In Cutting Too Close for Comfort, Susan Elliot considers Paul's letter to the Galatians in its Anatolian cultic context. What does circumcision have to do with castration? Self-castrated devotees of the Mother of the Gods travelled in the central Anatolian territory where the audience of Paul's letter to the Galatians lived. The goddess was identified with many of the region's mountains. In a goddess-possessed frenzy, these galli castrated themselves and became lifetime cultic representatives as her slaves. Cutting Too Close For Comfort offers a thick description of this cult and...
In Cutting Too Close for Comfort, Susan Elliot considers Paul's letter to the Galatians in its Anatolian cultic context. What does circumcision hav...
This work explores Paul's conception of maturity, paying special attention to the maturation process and the role of the local church in facilitating this process. Although central to Paul's theology, maturity is often overlooked in Pauline studies. An exegetical-theological study of the seven generally accepted epistles, this work makes heuristic use of three studies for the purpose of illuminating Paul's thoughts regarding maturity: a survey of modern psychology, and analyses of the communities of Qumran and of the Therapeutae.
Samra argues that Paul...
This work explores Paul's conception of maturity, paying special attention to the maturation process and the role of the local church...
1 Corinthians 5:5 is a curious passage which has been variously interpreted by scholars. For some, it denotes a magical curse which is designed to cause the physical death of the sinner. Others have found such an interpretation unpersuasive. Instead, they maintain that Paul's words at verse five are to be understood as a metaphor for exclusion from the Corinthian community. So, the errant Corinthian is not to die by a curse, but is to be excluded.
This work argues for the former interpretation by marshalling a range of the most recent-specialised-magical material,...
1 Corinthians 5:5 is a curious passage which has been variously interpreted by scholars. For some, it denotes a magical curse which is designed t...
Commemorative Identities represents a significantly new approach to the issue of replacement/abrogation vs. continuation of Jewish thought patterns and practices among Jewish Christ-followers as they are addressed by the Johannine author. Previous studies have been unable to elucidate a comprehensible argument to support continuation of commemoration in the face of explicit Temple replacement terminology in the Gospel.
This study provides that argument based upon known sociological observations and models, and direct comparative analysis with Jewish practices pre- and...
Commemorative Identities represents a significantly new approach to the issue of replacement/abrogation vs. continuation of Jewish thought p...
Homer was the gateway to education, to the skills of reading and writing. These skills were necessary for the nascent Church. Knowledge of Homer's writings was a sign of Greekness, of at-home-ness in the society. Education was embedded in the mythology, immorality and idolatry of these writings. This challenged the Christians. This study presents how Christians responded to this. The opinions varied from rejection of Homer and all pagan literature, considering them works of the Devil, to critical involvement with this literature. This study attempts to trace the discourse on Homer and...
Homer was the gateway to education, to the skills of reading and writing. These skills were necessary for the nascent Church. Knowledge of Homer's wri...
In 1 Thessalonians 4:15, the Apostle Paul appeals to a "word of the Lord" to provide authority for his eschatological encouragement. This appeal has left a perplexing problem related to the nature and function of the specific authority to which the phrase refers. Two theories have predominated in the history of interpretation: either 1) it refers to a directly received prophetic revelation, whether to Paul or to another Christian prophet; or 2) it refers to a teaching of Jesus received as tradition, whether preserved in the Gospel tradition or otherwise unknown.This book investigates this...
In 1 Thessalonians 4:15, the Apostle Paul appeals to a "word of the Lord" to provide authority for his eschatological encouragement. This appeal has l...
A fundamental issue for preachers of the Bible has always been achieving an approach that is both faithful to the textual intention as well as fitting for the listening audience. What is historical and distant (the text) is, in preaching, made contemporary and near (praxis). Particularly pertinent is how this transaction may be conducted with respect to the self-contained and well-defined quantum of the scriptural text that is regularly employed in liturgical contexts-the pericope. This book answers the question: In a sermon intending to proclaim application from a pericope, what is the...
A fundamental issue for preachers of the Bible has always been achieving an approach that is both faithful to the textual intention as well as fi...
This study continues the adaptation of the method of Case Frame analysis for the investigation of the Greek text of the New Testament. Case Frame analysis distinguishes the words of a language into two categories, predicators words that require completion by other words for their correct grammatical use] and non-predicators words that do not require such completion], and provides rigorous procedures for describing the syntactic, semantic, and lexical requirements that predicators impose on the words that complete their meaning. The inclusion of semantic function and feature descriptions...
This study continues the adaptation of the method of Case Frame analysis for the investigation of the Greek text of the New Testament. Case Frame a...
Using a multi-level approach to Mark 15:34, and contra to the opinion of the majority of Markan scholarship, a contextual reading of Ps 22:2 does not serve to negate or dilute the presentation of Jesus as one in distress. Rather, such a reading enhances this aspect of his death by underscoring his identity as a Righteous Sufferer who experiences suffering but has the promise of vindication.
The evidence that supports a contextual reading of the citation in the Markan narrative includes: (a) the importance of Jesus' impending resurrection/vindication and its foreshadowing; (b) the...
Using a multi-level approach to Mark 15:34, and contra to the opinion of the majority of Markan scholarship, a contextual reading of Ps 22:2 does not ...
Research into the social and rhetorical background of the Corinthian church, shows that the Corinthians were evaluating their leaders based on their rhetorical prowess, seeking to associate with those who would enhance their status and honour. The coherence of Paul's argument in 1 Corinthians 1-4 is evaluated, particularly by showing how Paul's discourse of the cross and Sophia relate to the issue of the dissensions in the Corinthian ekklesia. Once demonstrated that there is a misunderstanding of wisdom amongst church leaders at the basis of the dissensions, a redefinition of the wisdom...
Research into the social and rhetorical background of the Corinthian church, shows that the Corinthians were evaluating their leaders based on their r...
