The reading of an ancient text from a contemporary context is discussed. This is done from a hermeneutical standpoint where ancient symbols are viewed as images from the past which are read in relation to present symbols and images. The reading of the text opens up the presenting thereof because of connections made with ancient symbols and metaphors, by means of present symbols and metaphors. The reading and the presenting of the ancient text thus depends on a new understanding of the status of the text – with is primarily based on a symbolic and metaphoric reading of the text. With a symbolic and metaphoric approach the power of symbolism is utilized which could be characterized as an abductive method. A symbolic and metaphoric reading and presenting of the text is then placed in a basic approach which can be used by the Biblical scholar or preacher. / Prof. JA Du Rand

Thesis advisor: Matthew S. Monnig / Thesis advisor: Thomas D. Stegman / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2021. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

Composition for orchestra.

This thesis has been partially OCRed. Please contact for further accessibility services. / This thesis analyses the concept of the "Day of the Lord” as it comes to expression in Luke-Acts. In these books, this Old Testament concept is reinterpreted and used in conjunction with another Old Testament theme: the coming of the Son of man. An analysis of the Lukan passages about the coming of the Son of man (Luke 17:22-37; 21:5-36; 12:35-48) in the context of the contemporary historical situation of first-century Judaism reveals that when speaking of the coming of the Son of man, the Lukan Jesus is referring to a number of comings; namely, his own life (Luke 12) and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE (Luke 17 and 21). The Old Testament imagery of the Son of man is used to show the nature of this coming: a vindication of those suffering "for my name's sake" (Luke 21:17). In Luke this message of hope and judgment is brought to Israel; Acts shows how the final age has dawned, extending this message of hope and judgment to the gentiles. The suffering of Jesus and his resurrection of vindication become the suffering of the church to be ended by another day of vindication and resurrection. Luke-Acts, therefore, points out the eschatological character of the coming of Jesus and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, for they are the beginning of an event that will be consummated in the final coming. In the mean-time, those who eagerly await that coming can claim the already fulfilled promises and testify to the Spirit-filled restoration taking place already now, in the last days. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

This dissertation seeks to explore how Luke's socio-literary context may have impacted his use of authoritative citation. However, we must first seek to discern what that context is and specifically what genre Luke followed in composing the Third Gospel. Most biblical scholars place Luke, along with the other canonical Gospels, among the Greco-Roman ~iot of the ancient world. While biographical and historical literature have many overlapping formal features as instances of historically oriented Greek narrative discourse (isolated esp. through Burridge's detection criteria), chapters 2-3 ofthis dissertation argue that Luke's Gospel aligns more closely with ancient history than with βioς on the basis of seven disambiguation criteria: (1) preface length ratio, (2) βioς language in the preface, (3) attestation to event-participant orientation, (4) transition into the narrative body, (5) the placement of family tradition, (6) citation density, and (7) citation strategy. Having argued that Luke resembles ancient history more closely than βioς, chapter 4 then seeks to develop a method for interpreting authoritative citation in Greek history. Chapters 5-6 apply this method to the Greek historians both co-textually and contextually. Chapters 7-9 apply the same method to Luke's Gospel and conclude that Luke exhibits remarkable similarities with the Greek historians in his authoritative citation strategies. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This dissertation examines the portrayals of the Temple, synagogue, and house-churches in Luke-Acts to pose a Lukan challenge to the Korean church by using a model of architectural space which is derived from social-scientific ideas originating in anthropology, sociology and social psychology. The dissertation proposes the relevance of the Lukan house-church to the Korean church today so as to transform the latter's character in its architecture and use of space into the inclusive and missionary one which is featured in Luke-Acts. The argument of the dissertation begins with an exploration and defence of social-scientific method (Chapter 1). Chapter 2 begins with a history and analysis of Korean Christianity which raises problem surrounding its use of architectural space, before setting out a socialscientific model of architectural space, which is then applied to contemporary Korean church architecture. Challenging current understandings of a positive Lukan attitude toward the Temple, this study proposes in Chapter 3 that Luke had a negative understanding of the Temple in that it was an oppressive institution characterised by segmented spaces which divided the people of God and thus showed its illegitimacy in relation to the saving plan of God in Jesus. The dissertation next proposes in Chapter 4 that first-century synagogues were subsidiary Temple spaces which were extended to most parts of Mediterranean world from the central sanctuary in Jerusalem, and that Luke portrays the synagogues as similar to the Temple. Contrary to the Temple and synagogue, the house in Luke-Acts expresses the inclusive salvation of the gospel which incorporates a variety of people regardless of social status, gender, age and ethnic origin (Chapter 5). In this interpretation, the house-church is represented as an inclusive space accessible without institutional constraints. In the Gospel, it serves to express the Kingdom of God into which sinners are invited to enter through meals and to be incorporated into a fictive-kinship group created by Jesus. In Acts, the house is not only a locus of Christian meetings in which the social relationships, characteristic of family, are practised to enhance and legitimise the social identity of Jesus' followers, but also the modus operandi of Christian mission through which the Christ-movement spreads throughout the Mediterranean world. This study concludes with an Epilogue containing brief suggestions for changes in Korean church architecture and use of space based on these Lukan insights, which have the potential radically to transform Korean Protestant Christianity.

Especially during the last hundred years, the church has become more aware of the work of the Holy Spirit. This interest has not only occurred in the holiness, pentecostal and charismatic movements, but in the church at large as well. Some have described this rediscovery as a "second great outpouring of the Holy Spirit" while others have spurned it as soulish emotionalism and ecstasy. Still others declare that the church has discovered nothing new and in a sense no new Pentecost has occurred; for to speak of the church at all one must speak of "two thousand years of Pentecost". This renewed interest in the Holy Spirit has various exponents with even still more assessments of its value, meaning and direction. All engaged in discussing the Holy Spirit today from various theological stances use biblical language concerning the Holy Spirit. Often this usage does not adequately consider the varied contextual and redactional significance of these expressions. This thesis analyzes one such phrase, "filled with/full of the Holy Spirit", in Luke-Acts and points out the significance and limitations for the phrase in a Lucan context. When other redactional and traditional points are encountered in Luke-Acts they are analyzed as well. It is apparent that Luke uses fulness of the Spirit as part of his overall programme of presenting the mission of Jesus and its expansion in the witness of the church in terms of the Holy Spirit. It is hoped that a clearer understanding of Luke's use of the concept will clarify the church's use of the phrase and reduce misunderstanding and division in the church over her greatest asset and very ground of being, the Holy Spirit.

Using a narrative-critical approach, this thesis argues that ‘Herod’ may be construed as a composite character in Luke-Acts. Composite characters appear in literary works as a conflation of two or more historic individuals into a single character in a narrative. Scholars have often noted that Luke-Acts evidences a more extensive interest in the Herodian rulers than do the gospels of Mark and Matthew and that each of these rulers are depicted similarly to the others in his work. However, no one has argued that those rulers named ‘Herod’ may be understood as a composite character. In Luke-Acts, three Herodian rulers stand behind the composite ‘Herod’. The thesis will show that when compared/contrasted with what is known about the Herodian rulers from historical evidence, two unique features of the depiction of the Herodian rulers named Herod in Luke-Acts emerge. First, at Luke 1:5 the author uses the title ‘King of Judaea’ which is unattested elsewhere for any Herodian ruler. Second, at Acts 12 the author uses the name ‘Herod’ for Agrippa I, a name that finds no external corroboration for this particular King. While other occurrences of the name ‘Herod’ refer to Herod Antipas (Luke 3—Acts 4), these two distinct features of the narrative may be understood as conflation of the other ‘Herods’ with Antipas. Following an interpretation of all the passages in which ‘Herod’ appears, it will be evident that ‘Herod’ is portrayed consistently and as a single character not only through repeated use of the name ‘Herod’, but as a recurring antagonist to the key protagonists of the narrative (John the Baptist, Jesus, and the apostles/early church). Finally, the thesis will consider as explanation of the depiction of ‘Herod’ how this composite character embodies Satanic opposition from the political realm toward those who proclaim the gospel in the Lukan narrative.

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