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No description available.

The Letter to the Ephesians is comprised of two distinct parts that can be labelled "theology" (Ephesians 1-3) and "ethics" (Ephesians 4-6). These sections are, however, difficult to reconcile with each other. The moral exhortations of the paraenesis are not directly and argumentatively derived from the theological narrative. Although Ephesians is a letter, epistolary analysis does not lead to an explanation of how the "theological" and "ethical" sections can be integrated. A rhetorical critical examination, however, provides a new angle of interpretation that shows a way through the difficulties of explaining how the two halves of the letter are related to each other. Ephesians is a document that can be designated as "sermon". As a "sermon" it is a combination of epideictic and deliberative rhetorical genres that does not address a specific issue or controversy. It speaks to a Christian audience that is not expected to make critical decisions based on argumentation within the "sermon," but rather is reminded of, impressed with, and identifies with certain theological concepts. A frame of mind is thereby developed among the audience members that makes them receptive to the moral exhortations contained in the paraenesis. An analysis of the "theological" section of Ephesians reveals that a frame of mind receptive to moral exhortation is developed through the rhetorical presentation of theological notions with which the audience would be in agreement. The "ethical" section or paraenesis is not directly founded on these theological notions, but presents its own, self contained argumentation for proper conduct to an audience that has become susceptible to such behavioral appeals. It is concluded that theology and ethics in Ephesians are related by the rhetorical use of the language of what is defined as "sermon".

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Indiana University of Pennsylvania. / Includes bibliographical references.

System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Accompanied by 3 recitals, recorded Mar. 1, 2007, Nov. 20, 2007, and June 2, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (p. 40-42).

No description available.

This thesis examines the metaphorical appropriation of the symbol of circumcision in the Pauline corpus. It begins by suxveying the references to circumcision (both literal and metaphorical) in the Jewish literature of the Second Temple period, and by summarising Paul's treatment of the subject of physical circumcision. A detailed examination of the circumcision metaphors in three specific texts (Rom 2:25-29, Phil 3:3, and Col 2: 11-12) follows. One theme which unites all three passages is the recognition of circumcision's ongoing significance in some form. Nevertheless, the three texts employ the image of circumcision in different ways. Rom 2:25-29 draws on material from the LXX to redraw the covenantal boundaries which define the people of God. Phil 3:3 appears to brandish the symbol polemically, countering those who would insist on the necessity of physical circumcision, but likely operates within the same Pauline framework found in Romans. Col 2: 11-12 parallels Philo by showing very little interest in the connection between circumcision and covenant, and exploiting the more manifest implications of the circumcision ritual; this suggests that Colossians manifests either a different aspect of Paul's thought or the perspective of another writer. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

This dissertationis an examinationo f a two-part question. In writings from the Wisdom literature and the Apocalyptic literature, was creation tradition and theology utilized to support Israel's national identity and the ethnic and cultural boundaries which distinguishedh er from the Gentiles? In contrastt o its applicationi n coterminousJ ewish literature, did Paul (in Galatians) draw upon the same creation tradition to redefine the covenantal boundary of Israel to include a people of God made up of both Jew and Gentile? Both nationalistica nd universalistica spectsa re found in the creationt raditionso f the Hebrew Bible. Jewish writers in the pre-Pauline period utilized this creation tradition frequently,a nd in a variety of ways, to emphasizeth e electiono f Israel and underscoret he division between Jew and Gentile. Paul'sr esponseto the Galatianc risis utilized theologicala rgumentsf requently underpinnedb y creationt heologya nd imagery. Throughr eferencet o a realizeda pocalyptic eschatologyP, aul disassociatetsh e new creationf rom the eschatologicavl indication of Israel and from the observanceo f "works of the Law. " The presenceo f the Spirit is full proof of the incorporation of the Galatians into the new creation. Adam Christology becomes the means of uniting Jew and Gentile both in the fallen condition of Adam and in the single solution of faith in Christ. The world ordered by physical descent ("Jew and Gentile") has passed away, there is no "male and female. " Paul used creation imagery and creation theology to prove that the boundary which divided Jew from Gentile as the people of God was no longer valid, the very boundary which Jewish writers, through their use of creation tradition, had attempted to reinforce.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Divinity School, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 306-321). Also available on the Internet.

Twentieth-century scholarship on the social composition of the Pauline communities has focused on a binary model of the social structure of Roman society that posits a very small group of the élites and an enormous group of the non-élites. More recently, studies have tried to differentiate between strata within the non-élite groups by qualitatively identifying their economic conditions and quantitatively estimating the percentage distribution of each stratum. However, the major problem has been the lack of an economic reference line or a “poverty line” that would enable the meaningful comparison of different standards of living among the urban non-élites. This thesis aims to examine the economic strata of the non-élites in Roman society in the first century CE and estimates their standards of living by clarifying and establishing the concept of subsistence as an economic point of reference. This study first surveys the history of research on the social position of the earliest Christians in order to understand the debates of the twentieth century and the last decade. Then, the two levels of basic needs that are embedded in the concept of subsistence are explored and estimated: the “survival standard” and the “subsistence standard”. The former is more scientifically defined, while the latter focuses on aspects of social provision. The survival standard in the urban settings of the first century CE is used as a baseline to measure and compare the standards of living of various strata of non-élite groups such as unskilled workers, slaves, ordinary artisans, traders and professional artisans. Finally, once the economic stratification of the urban non-élites and their respective standards of living have been established, this framework is applied to the Pauline communities in Thessalonica, Philippi and Corinth in order to explain the issues of poverty, charity and wealth in the letters.