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imagery and creation theology to prove that the boundary which divided Jew from Gentile as the people of God was no longer valid, the very boundary which Jewish writers, through their use of creation tradition, had attempted to reinforce.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:262289 |
| Date | January 1994 |
| Creators | Goh, David T. |
| Publisher | Durham University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/1041/ |
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