Literary Unity and Reception History

2007 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 449-457
Author(s):  
C. Kavin Rowe

In the effort both to clarify and advance the present scholarly discussion, this article continues a conversation about (a) the reception history of Luke and Acts and (b) the hermeneutical implications that derive from such history . After a brief recapitulation of the status quaestionis, the article presses for a clear distinction between literary unity and reception history. It then moves to examine the cogency of the suppositions about the history of the Lukan writings prior to their reception in the second century (and beyond) and suggests a scenario that renders intelligible the later developments. Finally, the article concludes with some reflections about the pertinence of reception history to New Testament studies.

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher B. Zeichmann

The study of the military in the Roman provinces of Judaea is not the most accessible topic. Though the data upon which scholars rely is familiar (e.g., epigraphs, papyri, ancient historians), its study requires significant methodological deviations from biblical studies. This article summarizes key points relevant for scholars of both Jewish antiquity and early Christianity. First, it provides a summary of recent developments in the social history of the Roman army in the Near East, attending especially to the question of the role and function of soldiers in that region. Second, this article provides a brief social history for all military units in Judaea before it was renamed Syria Palaestina in 130 ce (four legions, 14 infantry cohortes, and five cavalry alae), based on the latest discoveries. Finally, the article concludes with a section discussing two issues specific to New Testament studies: the presence of an Italian cohort in Judaea (Acts 10) and the issue of the Augustan cohort in Judaea and Batanaea (Acts 27).


1965 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A. Crow

“The prospect of a church union cannot expect an exactly agreed-upon theology of the eucharist. Any effort to unite the church on a precise definition would cause a union on any comprehensive basis to fail. This is one of the places where unity in diversity is essential. Having made this point, however, there is a sense in which an emerging consensus, guided by fruitful New Testament studies, can be discerned on the ecumenical horizon. Far from a systematic interpretation, these issues furnish a significant basis for conversation, and indicate that the status of creative tension may possibly be preserved without division even on such a central matter as the Lord's Supper.”


2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Van der Watt ◽  
Andrie Du Toit ◽  
Stephan Joubert

This article deals with the history of the Department of New Testament Studies at the University of Pretoria from 1938 to 2008. The focus falls on the permanent staff members and their contributions during this period. The article begins with a discussion of the life and career of Prof. E.P. Groenewald. It then proceeds to the more diff cult time of cultural boycotts, with Profs A.B. du Toit and F. Botha as members of the Department at that time. Then the careers of Profs J.G. van der Watt and S.J. Joubert are discussed. The article concludes with a discussion of the contribution made by Prof. G.J. Steyn.


Author(s):  
Jeremy Corley

This survey article on the Book of Sirach (Latin: Ecclesiasticus) first considers its composition by a Jerusalem scribe named Ben Sira, who lived in the early second century bce. The article then examines major themes in the book’s theology (wisdom, creation, theodicy, and death), as well as its much-criticized portrayal of women. The chapter also explores its ethics of honor, generosity, and friendship, as well as the review of biblical history in the Praise of the Ancestors (Sirach 44–50). Thereafter, the chapter notes the book’s parallels to the New Testament, as well as its mixed reception history within Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant faith communities. Finally, to illustrate aspects of the reception history, the article offers four case studies showing how various later interpreters have used the sage’s teaching on testing (2:1–18), friendship (6:5–17), social justice (34:21–31), and remembering godly ancestors (44:1–15).


2015 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew R. Crawford

Through a consideration of the reception history of the so-called “Diatessaron,” Tatian’s second-century gospel compilation, we can learn much about the nature of this peculiar text. Of paramount importance here is the Syriac Commentary on the Gospel attributed to Ephrem of Nisibis. In this article I argue that the ordering of pericopae in the opening section of Tatian’s gospel, which interweaves Matthean and Lukan passages within a broadly Johannine incluisio, prompts the Syriac exegete to an unexpected interpretation of these narratives. By reading these pericopae as a single, continuous narrative, he creatively combines the divine “Word” and “Light” of the Johannine prologue with the Synoptic traditions about John the Baptist as the “voice” and about the star that shone to guide the magi, presenting the star and the voice as extensions of the Son’s own agency. This remarkably original interpretation of the nativity of Jesus illustrates the degree of artistry that went into the making of Tatian’s text and the novel interpretations it elicited from its readers.


2016 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-110
Author(s):  
Simon J. Joseph

TheGospel of the Ebionitesis a ‘text’ that only exists as fragments cited in and extrapolated from the heresiological writings of Epiphanius (Pan. 30). LikeRecognitions1.27–71, theGospel of the Ebionitesis one of a number of second- and third-century Jewish Christian sources, texts and traditions alleging that Jesus rejected animal sacrifice. In this article, I seek to review the history of research on this particular text and tradition and explore its significance as a case study in the use of non-canonical gospel traditions in New Testament studies.


2015 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan G. Van der Watt

This article is the first of two parts that contribute to the history of African biblical research. Africa’s theological ‘awakening’, following the colonial period, includes the discipline of New Testament studies. In this article the contributions of theologians working in Africa on the field of Johannine studies are surveyed and evaluated. In certain areas theologians from Africa performed very well, whilst other areas should receive more attention.Johannese navorsing in Afrika, deel 1: ’n Analitiese oorsig. Hierdie artikel is die eerste van twee, wat saam ’n bydrae tot die geskiedenis van Bybelnavorsing in Afrika wil lewer. Afrika se teologiese bewuswording wat op die koloniale periode volg, sluit die dissipline van Nuwe-Testamentiese navorsing in. In hierdie artikel word die bydrae van teoloë wat in Afrika werk, ondersoek en ge-evalueer. In sekere areas het die teoloë uit Afrika besonder goed gevaar, maar ander areas behoort meer aandag te geniet.


The Septuagint is the term commonly used to refer to the corpus of early Greek versions of Hebrew Scriptures. The collection is of immense importance in the history of both Judaism and Christianity. The renderings of individual books attest to the religious interests of the substantial Jewish population of Egypt during the Hellenistic and Roman periods, and to the development of the Greek language in its Koine phase. The narrative ascribing the Septuagint’s origins to the work of seventy translators in Alexandria attained legendary status among both Jews and Christians. The Septuagint was the version of Scripture most familiar to the writers of the New Testament, and became the authoritative Old Testament of the Greek and Latin Churches. In the early centuries of Christianity it was itself translated into several other languages, and it has had a continuing influence on the style and content of biblical translations. In the Oxford Handbook of the Septuagint leading experts in the field write on the history and manuscript transmission of the version, and explain the study of translation technique and textual criticism. They provide surveys of previous and current research on individual books of the Septuagint corpus, on alternative Jewish Greek versions, the Christian ‘daughter’ translations, and reception in early Jewish and Christian writers. The handbook also includes several ‘conversations’ with related fields of interest such as New Testament studies, liturgy, and art history.


Author(s):  
Maaike Koffeman

This article analyses the publication history of Dutch translations of Madame Bovary within the wider context of Flaubert’s reception more generally. In the decades following its publication, Madame Bovary was widely criticized due to its ‘scandalous’ subject matter. Gradually, these moralistic views gave way to a growing recognition of the novel as a modern classic. However, the immorality scandal continued to resonate with readers. We investigate how these diverging views on the novel informed the branding strategies employed by the publishers of its Dutch translations. Combining reception history, translation studies, paratextual analysis, and cultural sociology, we demonstrate how each publisher established a branding narrative that was informed by the status of the translator in question and that targeted a specific readership.


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