In our fraught global environment, when political and ideological lines are drawn ever sharper and old allegiances are increasingly strained, love for neighbor as both individual and societal obligation needs to be thematized and justified anew. At the same time, the New Testament call to love one's enemies forms a sharp point of contrast to the current non-culture of hatred for all things different and foreign. Oda Wischmeyer's Love as Agape: The Early Christian Concept and Modern Discourse, the ninth volume in the Baylor-Mohr Siebeck Studies in Early Christianity series, aims to bring the New Testament concept of love into conversation with the current discussion about love. Wischmeyer investigates the commandment tradition of love for God and for neighbor, the ways in which the Septuagint and Plutarch speak of love, and the innovative concepts of love developed by Paul and John. She also presents an exegetically informed construction of the New Testament concept of love that is sharpened through a penetrating comparison with counter-, parallel, and alternative concepts from the ancient world. The book brings this holistic biblical vision forward into critical and constructive dialogue with key contemporary visions of love, including those of Julia Kristeva, Martha Nussbaum, Pope Benedict XVI, and Simon May. The tension that emerges stresses the need for fresh conceptualizations of ancient Jewish-Christian understandings, giving rise to the concluding question of the profile, limits, and impulses of the agape concept for present challenges. Through this academically rigorous and pastorally sensitive exploration, Wischmeyer points to the great love story between God and humanity, which realizes itself in the figure of Jesus Christ. This divine romance places love as the most intense, affirming, and life-creating relationship in God's own self, a relationship into which human beings are drawn and by which they obtain special dignity when God's love becomes their life.

The hypothesis that the Gospel of Mark was heavily influenced by Pauline theology and/or epistles was widespread in the nineteenth century, but fell out of favour for much of the twentieth century. In the last twenty years or so, however, this view has begun to attract renewed support, especially in English language scholarship. This major and important collection of essays by an international team of scholars seeks to move the discussion forward in a number of significant ways- tracing the history of the hypothesis from the nineteenth century to the modern day, searching for historical connections between these two early Christians, analysing and comparing the theology and christology of the Pauline epistles and the Gospel of Mark, and assessing their reception in later Christian texts. This major volume will be welcomed by those who are interested in the possible influence of the apostle to the Gentiles on the earliest Gospel.

The hypothesis that the Gospel of Mark was heavily influenced by Pauline theology and/or epistles was widespread in the nineteenth century, but fell out of favour for much of the twentieth century. In the last twenty years or so, however, this view has begun to attract renewed support, especially in English language scholarship. This major and important collection of essays by an international team of scholars seeks to move the discussion forward in a number of significant ways - tracing the history of the hypothesis from the nineteenth century to the modern day, searching for historical connections between these two early Christians, analysing and comparing the theology and christology of the Pauline epistles and the Gospel of Mark, and assessing their reception in later Christian texts. This major volume will be welcomed by those who are interested in the possible influence of the apostle to the Gentiles on the earliest Gospel.

This new work aimed at upper level undergraduates provides an invaluable handbook for students seriously engaging with Paul's life, letters and context. This new coursebook assesses Paul from four key areas. This book is written by several co-authors, all experts in their given fields, to give the most up-to-date and accurate information to readers - but also to present a sense of authorial continuity throughout the book. This book is divided into three main parts; the environment, life, work and person of Paul; Paul's letters and theological themes; and, the reception of Paul and his letters. As such it provides a comprehensive overview of scholarship on Paul and is the perfect handbook for the serious student wishing to engage with some of the most important writings in the New Testament. This book features maps, tables, text-boxes, up-to-date bibliographies and key points are identified throughout.

Die in diesem Band versammelten Aufsätze von Oda Wischmeyer, vier davon bisher unveröffentlicht, gelten der Paulusforschung. Die Aufsätze spiegeln die dynamische Entwicklung der Paulusforschung der letzten zwei Jahrzehnte und dienen gleichzeitig der Entwicklung einer eigenen Paulusinterpretation: beyond the new, the radical new and the "Paul within Judaism" perspectives on Paul . Paulus wird aus vier Blickrichtungen erschlossen: erstens als eigenständiger historischer Akteur der frühen Kaiserzeit; zweitens als Theologe, der die religiöse Tradition Israels und ihre Weltdeutung von seiner Christuserfahrung her neu interpretiert; drittens als Autor intellektuell anspruchsvoller Brieftexte; und viertens als eine der Gestalten, die das europäische Denken geprägt haben, oder anders gesagt: als eine Gestalt der europäischen Ideengeschichte, deren Wirkung aber längst eine globale geworden ist.

Das Phanomen der Polemik tritt erstmals in der philosophischen und politischen Begriffs- und Streitkultur der Griechen auf. Judische und christliche Lehrer und Schriftsteller verwendeten das Insturmentarium der Polemik in ihren Auseinandersetzungen uber Schriftauslegung, Lehrbildung und Formierung von Ethik. Gerade in den urchristlichen Schriften spielt Polemik eine bedeutende Rolle sowohl in der Jesusuberlieferung als auch in den Paulusbriefen und in den katholischen Briefen. Fur die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft ist die thematische Auseinandersetzung mit der mundlichen und schriftlichen Polemik bei der Rekonstruktion der Gestalt Jesu unerlasslich. AEhnliches gilt fur Paulus, der ein grosser Polemiker war. Auch die Rekonstruktion der Person und Theologie des Paulus erfolgt daher wesentlich uber die Analyse der rhetorischen und argumentativen Strategien seiner Polemik. In der spateren Schriftengruppe von Matthausevangelium, Jakobusbrief und 1. Petrusbrief entsteht das faszinierende Phanomen der ethisch argumentierenden Polemik gegen sprachliche Polemik, die als Gewalt verstanden wird. Der Sammelband gibt ein umfassendes Bild von der Polemik in den neutestamentlichen Schriften und ordnet das Phanomen in die antike Literatur (Altes Testament, fruhjudische Literatur, griechisch-roemische Literatur, Kirchenvater) ein.

The Dictionary of Biblical Hermeneutics brings together concepts relating to the theories, methods and conceptions of Bible interpretations under the central heading of a text-referenced hermeneutics. The resultant textual hermeneutics of the Bible forms a new paradigm which does not regard the Bible primarily as Gospel or Holy Scripture but views it from a textual and literary studies perspective as a a oeSupratexta . The dictionary is targeted at scholars in both theology and cultural studies.The work involves conventional intratheological models of biblical hermeneutics in an innovative dialogue with contemporary models for understanding texts. Interdisciplinary approach without competition Introducing a new paradigm (text-focused hermeneutics) Matches with EBR without overlapping of contents

Das Buch Jesus Sirach stellt eine gewaltige Synthese weisheitlicher, kultischer, prophetischer, rechtlicher und historiographischer Traditionen des antiken Israel und des frühen Judentums dar. Um 180 v.Chr. in Jerusalem als Lehrbuch verfasst, verbindet sein auf Hebräisch schreibender Autor das jüdische Gesetz mit der kosmischen Weisheit und formuliert Maximen zum gelingenden Leben in der vielfältigen Welt des Hellenismus. Der vorliegende Band präsentiert alle bis heute bekannten hebräischen Fragmente dieses Buchs samt deutscher Übersetzung sowie ausgewählte Texte der um 120 v.Chr. in Alexandria erstellten griechischen Übertragung. Einzelne Essays führen in die literarischen und kulturellen Kontexte des Sirachbuchs ein, beleuchten zentrale in ihm behandelte Themen wie die rechte Lebensführung, die Gerechtigkeit Gottes, die Bedeutung des Gebets oder die Auslegung der heiligen Schriften Israels und skizzieren exemplarisch die Rolle dieses jüdischen Werkes in der christlichen Frömmigkeitsgeschichte.

This new work aimed at upper level undergraduates provides an invaluable handbook for students seriously engaging with Paul's life, letters and context. This new coursebook assesses Paul from four key areas. This book is written by several co-authors, all experts in their given fields, to give the most up-to-date and accurate information to readers - but also to present a sense of authorial continuity throughout the book. This book is divided into three main parts: the environment, life, work and person of Paul; Paul's letters and theological themes; and, the reception of Paul and his letters. As such it provides a comprehensive overview of scholarship on Paul and is the perfect handbook for the serious student wishing to engage with some of the most important writings in the New Testament. This book features maps, tables, text-boxes, up-to-date bibliographies and key points are identified throughout.