God as Merciful Father in Ben Sira and the New Testament

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Corley
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Ben Sira ◽  
The New Testament

scholarly journals The pendulum is never static: Jesus Sira to Jesus Christ on women in the light of Judith, Susanna and LXX Esther

2009 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Jordaan
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Jesus Christ ◽  
Apostle Paul ◽  
Positive View ◽  
Ben Sira ◽  
Negative View ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
Status Of Women

When the New Testament is interpreted, directly preceding literature is largely neglected. The dialectical terms, discourse and contra-discourse do not often surface in research on this period. This is especially the case with reference to women. Jesus Ben Sira (ca. 196 BCE) as well as other wisdom writers had quite a negative view of women. Although it has previously been argued that this negative discourse on women was challenged by Judith, this article goes further: the Additions to Esther and Susanna are added as possible challenging discourses. It is argued that these texts convincingly confront Ben Sira’s negative views and add substantial value to the worth and status of women. During the CE, both Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul had a mainly positive view of women. Positive ideas and allusions from texts are pointed out that might have their roots in the Apocrypha. Lastly, this article argues that the disputed Pauline letters contain a swing back towards Jesus Ben Sira’s negative view of women.

Sirach

2021 ◽  
pp. 283-305
Author(s):  
Jeremy Corley
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
New Testament ◽  
Reception History ◽  
Second Century ◽  
Faith Communities ◽  
Ben Sira ◽  
Survey Article ◽  
Biblical History ◽  
The New Testament

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).

Four Old Testament Books as Inspired and Inspiring

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald O’Collins, SJ
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Old Testament ◽  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Wisdom Literature ◽  
Ben Sira ◽  
Adam And Eve ◽  
Christian Art ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Paul's Letters

This chapter examines the inspired composition and inspiring impact of four Old Testament books (Genesis, Psalms, Isaiah, and Sirach). Biblical texts came from many anonymous persons (e.g. Genesis and the Psalms) and from known individuals (e.g. Sirach). In both cases, the Holy Spirit effected the formation of the final texts, and the subsequent use of such symbolic stories as that of Adam and Eve by biblical and patristic authors (e.g. Paul in Romans; Irenaeus), and in Christian art and literature (e.g. icons and Masaccio; Donne and Milton). The Psalms and Prophets fed into the preaching of Jesus and the New Testament (e.g. Paul’s letters). After the Psalms, Isaiah was the book most quoted by New Testament authors, proving a reservoir for their understanding of God. Ben Sira, author of Sirach, was aware of his authority within the wisdom-literature tradition but not of being inspired by God in writing his book.

Erasmus and the New Testament: The Pastoral Context

Moreana ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 35 (Number 133) (1) ◽  
pp. 37-48
Author(s):  
Germain Marc’hadour
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Greek Text ◽  
Great Freedom ◽  
The New Testament

Erasmus, after the dry philological task of editing the Greek text of the New Testament with annotations and a new translation, turned to his paraphrases with a sense of great freedom, bath literary and pastoral. Thomas More’s debt to his friend’s Biblical labors has been demonstrated but never systematically assessed. The faithful translation and annotation provided by Toronto provides an opportunity for examining a number of passages from St. Paul and St. James in the light of bath Erasmus’ exegesis and More’s apologetics.

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