A TEXTUALLY-ARRANGED, GENRE-SENSITIVE, RHETORICALLY-INFORMED HOMILETICAL APPROACH Michael Douglas Williams, Ph.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2015 Chair: Dr. Robert A. Vogel Chapter 1 introduces the subject of this dissertation, which deals with the relationship between a biblical text’s substance and structure to that of a sermon’s substance and structure from that text. After stating the thesis of this dissertation—that expository preaching considers the arrangement of the text, is sensitive to the genre of the text and aware of the rhetorical impact of the text in order to faithfully and effectively communicate the Word of God—the introduction outlines the approach that this work follows. Chapter 2 begins by exploring the origin of inspiration as that of both divine and human. B. B. Warfield refers to this divine-human cooperation as the Spirit of God working confluently through the work of men. The chapter emphasizes how this divine-human cooperation came through a verbal-plenary view of inspiration. If inspiration extends to not only the writer’s thoughts but also his words, then the literary forms in the Bible are equally inspired. Therefore, the extent of the doctrine of inspiration to that of genre is of great importance to this dissertation. Chapter 3 describes the importance of hermeneutics and genre. I state my presupposition for authorial intent and single meaning of the text. Upon this authorial intent and single meaning foundation, I discuss principles for hermeneutics in general. More specifically, I establish the crucial role of literary sensitivity in the hermeneutical task. Essential in understanding the genre is an awareness of surface and notional structures, as well as what the author is doing (speech act) through that particular genre (structure). In short, to ignore literary form, as D. A. Carson insists, is to fall prey of two dangers: to insist that Scripture is saying what in fact it is not saying or to indeed miss what Scripture is actually saying. The chapter provides interpretative guidelines for genre sensitivity by exploring five primary genres found in the Bible. Chapter 4 discusses the aim of rhetoric and, in particular, the significance of the canon of arrangement on a given discourse. After discussing the aim of rhetoric and homiletics as that of persuasion for maximum impact, this chapter focuses upon the canon of arrangement and, thus, the reality that structure argues. The chapter then offers similarities and differences of the canon of arrangement with that of expository homiletics. Chapter 5 synthesizes a textually-arranged, genre-sensitive, rhetorical-informed homiletic. The chapter explores two areas of relevance for preaching: the need for head and heart and the need for textual sermonic structure. In particular, the first section deals with the primacy of preaching holistically. The second section addresses the necessary importance of textual sermonic structure around the consideration of biblical genre. The section offers sermonic examples from five genres, considering generic structures and rhetorical aim. The section concludes with a structural analysis of two sermons. In conclusion, chapter 6 presents a restatement of the thesis and summary of my arguments. The chapter urges expositors to faithfully and effectively preach the Bible by considering the structure of the text, being sensitive to its genre, and being aware of its rhetorical impact.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / Problem: The problem of this dissertation is to appraise the use of certain Bible study units as a means for guiding children's conceptual thinking about Christian concepts of God, man, and their relationship, in light of present understandings concerning conceptual thinking of children. Procedure: The dissertation begins with a consideration of the rationale for the use of the Bible in Methodist Church School Curriculum as set forth in statements of the Board of Education and its editorial division. The body of the study consists of two approaches to the problem: a study is made of conceptual thinking with special reference to children's thinking and their concept capacities; then, an analysis of the biblical studies units of the Closely Graded Courses is made in terms of the concepts of God, man, and their relationship. The concept of God is analyzed for concepts of God as Creator, Provider, Revealer, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. The concept of man is analyzed in terms of the spiritual nature of man's conscious selfhood, his role as questor, and as responder to God. The concept of the relationship between God and man is analyzed in terms of the God-pupil relationships of love, trust, discipline, and the relationship in the community of the church. Next, the conceptual expectations indicated by the data of the analysis are examined in the light of the study of conceptual thinking. Then, in order that the appraisal might include how well pupils who study the Closely Graded Courses are able to indicate their understanding of content taught that would appear to be difficult to learn, a field research project is undertaken at the local church level.[TRUNCATED]

This dissertation examines early Enochic literature, namely the Astronomical Book and the Book of the Watchers, in the context of traditions concerning Greco-Roman culture heroes and the debates about the origins of civilization during the Hellenistic age. I argue that the emphasis on the spread of antediluvian knowledge in both these works should be understood as a Jewish response to debates about the origins of cultural knowledge essential to Hellenistic civilization, especially astronomy and metallurgy. Chapter one surveys recent scholarship on the Astronomical Book and Watchers. Recent interpretations of Watchers have read the violence in the text as part of a program of resistance to Greek imperial hegemony, while similar readings for the Astronomical Book have not gained much support. While the resistance reading is a leading model for understanding early Enochic literature, there is an important dimension that has not been extensively explored for interpreting this body of literature, namely the debates surrounding the origins of cultural knowledge during the Hellenistic age. There was a robust discourse in the Hellenistic age about the origins of civilization and types of knowledge, such as astronomy and writing, that were widespread throughout the known world. On the one hand, Greek authors, including Herodotus and Diodorus, give evidence that some Greeks were seeking the origins of civilization in the cultures conquered by Alexander. On the other hand, native writers felt a nostalgia for the past and a time when their respective culture’s held greater power and prestige, causing them to focus on the greatness of their community earlier in history. Thus, in light of both these circumstances there developed a competition among native communities to appear to be the oldest culture and the source of popular knowledge essential for Hellenistic civilization. Chapter three turns to the early Enochic literature by examining the importance of astronomy and writing in both the Astronomical Book and Watchers. Both of these texts emphasize that legitimate knowledge of the heavens was given to the Jewish antediluvian figure of Enoch and that this knowledge was written down by Enoch. I argue that the choice of Enoch is meant to place the origins of astronomy, which was increasingly seen as a byword for antiquity generally, in a Jewish figure. In turn, a written tradition connected to this astronomical data would imply that all Hellenistic understanding about the movements of the heavenly bodies is because of the Jewish people and their preservation of this written knowledge down through the centuries. In addition, Watchers claims that an illegitimate form of astronomical knowledge was given to humanity by the fallen watchers. I argue that the depiction of the watchers is meant to parody accounts of antediluvian culture heroes in other traditions, most especially the Babylonians. Chapter four explores the role of violence in Watchers, and its connection to the origins of metallurgy in making weapons. I argue that the text seeks to account for the violence of the Hellenistic period by claiming that this violence was a result of wicked forms of cultural knowledge given in the antediluvian period. The text seeks to undercut claims made by rival cultures to the origins of metallurgy by arguing that these origins are wicked. Chapter five summarizes the main results of the project. I argue that reading early Enochic literature in the context of the Hellenistic debates over the origins of civilization provides a way to understand the Book of Watchers and the Astronomical Book together. Furthermore it makes the aims of these works similar to contemporary Jewish and non-Jewish works from the 2nd and 3rd centuries BCE. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Religion in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2018. / April 9, 2018. / Apocalyptic Literature, Enoch, Technology / Includes bibliographical references. / Matthew Goff, Professor Directing Dissertation; Trevor Luke, University Representative; David Levenson, Committee Member; Nicole Kelley, Committee Member.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University. / The problem of this dissertation is to discover what the New Testament says concerning the death and future life of individual persons. It takes into account concepts of the eschatological events in relation to which these matters must be understood, but the primary focus is on the individual. The primary data for the study are drawn from the New Testament. Every statement pertaining to the subject has been isolated according to definite standards, then classified and listed under ten basic categories. A number of these statements were selected for exegetical study. As a background for this exegetical study an historical survey was made of concepts of death and the future life in the thought of first century Judaism and Hellenism. From this total study several basic concepts have emerged, derived directly from the New Testament statements, and, especially, from the exegesis. In different strands of writing these concepts received varying emphases, and were expressed differently. Nevertheless, they are found throughout the New Testament as components of its total thought concerning death and the future life. [TRUNCATED]

This thesis attempts to find a date and general context for Mark' s gospel. Scholars are in general agreement that this is the earliest of the gospels. and thus of key importance for our dating of the other Synoptics and valuable for New Testament chronology generally. The focus of my study is Mark 13, the so-called 'eschatological' passage of Mark. Unlike other scholars, I have concentrated less on trying to locate a single set of historical circumstances against which to date it. While it is true that Mark is not a mere copy-and-paste compiler of transmitted traditions, and that his editorial work is likely to reflect the circumstances in which he worked, I argue that existing scholarly attempts at identifying these circumstances have failed to produce a firm consensus. Rather, I attempt to locate Mark’s eschatology within the context of evolving early Christian eschatological expectations as found in other New Testament documents, for which more secure datings have been proposed.

The approach of this thesis is a departure from the traditional philological examination of understanding the variant readings in Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis. The parables of Jesus in Luke are the object of investigation. The witness of the Church Fathers in the form of their allegorical exegesis of the text of the New Testament is employed to explain variant readings of the Bezan text. The notion that the harmonising tendency in the accounts of the Gospels is simply due to embarrassment is challenged. The alternative theory argued here is that the harmonisation, particularly of Luke to Matthew, of the text of the Gospels is interpretative in nature. The ancient practice of mimetic cross-referencing or intertextuality has been utilised in the Bezan text of Luke. The practice of mimetic harmonisation as applied in classical literature is the context assumed in this study. Additionally, the representative mimetic view of the way in which the written text interacts with the reality of life is also considered in the light of a harmonistic approach to the interpretation of the Lukan text and the allegorical interpretation of the parables of Jesus. It is argued that allegorising variants and mimetic readings have moulded the Bezan text of Luke. An anti-Judaic tendency and a faith-seeking theological mimetic representation are embedded in the Bezan text. They become recognisable when evaluated in the light of the patristic exegesis of the Lukan parables in Codex Bezae. Thus, the understanding of the variant readings of the Lukan parables in Bezae should be studied in the light of ancient literary criticism and the early history of Christian exegesis of the Gospel parables.

The salvation-restoration oracle in Joel 1 and 2 depicts the four phases of a spiritual cycle that has economic consequences: backsliding causes Yahweh to progressively remove His blessing, thus creating economic “recession”; disobedience (i.e. deliberate, blatant sin) leads to “depression”; true, heart-felt repentance causes Yahweh to reinstate His blessing, which kick-starts the process of “recovery”; and increasing levels of obedience lead ultimately to full blessing, resulting in “prosperity”. In particular, Joel 2:28 suggests that the outpouring of economic blessing will either precede or occur in close proximity to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. And since the apostle Peter used this passage to introduce his Pentecost sermon, I would argue that, when the devout Jews in his audience were hearing about Jesus, they were also thinking about Joel; or, to be more precise, the promises of economic transformation outlined in that book. Furthermore, the early chapters of Acts contain sufficient evidence to suggest that the economic prosperity promised in the OT salvation-restoration oracles was actually experienced by the Primitive Church in the post-Pentecost period. Consequently, it is possible that the persecution experienced by the Hellenistae was motivated primarily by economic factors, although doctrinal issues obviously provided a convenient excuse.

This thesis gathers and analyzes Origen of Alexandria's citations of Romans, 2 Corinthians and Galatians in order to gain a better understanding of the nature of the New Testament text in the second and third centuries. Throughout the transmission process of Origen’s writings, it is possible that the wording of his citations has undergone alteration that relates to changes in the New Testament transmission. Origen’s citations are analyzed to determine whether his citations, as they are found today, first transmit the text quoted by the author, and, second, are likely to be a reflection of his biblical manuscripts. If Origen’s authorial citations can be demonstrated to be from his biblical exemplars, it is only then that his citational text can be compared with New Testament manuscripts for the purposes of establishing textual affinity. If Origen’s citations cannot be used to establish his biblical text, then his use as a witness to specific text-forms should be reconsidered. However, his citations still reveal the transmission history of his writings, specifically how they have undergone alteration in light of the historical and theological environments of his editors. The thesis concludes that Origen, despite often corresponding to the Initial text and Byzantine text agreements, cited freely with little extant manuscript support. This suggests that his authorial citations have been accommodated to a text form similar to that of the Initial text and then the Byzantine text through subsequent transmission.

A complete collation of 1619 Greek minuscule manuscripts of John 18 now supplements the previously completed papyri and majuscule manuscript data for the International Greek New Testament Project (IGNTP). The full data were evaluated towards selecting minuscules to represent the manuscript tradition for the forthcoming Editio Critica Maior critical text and apparatus. Collaboration between the IGNTP and the Institut für neutestamentliche Textforschung (INTF) also allowed a comparison with data collected by the INTF. The same manuscripts were used by both, but the nature of the data was different, with the IGNTP’s total variation in John 18 and the INTF’s sampled variation in John 1-10. The results easily confirm prior known groups of manuscripts, and suggest samples to represent other groups. The total variation of John 18 initially suggested a much higher uniformity of manuscripts than the sampled variation. Deeper examination revealed consistency between both sets of data: the large majority of manuscripts do have a uniform text, and it is easy to represent them with a small selection of both readings and manuscripts, while the minority of more divergent manuscripts are evident from either well-sampled or total variation, and are worth further attention.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / The purpose of this dissertation is to determine the attitudes of the pre-exilic, canonical prophets toward their contemporary cultus. The approach in the early chapters is historical, describing the origin and development of Israelite prophecy and the Israelite cultus and the role played by each during the eighth and seventh centuries B.C. In the remaining chapters of the dissertation, each of the pre-exilic, canonical prophets is studied against the background of his specific remarks concerning the cultus and his vocational, geographical, political and religious position. This approach is primarily problematic, evaluating the approaches of various scholars, including those of the Scandinavian traditio-historical school. Any attempt to generalize about the "prophetic mind" must be tempered by a realization that the men called prophets did not form a homogeneous group, but belonged to quite different segments of the Israelite social and economic strata. Further, they do not fit into any simple vocational pattern. The commonly used appellative, "prophet," is not helpful because there were many prophetic roles, professional and non-professional. The tenor of their messages excludes the possibility of their belonging to any traditional, professional, prophetic order. Based on the evidence presented in this dissertation, the following conclusions are stated regarding the individual prophets: Amos was not a professional prophet; he was "a shepherd and a dresser of sycamore trees." There is not sufficient evidence to suggest Hosea's vocation, although he may have been a priest. Isaiah's vocation is uncertain, but there is strong evidence that he was a scribe in the royal palace. Micah's vocation is likewise uncertain; the best evidence indicates that he was a peasant artisan or farmer. Jeremiah was a priest until his prophetic call and his priestly vocation may have continued during his prophetic career. [TRUNCATED]