Opposition to Paul as central to the occasion of the letter to the Galatians
·(expressed in scholarly circles in terms of different opponent hypotheses) is
identified as a pivotal factor in the interpretation of that letter. An analysis of some of the
received opponent hypotheses reveals that today, as throughout the history of the critical
interpretation of the letter, they are basically different proposals sharing the same historical
and methodological components. Both components are critically examined and it is suggested that
inadequate assumptions lead to an anachronistic and ethnocentric view of the nature of the
conflict and consequently, from a his torical point of view, a distorted cypher key to the
interpretation of the letter.
The proposal of a social-scientific approach to the letter presents, at the meth
odological level, the components of an alternative cypher key. It attempts to be
interdisciplinary in that it accounts for the otherness of foreign cultures and distant historical
eras in an integrated and explicit way.
Because of the methodological components an alternative set of historical com
ponents can be suggested. A focus on contemporary views on first-century Judaism and the
expansion of the Pauline communities in the first-century world not only
. points to shortcomings in the received views but provides an alternative perspective on the
communicative context of the letter. A first but important step is taken to construct a
probable first-century Mediterranean communicative context for the interpretation of the
letter.
In view of this alternative communicative context it is possible to redefine the con flict as a
truly first-century Mediterranean one in which Paul's authority and honour were at stake. This
makes it possible to construe the text in a different way. Instead of regarding the letter to
the Galatians as a document of intra-Christian struggle about conflicting theological or
doctrinal convictions, it is suggested that the letter be construed as the product of Paul's
missionary endeavour within the household setting, the subculture of first-century Judaism, and
the confines of orality and reli gion in the first-century world. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / D. Th. (New Testament)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:uir.unisa.ac.za:10500/17937 |
| Date | 06 1900 |
| Creators | Craffert, Pieter F. |
| Contributors | Vorster, W. S. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (viii, 259 leaves) |
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