No description available.

Thesis advisor: Thomas D. Stegman / Thesis advisor: Christopher R. Matthews / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2016. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

This thesis investigates the relationship between the portraits of new creation in the Hauptbriefe (specifically, in 2 Corinthians and Galatians) and Ephesians. The thesis partly responds to those scholars who argue for a limited understanding (whether cosmological, anthropological, or ecclesiological) of the phrase kainh; ktivsiV in 2 Cor 5.17 and Gal 6.15. This thesis also partly responds to the lack of attention devoted to the new creation theme in Ephesians by investigating the depiction of new creation in Eph 1–2. Chapters two and three of this thesis investigate the background of new creation in the Pauline tradition through an analysis of various texts in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, 1 Enoch, and Jubilees. These chapters demonstrate that new creation and restoration were frequently associated with anthropological and cosmological renewal, the salvation of the Gentiles, and an Urzeit-Endzeit typology. The strong correlation between Isaiah’s new exodus and ANE temple-building traditions is a particularly significant contribution of the inquiry of Isaiah. Chapters four and five of this thesis primarily analyze the depictions of new creation in Gal 6.11–16; 2 Cor 5.11–21; and Eph 1–2. A salient point of this analysis is the suggestion that Eph 1.20–2.22 may be understood as an extended discussion of new creation modeled after Isaiah’s portrait of the new exodus as an act of temple-building. This examination demonstrates that the descriptions of new creation in all three of these texts are strongly linked with anthropological, eschatological, and ecclesiological notions, as well as an Urzeit-Endzeit typology. This thesis also points to a number of other correspondences between the portraits of new creation in the Hauptbriefe and that of Ephesians.

While Pauline studies today are grappling with the question of the core of Paul's thought, the investigation of the apostle's social world is also gaining interest among scholars. The study of Paul's argumentation offers a fundamental contribution to both endeavours. Enthymemes, defined by the rhetorical tradition as the basic building blocks of deductive argumentation, constitute an important part of Paul's argumentation which until now has been relatively unexploited. Study of the manner in which Paul constructs enthymemes gives us insight into his thought world. The premisses that he uses as argumentative proofs can be viewed as a reflection of the common "social knowledge" of the Pauline milieu. / The object of this inquiry is to study Paul's use of enthymemes as a rhetorical and argumentative tool and to evaluate what this reveals about his thought, his teaching, and his social world. The study begins with a discussion of the problem of enthymeme definition, followed by a clarification of criteria for identifying enthymemes in texts. A method of analysis is proposed. The entire corpus of Paul's seven undisputed letters is then "combed" for enthymemes, one epistle at a time. Enthymemes are identified and analysed, and their argumentative premisses are catalogued thematically. This exercise permits a serious consideration of Paul's modes of argumentation, rhetorical aims and social world in the context of each epistle. Results from different epistles are compared as a means to consider, in general, Paul's rhetorical habits. / This thesis argues that enthymeme analysis is a necessary first step in Pauline exegesis. It is also argued that more attention needs to be given to enthymeme study in the research into Paul's social world. The question of how enthymeme study can inform the study of Paul's theology and core convictions is also discussed.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis advisor: Thomas D. Stegman / Thesis advisor: Andrew R. Davis / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2017. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

No description available.

This thesis is an investigation of the place and function of repentance in the theology of Paul as determined by the critical application of the categories "getting-in" and staying-in" to the passages where the term is used and to passages where the concept may be implied. It contains an exegesis of those passages and an analysis of Paul's conversion experience. Consideration is also given to the implications this study has for other areas of New Testament study. / The main theses are that repentance was used by Paul in a variety of ways and played a more important role for him than has been thought and that Paul's place in early Christianity was in line with the teaching of Jesus and the early Christian church.