts as human food and assorted kinds of “wild honey.” Chapter 4 considers the different meanings of this diet for the historical Baptist, Mark, and Matthew, as well as the reason for Luke’s omission of Mark 1:6. Contemporary anthropological and nutritional data shed new light on John’s experience as a locust gatherer and assess whether these foods could have actually sustained him in the wilderness. The last chapter demonstrates that the most prevalent interpretation of the Baptist’s diet, from the third through the sixteenth centuries, hails John’s simple wilderness provisions as a model for believers to emulate. An epilogue reflects on the methods employed in this study and suggests several avenues for future research, including conceptions of food and culture in early Christianity and the interplay between paideia and early Christian biblical interpretation.
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| 6. |
- Scholz, Daniel J., et al.
(författare)
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The Pauline Letters : Their History and Theology
- 2013
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Bok (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Exploring the complexities of Paul’s life and work, the integration of Jewish theology and Greek thought in the Pauline Letters, and questions of authorship of the letters, this text guides and challenges the reader to understand how Paul shaped emerging Christianity. This volume addresses the historical, social, and literary contexts of each Letter and what the Letters reveal about Paul’s theology and ethics. Summaries, review questions, and recommended additional readings make it ideal for undergraduate courses.
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