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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Christianity > The Bible
This book seeks to establish the inadequacy of readings of the
Gospel of Matthew as intended for, and a reflection of, a local
audience or community. Despite repeated challenges, the local
audience thesis continues to dominate a large proportion of
Matthean scholarship, and, as such, the issue of determining the
Gospel's audience remains an open question. In this book, Cedric E.
W. Vine posits four main critiques. The first suggests the
assumptions which underpin the text-focused process of identifying
the Gospel's audience, whether deemed to be local, Jewish, or
universal, lack clarity. Second, local audience readings
necessarily exclude plot-related developments and are both
selective and restrictive in their treatment of characterisation.
Third, Vine argues that many in an audience of the Gospel would
have incorporated their experience of hearing Matthew within
pre-existing mental representations shaped by Mark or other early
traditions. Fourth, Vine suggests that early Christian audiences
were largely heterogeneous in terms of ethnicity, age, sex, wealth,
familiarity with Christian traditions, and levels of commitment. As
such, the aural reception of the Gospel would have resulted in a
variety of impacts. A number of these critiques extend beyond the
local audience option and for this reason this study concludes that
we cannot currently determine the audience of the Gospel.
"Reading First Peter with New Eyes" is the second of four volumes
that incorporate essays examining the impact of recent
methodological advances in New Testament studies of the letters of
James, 1 and 2 Peter and Jude. It includes rhetorical,
social-scientific, socio-rhetorical, ideological and hermeneutical
methods, as they contribute to understanding First Peter and its
social context. Each essay has a similar three-fold structure,
ideal for use by students: a description of the methodological
approach; the application of the methodological approach to First
Peter; and a conclusion identifying how the methodological approach
contributes to a fresh understanding of the letter. "Reading First
Peter with New Eyes" follows on from the first volume in the
series, "Reading James With New Eyes", edited by Robert, L. Webb
and John S. Kloppenborg.
Rodney Thomas addresses the question of whether the book of
"Revelation" was written as an 'anti-magical' polemic and explores
the concept and definition of 'magic' from both modern and
first-century standpoints. Thomas presents the first century as a
time dominated by belief in spiritual forces and magical activity
which the author of "Revelation" sought to put into proper
perspective. This aim was achieved through a variety of highly
creative literary techniques which Thomas examines in this book. At
times it is possible to argue that unacceptable magical practices
are condemned by being labelled as farmakeia. At other times such
practices are carefully placed within the context of Israel's
ancient enemies. In addition standard polemical material against
magical practices Thomas asserts that it is also possible to
identify instances where the author of "Revelation" wholly
appropriates imagery commonly associated with 'magic' and recasts
it into a new Christian context. As a result it is possible to view
the magical motifs within "Revelation" as weighty polemic aimed
against certain practices and beliefs in the first century.
Formerly the "Journal for the Study of the New Testament
Supplement", a book series that explores the many aspects of New
Testament study including historical perspectives,
social-scientific and literary theory, and theological, cultural
and contextual approaches. "The Early Christianity in Context"
series, a part of "JSNTS", examines the birth and development of
early Christianity up to the end of the third century CE. The
series places Christianity in its social, cultural, political and
economic context. European Seminar on Christian Origins and Journal
for the Study of the Historical Jesus Supplement are also part of
"JSNTS".
Stephen D. Eyre leads you to explore this story of God's people
seeking after him. As you trace their journey, experiencing their
forward progress, their detours and their obstacles, you, too, will
learn to follow God more closely.
Through a close and informative reading of seven key texts in Acts,
Kauppi analyses the appearances of Graeco-Roman religion, offering
evidence of practices including divination and oracles, ruler cult
and civic foundation myth. "Foreign But Familiar Gods" then uses a
combination of these scriptural texts and other contemporary
evidence (including archaeological and literary material) to
suggest that one of Luke's subsidiary themes is to contrast
Graeco-Roman and Christian religious conceptualizations and
practices.
The chapters in this volume clarify crucial aspects of Torah by
exploring its relationship to sedaqa (righteousness). Observing the
Torah is often considered to be the main identity-marker of Israel
in the post-exilic period. However, sedaqa is also widely used as a
force of group cohesion and as a resource for ethics without
references to torah. The contributors to this volume explore these
crucial themes for the post-exilic period, and show how they are
related in the key texts that feature them. Though torah and sedaqa
can have some aspects in common, especially when they are amended
by aspects of creation, both terms are rarely linked to each other
explicitly in the Old Testament, and if so, different relations are
expressed. These are examined in this book. The opening of the book
of Isaiah is shown to integrate torah-learning into a life of
righteousness (sedaqa). In Deuteronomy sedaqa is shown to refer to
torah-dictacticism, and in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah torah can
be understood as symbol of sedaqa meaning the disposition of each
individual to accept torah as prescriptive law. However, the
chapters also show that these relationships are not exclusive and
that sedaqa is not always linked to torah, for in late texts of
Isaiah sedaqa is not realized by torah-observance, but by observing
the Sabbath.
Thomas G. Long's insightful commentary on the Pastoral Epistles
argues that these often-neglected letters are urgently important
for readers today. Some of the issues faced by New Testament
churches are ours as well: the lure and peril of "spirituality" for
Christians, the character of authentic worship, the qualities
needed for sound leadership, and the relationship between family
life and the church. Long's interpretations of these books consider
contemporary exegetical and theological outlooks and are presented
through his seasoned homiletical and pastoral perspectives. Pastors
will be strengthened by Long's view that the Pastoral Epistles can
refresh our memory about what really counts in the Christian
community and how important trustworthy leaders are.
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